Mayor calls on The Ministry for Transport to pay for the relocation or construction of bus shelters and NOT slug Blacktown City ratepayers
Friday, October 23, 2009
Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Charlie Lowles is calling on the Ministry for Transport to foot the bill for the relocation and/or construction of bus shelters following the Ministry's introduction of the new bus routes in the Blacktown City Local Government Area.
The introduction of new bus routes by the Ministry for Transport has resulted in a number of bus shelters becoming redundant, forcing their relocation to other areas. Some bus shelters will also need to be constructed to accommodate the new routes.
In bus region number 1 alone, the cost of relocating and/or building bus shelters will cost $170,000, and bus region 4 will cost over $12,000.
Blacktown City Council has previously written to the Ministry for Transport requesting that it undertakes its responsibility of paying for the bus shelters that need to be relocated or built but has yet to hear back.
"The people of Blacktown City who travel on buses have had to adjust their routines following the introduction of new bus routes, with many being adversely affected and having to make major changes, especially our elderly community," Mayor Lowles said.
"Clearly it the responsibility of the Ministry to foot the bill for the relocation and /or construction of new bus shelters of the shelters or it will have to justify imposing the cost on ratepayers to the ratepayers themselves," Mayor Lowles said
"This will mean that even those people who do not use buses as a form of transport, will be slugged the bill also," Mayor Lowles said also
"I will not have the people of Blacktown City further inconvenienced," Mayor Lowles said.
