Locals in the South Auckland suburb of Manukau are celebrating the opening of a new $49 million bus station.
Photo: RNZ / Nita Blake-Persen
The Manukau bus station was opened by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Transport Minister Phil Twyford this morning, and members of the local board say it will provide a major boost to the area.
Around 100 people turned out for the official opening of the bus station this morning, which has been nearly two years in the making.
The 23-bay station will handle 470 buses and around 5500 passengers each day.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe local board chair Lotu Fuli said the station, which is next to the Manukau Train Station and Manukau Institute of Technology, was a game changer for the area.
"People in Manukau and people in South Auckland can have better access to public transport, can have access to the rest of Auckland and the opportunities that brings, but also outside of Auckland.
"We've got our intercity buses that will be coming to this spot, so it also opens up the rest of the North Island to the people of Manukau," she said.
The opening of the Manukau bus station Photo: RNZ / Nita Blake-Persen
Mr Goff said the station was a stand-out architectural addition to Manukau and another step in reducing Auckland's transport congestion.
"Because I live in the country-side I have to go by car each day, the roads are becoming more and more congested and we can't solve that simply by building more motorways.
"We have to have heavy rail, light rail, bus, walking and cycling and they've all got to be connected together," he said.
Buses will begin running from the station tomorrow morning.