Table 4-32 – Pros and Cons of Bus Park options

Table 4-32 – Pros and Cons of Bus Park options

Site A Site B

Pros Pros

› Vacated plot in centre of town can be re-purposed. › Possibility for the town to grow north › People can be picked up and dropped off enroute to other destinations.

› North of River Kaiti, potential roadblocks due to flooding › Alternative mode of transport such as

Boda Boda needed to get into town. › Longer walking distances (30min) › Landownership unknown › Northbound buses will have to pass through town to arrive at the bus park increasing congestion unless a bypass route is planned. › Vacated plot in centre of town can be re-purposed. › Possibility for the town to grow east › Site is already allocated in proposed development plan › Walkable into town CBD (15min) › People can be picked up and dropped off enroute.

Cons

› Eastbound buses will have to pass through town to arrive at the bus park increasing congestion unless a bypass route is planned.

Site C

Pros

› Vacated plot in centre of town can be re-purposed. › Possibility for the town to grow south › Site already allocated in proposed development plan › People can be picked up and dropped off enroute › Very large site area provides opportunity for alternative/supplementary proposals.

Cons

› Southbound buses will have to pass through town to arrive at the bus park increasing congestion unless a bypass route is planned. › Longer walking distances (32min).

Source: Atkins analysis

Existing Bus Park Rationalisation

There is an opportunity to modify the existing bus station so it can operate more efficiently as an interim bus park and support a smooth transition to the new site. The privately owned site to the east is also considered in this proposal. It can support intermediate growth whilst providing modern-day amenities for businesses and people utilising public transit. Furthermore, a more efficient bus station, has the potential of uplifting further the land value of nearby properties thereby encouraging further capital investments into the CBD. The rationalisation of the existing bus park looks at the following key improvements:

> Re-arrangement of the parking and circulation of vehicles; > Consolidating matatu, bus, Probox, Maruti and boda-boda parking spaces; > Minimising and limiting NMT and pedestrian flow mix with vehicular routes; > Potential green link and good quality public realm; > New pickup and drop-off points; > Safe crossing points; > Maintain and re-provide business spaces, higher quality driver facilities, recreational areas (such as pool tables) and ticket offices; > Accommodate formalised market stalls, small shops and make room for day-traders and hawkers across public realm; > Include an operations and maintenance plan for the upkeep of the station.

The proposal explores the possibility of a more rational arrangement of the site, particularly by suggesting dedicated access to certain uses (i.e.: Buses/Matatu and Probox) and limit the shared access points. Currently the publicly owned site is accessed from the north and the south boundaries and the Probox site is accessed from the north. The accesses are not regulated, vehicles and pedestrians use the same points. The proposal suggests one entry to the north and exit point to the south to better suit the circulation. Separating vehicular and pedestrian routes provides safe circulation within the site and generates a new civic public space. The access points boast safe crossings on the adjoining roads which safely connect the neighbourhood to this island. Pick-up and drop-off points are located to the south of the site on the main vehicular corridor B107.

A potential NMT friendly route is proposed in between the public and private site along the tree line connecting both plots with good-quality walking and resting spaces. Food and beverage and small shops are proposed along this route that can benefit from the passing footfall. Good quality, inclusive public realm is proposed on the non-vehicular routes across the site. It is also proposed that the road on the western boundary of the site is upgraded into a shared and pedestrian priority street with a robust cleaning regime (the street is affected by donkey-dung droppings and nicknamed ‘Donkey Street’ because of this). It is proposed to do this along with the bus park proposal as it will improve the setting of the bus park and set a precedent for future improvement and repurposing of the site.

The overall circulation is rearranged. The buses, matatus, marutis, probox taxis and boda bodas, all have allocated parking spaces. This allows the bus park to operate in a more efficient manner. Facilities such as purpose-built ticket offices, and separate driver and visitor toilet facilities are provided. It is proposed that a well thought out operations and maintenance plan is put in place. This will need to be supported by evidence such as traffic flows, pedestrian counts and other feasibility studies. The east site is proposed to have a multi-storey structure to accommodate commercial uses on the upper floors and recreational/entertainment uses such as pool tables and food and beverages outlets on the ground floor and roofs.