Subscribe to RSSChch Bus Drivers Get Reality Check
Christchurch’s Metro bus drivers hit the roads today for the first time for three days since Saturday’s quake - and got a first hand experience of the state of the roads and it wasn’t pretty.
The company’s acting director operations, Wayne Holton-Jeffrey said that Metro drivers and bus companies had coped well but ”drivers have had a bit of a reality check on the conditions of the roads since the earthquake.
“We are accommodating as much as we can and at this stage are playing it by ear as the cordons change within the CBD.”
Passenger numbers were light this morning but have progressively got steady this afternoon as the public became aware that the buses were back in business.
The bus exchange is not operational, but he said it will be soon, even if it means that the buses have to U-turn in Lichfield St to avoid the cordons around the CBD.
There are drop off points around the CBD depending on where the cordons are. Mr Holton-Jeffreys suggests that people be aware that the situation in the city may change, so the location of the drop off points will also change.
The bus company had had 2100 calls by 5.00pm today about what buses were running.
The NZTA says state highways in Canterbury are holding up well .
NZTA Canterbury State Highways Operations Manager Peter Connors says the aftershocks are a challenge for those assessing the highway network as well as for those involved in repairing the damage that has been sustained. Most of the quake repair work in the region involves smoothing humps in road surfaces along with refilling cracks and trenches left in the wake of Saturday’s quake.
Mr Connors says one of the more challenging jobs will be repairing a 60 metre long drop out on State Highway 77 south of Glentunnel in Mid Canterbury. An assessment will have to be made on the best option for restoring this section of highway, making it difficult to predict when it may re-open. However, a two kilometre sign posted detour is available around the affected site.
State Highway 74 is the only Canterbury highway currently is out of action due to earthquake damage. A detour using local roads is available for light vehicles. All Heavy Commercial vehicles travelling to the Port of Lyttelton are asked to detour via SH 1 Johns Road to SH73 Yaldhurst Road and Brougham Street.
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