David Yeates, owner of Expert Shoe Repair on Karangahape Road, said he felt business had slowed down since bus lane signs were installed. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
A Karangahape Road business owner says there's talk of legal action over Auckland Transport plans to strip out car parking and expand bus lanes.
Auckland Transport said on Wednesday the full integration of bus lanes on the road would be delayed until February 2024 but parking would still be scrapped this weekend.
Shop and restaurant owners said the delay wouldn't make any difference and what had been done was "completely wrong".
David Yeates has owned Expert Shoe Repair on K' Road for 25 years and said on-street parking was crucial for his business.
He said customers came from across the city and would park outside to run shoes into his store.
But ever since bus lane signs were installed on the street outside his shop, without his knowledge, he felt business slowing down.
"What about the 25 years it has taken me to build up my business?
"I've customers coming from all over Auckland, they've just got nowhere to park."
He said he was fed up with Auckland Transport.
"They are an unelected body that are running over business, it's almost like a dictatorship."
Yeates said there were discussions among businesses on joint action against the Auckland Transport plan.
"They know damn well that the businesses are going to be a little upset.
"We are not going to calm down and I know there will be legal action against them because we were not informed.
"There is talk that we will take legal action. . .I believe the K Road Association are onto it, they weren't aware. What they've done is completely wrong."
In a statement released on Monday, Auckland Transport said the boosted frequency of buses would "result in more people using these buses and give greater access to K' Rd."
"There will be more people walking the streets, spending money and enjoying the ambience of café culture on K' Rd," AT's city centre programme director Graeme Gunthorp said in the statement.
Business operators disputed that.
"People don't just take a bus to come out to eat here," Sripinang manager Angie Siew said. "Normally people like to drive here or Uber taxi."
Siew has managed the restaurant for 32 years and said she usually kept quiet but had finally had enough.
A big part of her business was customers parking on K' Road and popping in for lunch or getting takeaway orders.
"Look around, there's hardly any parking to accommodate all these people [coming] to town. It's just like you're pushing people away."
Walia Superette owner Sarbjit Singh said he was reliant on people popping in for the essentials on their way home, something bus commuters could not do.
He said Auckland Transport hadn't properly consulted with local businesses.
"They just make [their] own rules, they [don't] take any public opinion. . .they only do their own thing."
Auckland Transport told RNZ it had not managed the process as well as it should have and was delaying the full lane change until next year.
It said the changed schedule would allow businesses to get through the busy period of Christmas and New Year before the full integration of the bus lanes.
Many businesses on Karangahape Road said they weren't informed before bus lane signs were put up outside their shops. Photo:
Karangahape Road Business Association chairperson Muy Chhour said the decision was destroying their beautiful, vibrant precint.
"We need customers in order to survive, so what Auckland Transport is doing, is giving just a tiny piece of a crumb and expecting the business to survive," she said.
She was dissatisfied with AT's delay in the plans.
"It's not going to help us whatsoever. To take away all those car parking for customers . . to replace it simply with loading zones is simply not acceptable."
Mayor Wayne Brown, who has opposed the idea, said AT delaying part of its plan would give it time to readjust its approach.
"Sooner or later there is going to be more buses going through K' Road and you have to come up with some sort of result that allows for that," he said.
"But I think that the bus people at AT got a bit ahead of themselves."
Brown was hoping Auckland Transport would become less independent from Auckland Council.
