A 'high risk” Greerton roundabout at the centre of five Bay Hopper bus crashes in the last year could be in line for its own set of traffic lights.

The Chadwick and Cameron Road roundabout is one of the remaining few intersections without traffic lights along Cameron Rd.

A Bay Hopper bus goes through the Chadwick and Cameron Road roundabout. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Information released by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council shows bus drivers were at fault for two of five collisions at the intersection. It is assumed these buses were in service while the accident happened.

The regional council manages public transport in the city and contracts Go Bus to provide the city's bus service. Go Bus is responsible for delivering bus services and employing bus drivers.

According to regional council information there are no serious injuries recorded as a result of an accident at the intersection in the last 12 months.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council transport policy manager Garry Maloney says the roundabout is a 'high risk” intersection for buses, but other drivers are also responsible for frequent near misses.

'It is difficult to manoeuvre without other lanes being compromised. We conduct training with new bus drivers just on that roundabout.

'Both our drivers and drivers of other vehicles will at times compromise the other lane resulting in accidents.”

Tauranga City Council transport manager Martin Parkes says the combination of roundabout size and large volumes of traffic leaves the potential for accidents involving larger vehicles.

Any decision will only be made after investigating all the potential benefits and costs on the wider transportation network and ranking this project against other priorities available budgets.

It is one of the projects that could be included in the Ten Year Plan process, which gets underway soon.

'The ultimate plan is to get rid of the roundabout and put in traffic signals,” says Martin.

Eves Greerton administrator Yvonne Green says the sooner traffic lights are installed the better.

Yvonne, whose office is next to the roundabout, says accidents at the roundabout have been 'horrible”. She would welcome a traffic light controlled intersection.

'Traffic is impatient and will cut in front of other traffic. They can see them [other motorists] coming but will still go anyway,” says Yvonne.

'A lot of tooting and all of that goes on. It seems to be getting worse and traffic seems to be getting heavier and people in more of a hurry.”

But Greerton Barber owner Jim Keown disagrees, saying it would be a roading disaster that will choke the Greerton community.

'If you hold them up there [Chadwick and Cameron roads] you hold them up at the next roundabout up by the RSA. It will be absolute chaos.”

What do you think?