Papatoetoe bus tragedy intersection's design 'horrible', says senior traffic engineer

The intersection where two men were hit and killed by a bus has been described as badly designed by a senior traffic engineer.

Taylor Charles King, 23, and 34-year-old Jeremy Tokotai Kaukasi were hit at the intersection of Puhinui Rd and Wyllie Rd on Saturday night. They died at the scene.

Glen Koorey, who is a specialist in road safety, could immediately see how a fatal crash occurred at the "horrible" intersection.

The busy intersection that involves a high-speed corner, slip lane and pedestrian crossing. Photo / Jason Oxenham

He said the high-speed corner was a hazard in itself, this was then combined with a pedestrian crossing that goes right across a slip lane.

A slip lane is used for efficiency so traffic doesn't have to wait for a signal.

"Cars think they can just keep going. Pedestrians think they can keep going as well

"When I saw that photo I just thought that [the intersection] doesn't help, regardless of who is at fault [for the crash]."

People laid flowers at the scene of the accident that caused the deaths of two pedestrians. Photo / Jason Oxenham

To improve the safety of the intersection Koorey would square off the corner so cars were forced to slow down. This could be done by extending the kerb or add vertical posts and repainting.

"That should improve the driver's chance of reacting to pedestrians."

Koorey believed the crash could be symptomatic of the problem New Zealand has with pedestrian safety. He said we don't have a good track record.

"We're killing 30 a year and injuring a lot more. We've got to be looking seriously at how we tackle the safety of all road users."

Gah, that pedestrian crosswalk over a pseudo-sliplane is all kinds of horrible - I can see how that fatal crash would have occurred - https://t.co/IBFnnHFQGq pic.twitter.com/628zURmajv

— Glen Koorey (@GKoorey) April 15, 2018

Several people living and working nearby said it was a dangerous intersection.

"Cars come really fast around the corner, and don't slow down," one person said.

"When you get the green light [on Puhinui Rd turning onto Wyllie Rd] you aren't looking for pedestrians.

"Some cars don't even stop for the red arrow. And people don't look as they cross. It is a really dangerous intersection."

A man staying across the road was not home on Saturday night, but said it was a "dangerous intersection".

"There have been accidents, but none this bad."

Jeremy Tokotai Kaukasi was killed in the bus tragedy. Photo / Supplied

Standing at the scene cars, trucks and buses can be seen whizzing around the corner, left off Puhinui Rd on to Wyllie Rd.

There is a pedestrian crossing, but any pedestrians not using the crossing further around the corner would not be able to see vehicles coming, nor those vehicles see them.

Mark Williams, who works at Parkinson and Bouskill Headstones in a group of shops on the corner, said the corner was prone to accidents.

"I have seen four or five crashes here in the past year.

"Something needs to be done about the lighting system. It is all out of sync and bloody dangerous."

Traffic had been increasing from the airport, and with workers coming in from the south.