The bus attempting to descend from The Terrace to to Abel Smith St in Wellington this morning. Photo / Supplied
The bus attempting to descend from The Terrace to to Abel Smith St in Wellington this morning. Photo / Supplied
International athletes at the Fifa Women’s World Cup have experienced the “Wellington special” as their bus navigated one of the capital’s notoriously curly corners.
One car received minor damage after the official Fifa bus was driving from the Movenpick Hotel on The Terrace down to Abel Smith St, and another vehicle backed up to let it pass.
The car that was backing up collided with a parked one behind it.
The Fifa bus had a placard in the front window that read “Netherlands”.
A witness told the Herald he was on his way up to The Terrace when he saw the bus coming towards him.
“I saw people frantically trying to manoeuvre their car out of the way of the bus, which was inching its way around the steep and narrow corner, and as it did that it just dinged into the car behind.”
He described the incident as “the Wellington special”
“[The] road is too narrow, or too steep, and you get into trouble trying to navigate it. Everyone’s either done it or seen it done.”
He said the car suffered only minor panel damage but the traffic was halted.
A spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that police responded to a two-vehicle crash on the intersection of The Terrace and Abel Smith St about 10.30am today.
The bus attempting to descend on to Abel Smith Street. Photo / Supplied
“No one was injured and the road was not blocked.”
The Netherlands advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday with a 2-0 win over South Africa. They will play Spain at Wellington Regional Stadium on Friday at 1pm.
The media manager for the team confirmed the incident to the Herald saying “this morning our bus was driving away from the hotel and had to make a turn. A car was coming from the opposite side of the road. This car had to move back to make room for our bus so it could make the turn.
While doing so, the car slightly hit another car that was behind him. Fortunately, nobody got hurt.”
Fifa declined to comment when contacted by the Herald.
It’s not the first time Wellington’s winding streets have claimed a vehicle. In 2021, two cranes were called in to remove a truck which fell off a residential street in Wellington, partially blocking the road.
The moving van trapped in Ngaio. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Devon Street also claimed another bus in 2012 when its wheels lost traction. A crane also had to be used to remove that bus.
Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.
