Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Rope fence proposed for central city bus route

Updated at 8:21 pm on 17 January 2012

A Wellington City Councillor is proposing that a rope fence be set up along a section of road to keep people from being hit by buses.

One person has died and seven more have been injured after being hit by buses since Manners Street and part of Willis Street in the central city were turned into a two-way bus route in 2010.

Councillor Leonie Gill wants to install a series of wooden posts with a couple of nautical ropes running between them along what used to be Manners Mall.

Ms Gill says after watching the road for just five minutes she was even more convinced there should be some sort of barrier on the footpath.

"I've seen people jaywalk, I've seen a skateboarder and people just crossing willy nilly."

But the council's transport spokesperson says the council does not really want to put up barriers everywhere and pedestrians don't want to be corralled into one place to cross the road.

Andy Foster says people may also just jump over the barriers.

Pedestrians spoken to by Radio New Zealand were almost all against the initiative - calling it unnecessary, ineffective and an eyesore.

The proposal will be discussed by councillors during this year's Long Term Plan deliberations in February.

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