The city council has approved a three year programme to rebuild the urban transit network, committing to four new bus corridors, a redeveloped central interchange and a unified fare system covering every licensed operator.
The measure passed after a session that ran close to five hours, with amendments attached covering accessibility standards and a review point at the end of the first year. Council officers said preparatory survey work would begin within the current quarter.
What the programme covers
The first phase concentrates on the eastern corridor, where dedicated lanes are to be separated from general traffic along a nine kilometre stretch. Officials expect the change to cut scheduled journey times on that route by roughly a fifth once signalling priority is installed at the twelve junctions involved.
A second phase moves to the central interchange, which handles transfers between bus, rail and the suburban shuttle service. The rebuild adds covered platforms, step free access on all levels and a larger concourse intended to reduce crowding during the evening peak.
The point of a single fare is that people stop thinking about which operator they are boarding. That is the change passengers will actually notice.
The unified fare system is scheduled last, and depends on agreements with the six private operators currently running services under separate ticketing. Two have signed preliminary terms. Talks with the remainder are expected to continue through the next session.
Funding and objections
Funding is drawn from a mix of municipal borrowing and a transport levy already in place, with a portion contingent on a national infrastructure allocation that has not yet been confirmed. Opposition members questioned whether the programme could proceed on schedule if that allocation is delayed or reduced.
Business associations along the eastern corridor have asked for a staged construction timetable to limit disruption to trading hours. The council has committed to publishing a detailed works calendar before the first closures begin.
