by Conan Tait

An Outlandish Failure

KCDC has just put up its new transport hub plans in the video above. It is a hub where there is no shelter for those transiting from train to bus. In heavy rain passengers will get soaked. The elderly will risk getting pneumonia. The buses are nearly 30 metres from the station as shown in the below KCDC graphic impression.

The desirability of shelter is not only for health and safety, but also making the transit area functional. The recent interchange at Manukau City has the needed shelter. Below are examples of what has been done overseas and are what should be done.

As a frequent user of both bus and train, I know there is nothing worse that getting soaked in moving from one mode of transport to another, then sitting for up to an hour in a train or bus in damp clothing. The designers of this grandiose $9 million Plaza clearly have no knowledge of quality public transport requirements. A designer brusquely told me that 30 metres in the rain was not enough to get wet — it is a short dash. She gave no thought to old folks who aren’t so quick.  

Furthermore, the potential of slipping on wet surfaces and the risk of breaking a bone should be something public space architects pay close heed to. 

What we are going to get

The KCDC website states a great “public plaza will be created.” — a $9 million town centre plaza; one infers it will be another vital tourist attraction in itself, rivalling anything in Spain or Italy.

KCDC should be doing all it can to ensure that public transport is as pleasant as possible. Building a hub that makes travel nasty in bad weather is not pleasant; it ensures bus/train travellers have increased exposure to influenza and broken bones. It is more than just a colossal waste of ratepayer money.