A newly opened roundabout built to make bus turns safer appears to be recreating the exact problem it was designed to fix, with buses having to stop mid-manoeuvre.
The roundabout at the intersection of Brady Rd and Princes St East in Ōtāhuhu replaced a three-point turn buses had used at the intersection for years.
It was intended to improve safety and reduce disruption, allowing buses to complete a u-turn rather than reversing into Brady Rd, according to Auckland Transport.
It says the difficulties with the new roundabout are simply down to teething issues for drivers.
Footage obtained by 1News showed several buses unable to complete the roundabout in one movement, instead having to perform a three-point turn — the same manoeuvre the roundabout was meant to replace.
Other longer buses were seen using the Ōtāhuhu United football club's carpark to turn around.
AT manager of transport design and standards Chris Beasley said the roundabout was fully completed on August 18 and had been made for its current buses.
"The design was modelled with the two bus sizes currently used by Auckland Transport in mind, and testing confirmed that both sizes are able to negotiate the roundabout safely and without stopping," Beasley said.
He said AT had received no complaints or incident reports since the opening and that new infrastructure often took some adjustment.
"It is not unusual for new infrastructure such as roundabouts to require drivers to adjust if they haven't used it in its new configuration," he said.
Beasley said footage filmed by AT showed its largest bus type negotiating the roundabout at the anticipated speed for the manoeuvre and provided the video to demonstrate the point.
"The attached video filmed by AT shows the larger bus type we use successfully using the roundabout in accordance with the anticipated speed for the manoeuvre, so the issue observed isn't universal," he said.
AT has released footage of its largest bus successfully navigating the new roundabout, after 1News witnessed several buses struggling to complete the turn. (Source: Supplied)
'There was never an issue' - local resident
Sue Ford, who lives near the intersection, said the previous arrangement had operated without incident for the two decades she'd lived there.
"There was never an issue with the buses doing what they were doing prior to the roundabout. They just go in, go up Brady Rd a bit, and then turn around. Quite simple," she said.
Ford said she raised concerns with Auckland Transport and local representatives before construction began, arguing the roundabout was unnecessary and that there wasn't enough room for buses to manoeuvre safely.
She said a bus became stuck on the central island shortly after the roundabout opened.
"It's not functional for the buses at all."
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