(AHC) AUSTRALIAN High Commission acting Counsellor Samantha Bell yesterday officially handed over the last of Australian Government-funded five new Honiara bus shelters to Honiara City Council Deputy Mayor Clement Terewauri, providing accessible, all-weather protection for thousands of travellers.
Mrs Bell, Deputy Mayor Terewauri and Permanent Secretary Allan Lilia, Ministry of Infrastructure Development, joined local contractors Tropic Group Builders and Kramer Ausenco at the new Lawson Tama bus shelter, who outlined the low maintenance, high quality and wheelchair-accessible features of the shelters.
Mrs Bell said Australia was proud to have partnered with Honiara City Council and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development to deliver the locally designed and built project.
“These bus shelters, constructed by a Solomon Islands company, are a practical example of how Australia prioritises local jobs in our long-standing partnership with Solomon Islands.”
“Creating a safe, inclusive place for all Solomon Islanders while they move between home, school, markets, work, and back again, was very important when designing these shelters,” Mrs Bell said.
Deputy Mayor Terewauri acknowledged the Government and the people of Australia for the Honiara bus shelter initiative which is a significant boost in the City’s public infrastructure.
“These bus shelters will solve the problem experienced by the traveling public of Honiara city who have been braving the scorching sun and rain while waiting to catch public buses.
“We are grateful to the Australian Government and SIIP for their continued support. These new bus shelters will not only provide much-needed comfort and safety for our commuters but will also contribute to the overall modernization of our city’s infrastructure,” the Deputy Mayor said.
The SBD6.7 million project includes five shelters at the busy bus stops of China Town/Ministry of Health and Medical Services, King George VI Secondary School, Kukum Hot Bread, Lawson Tama and the National Referral Hospital. All are now operational and serving the Honiara public.
Each shelter has been designed in consultation with the Disabled Peoples’ Association of Solomon Islands. Concrete slabs have been aligned to surrounding pathways to ensure they are wheelchair accessible, and larger shelters have space for wheelchair users to wait.
The new shelters have been placed at the end of the bus bays, encouraging bus drivers to park within the bus bay and reducing traffic delays.
School Principal at King George Sixth School, Augustin Omearo is a regular user of public transport, and he is happy to see such public infrastructure being built in Honiara.
“These bus shelters will really help our students in Honiara in terms of arriving to school in time in the morning and retuning home after school.
“It is not easy for students to catch a bus when it rains and this affects their learning when they arrive late for classes. We support this development in our City which benefits not only our students but also the general public and timely facelift for our Honiara City,” he said.
