RACT monitors effects of bus stop changes on motorists

THE state’s peak motoring body will spend the next 18 months keeping a watchful eye on how bus stop changes in the Hobart CBD could impact on the city’s motorists.

The site of the Hyatt Centric hotel development in the Elizabeth St bus mall, Hobart.

THE  state’s peak motoring body will spend the next 18 months monitoring how bus stop changes in the Hobart CBD ­affect the city’s motorists.

As part of the Hyatt Centric hotel development at the former Westpac building in the Elizabeth St bus mall, Metro has been forced to relocate its Eastern Shore stops until mid-2019.

Stops A, B, C and D will be relocated to stop J on Macquarie St outside the former Mercury building and to stop M on Elizabeth St at Franklin Square.

Stop M will operate on weekdays until 7pm and at all other times Eastern Shore services will use stop J. Despite the alterations, Eastern Shore timetables will be unchanged.

Elizabeth St from Davey St to Macquarie St will also be limited to buses, taxis, emergency vehicles, bicycles and permitted vehicles.

Changes have been made to the traffic signals at the intersection of Macquarie and Elizabeth Streets as part of the arrangements.

An RACT spokesman said the organisation would monitor the changes.

“We will keep a watching brief on the changes and pay particularly close attention to it when school returns in the New Year,” he said.

Traffic engineer Keith Midson said the changes would not have any significant detrimental impact on normal traffic flow on Macquarie St.

Bus stops E, F G and H will continue to operate as normal but some changes to southern services will be introduced. Franklin Square stops P and N will also be reversed to make better use of shelters.

Metro chief executive Megan Morse said representatives would be on hand in to help customers understand the changes.

It comes as the State Government yesterday revealed a multi-­million-dollar plan to transform the Tasman Highway between the Hobart Airport and Sorell into four lanes, including a $130 million duplication of the Sorell causeways and McGees Bridge.

The plan includes six other traffic solutions in the area.

RACT membership and community head Stacey Pennicott said the organisation had advocated for infrastructure investment to improve the eastern approach to Hobart for some time.