Leaders not happy with new location of bus stop

By ELIAS LARI
MT HAGEN leaders are upset over the relocation of the main bus stop from China Town to Queen Elizabeth Park.
They say that will create problems for surrounding settlements, residential areas and shopping centres.
Mt Hagen urban local level government (LLG) ward eight leaders Kepsy Kiap and Jonnah Ruma claimed there was no proper consultation with leaders and people before relocating the bus stop.
They said even the working committee of the four-lane highway, led by the provincial administration, failed to put up public notices in the media before carrying out the relocation exercise.
Kiap said bus stops for Hela, Enga, Southern Highlands and parts of Western Highlands like Tambul were moved from China Town to the park.
Jiwaka, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Madang bus stops were moved from the main market to China Town.
Kiap said his concern was that the park was used by people from all over the province to stage events.
“This beautiful and peaceful park will now become a breeding ground for drug addicts, homebrew consumers and all sorts of petty crimes like stealing,” Kiap said.
Mt Hagen City Authority chief executive Leo Noki said he was not aware of the relocation of the bus stop. He said that it was a decision of the provincial administration without consulting his office and that upset him.
“We did not have any meetings or come to an agreement to have the bus stops relocated,” Noki said.
Mt Hagen urban council acting city manager Peter Noki said that this was a temporary relocation.
He said they would relocate to a permanent bus stop later.
Peter said he became aware of the relocation of the main bus stop after meeting provincial administrator Joseph Neng and his deputy James Papa Ulg and departments of Works and Lands.
He said the Queens Elizabeth Park land was owned by the Melpa Properties, a business arm of the provincial government, and they had agreed to move the bus stop there.