Traffic lights plan mooted

A Bay Hopper Bus negotiates Greerton's small roundabout at the busy intersection of Cameron Rd and Chadwick Rd. PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

A tight Tauranga roundabout that has been the scene of five Bay Hopper bus crashes in 12 months has been earmarked for traffic lights.

Greerton's main roundabout with Chadwick Rd looks like joining the rest of Cameron Rd's major intersections to get signals if the project gets city council approval.

The risk posed by buses at the small roundabout emerged from information supplied to the Bay of Plenty Times dealing with accidents involving Bay Hopper buses.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which manages public transport in the city, described the intersection as "high risk" for buses. Bus drivers were at fault for two of the five collisions.

"It is difficult to manoeuvre without other lanes being compromised. We conduct training with new bus drivers just on that roundabout," council transport policy manager Garry Maloney said.

City council transport manager Martin Parkes said the size of the roundabout and the large volumes of traffic meant there was always potential for accidents involving larger vehicles.

"The ultimate plan is to get rid of the roundabout and put in traffic signals."

The other most common accidents where Tauranga Bay Hopper drivers were at fault involved clipping or hitting seven parked cars. Driver fault was also responsible for rear-ending three stationary cars.

None of the accidents involved injury to passengers and no action was taken against drivers by police.

The proposal to install signals on Chadwick Rd roundabout has been opposed by businessmen who look out across the intersection.

Leigh Crockford of Crockford Real Estate said there was the odd mishap but accidents were rare. "Roundabouts keep spitting traffic out but lights hold you up for quite a while."

The only hassle for traffic through Greerton's shopping centre was the Cameron Rd pedestrian crossing.

Greerton Barber's Jim Keown said lights would be a disaster and jam things up. Even rush-hour traffic flowed reasonably well through the roundabout. "You don't see many accidents."

Darryl Bellamy, the operations director for Go Bus, the company which operates the Bay Hopper service, said their drivers were constantly looking in their mirrors to give themselves space when they were on the roundabout.

"It is tight but not impossible. There is enough room if people play the game."

Bus crashes

Twenty crashes where Bay Hopper drivers were at fault: July 2013-June 2014

• Clips parked cars: 5
• Rear ends stopped cars: 3
• Hits parked cars: 2
• Collides with car on Chadwick roundabout: 2
• Knocks cyclist on roundabout (non injury)
• Hits traffic light
• Fails to give way at T-intersection & hits car
• Hits ute as entering stop
• Hits traffic light
• Hits barrier fence on roundabout
• Hits van exiting bus stop
• Hits bus at lights when drink bottle rolls under foot on brake

Ten crashes and incidents where bus drivers were not at fault: July 2013-May 2014

• Vehicles hit buses at Chadwick Rd roundabout: 3
• People throwing missiles and breaking bus windows: 2
• Van hits bus at traffic lights
• Truck opens door into path of passing bus
• Vehicle changing lane hits bus
• Car failing to give way hits bus
• Wind blows temporary traffic sign into bus