FIRST OF FIVE NEW BUS SHELTERS FOR HONIARA OPEN

Honiara City Mayor Eddie Siapu has officially opened the first of five new Australian-funded bus shelters in Honiara, providing accessible, all-weather protection for thousands of travellers along Mendana and Kukum highways.

The Mayor was joined by officials from the Australian Government to open the first completed shelter at King George VI Secondary School, with the remaining four shelters to be finished by the end of the month.

Honiara’s busy PMV network serves thousands of people each day, who often wait in the hot sun and rain. The new shelters will make that wait more comfortable and accessible for all public transport users.

Mayor Siapu said he is very happy with what Australia, through the Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program, is doing in building these bus shelters for residents of Honiara city.

“Reliable, accessible and comfortable public transport is vital, and it enables the residents of Honiara to move around comfortably from the rain and heat of the sun,” Mayor Siapu said.

“I also commend the design of these bus shelters which cater for our people with disabilities.

“I encourage the residents of Honiara to take ownership of these bus shelters and look after   them for they are gifts given to us by the people of Australia.”

The SBD6.7 million project, which was initiated by Honiara City Council and Ministry of Infrastructure Development, received funding and implementation support from Australia’s Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program last year.

Australia’s Acting Deputy High Commissioner Craig Gillies said a good public transport service was vital to increasing economic development through improved productivity, by moving people between home, school, market, work, and back again – safely, comfortably and efficiently.

“Australia supported the bus shelter initiative by prioritising the use of local designers, local suppliers and local construction companies at every step,” Mr Gillies said.

“I’m proud to say that these shelters are fully designed, constructed and delivered by Solomon Islanders, for Solomon Islanders.”

Another four shelters will be completed this month at the busy bus stops at China Town/Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Lawson Tama, the National Referral Hospital and Kukum Hot Bread.

Each shelter has been in consultation with the Disabled Peoples’ Association of Solomon Islands. Concrete slabs have ben aligned to surrounding pathways to ensure they are wheelchair accessible, and larger shelters have space for wheelchair users to wait.

Mr Watson Mali from the Disabled Peoples’ Association of Solomon Islands said the shelters were a strong signal to bus owners, and the need for inclusive infrastructure in Solomon Islands to enable everyone to participate in Honiara’ social and economic opportunities.

“Building inclusive infrastructure for all means everyone has the same opportunity to participate in the social and economic development of Solomon Islands – and Australia is proud to support this vision,” he said.

The new shelters have been placed at the end of the bay, encouraging bus drivers to park within the bus bay and reduce traffic delays.