February 28, 2005

North Shore City bus shelters go solar

North Shore City Council has installed a solar-powered bus shelter in Burns Ave, Takapuna - the first of ten planned for the city.

"The shelters are lit at night by solar-powered light emitting diodes (LEDs), which will last 100,000 hours, or about 30 years' worth of nights," North Shore City's passenger transport manager, Dave Stanley, says.

"Each LED requires little power, so the main cost savings are in not having to run electric power cables to the new shelters, and the minimal maintenance needed," he says.

"We also want to encourage and promote the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable energy, whether it is solar power or cycling."

The shelter is part of a programme to improve the quality and number of bus shelters around North Shore City to make waiting for the bus a more pleasant experience, and encourage more people to use public transport.

"We have just installed our 150th new bus shelter, and they are going in at a rate of about three a week," Dave Stanley says.

"The new shelters are replacing old shelters as well as going into new sites. All are storm-proof, with grilles to stop wind coming in under the eaves, and have been designed to blend in with the neighbourhood character."

ENDS

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