The public toilets at a Whakatāne bus station may soon be demolished and replaced as part of a scheme to improve conditions for bus drivers.

Whakatāne District Council will receive $637,000 in co-funding for upgrading the restrooms at Boon St through the New Zealand Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi’s Bus Driver Fund.

The funding is being administered through Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which applied for the funds on the district council’s behalf. The regional council will report to NZTA on the project’s progress.

The funding equates to 75% of the project costs. The remainder, amounting to $212,000, will be provided by the district council.

A regional council meeting on Thursday was told the district council had signed the funding agreement.

NZTA had recently sought expressions of interest for funding to improve working conditions for bus drivers.

As part of the upgrade, bus driver facilities would be made available there, including a driver-only toilet, a small break room and safety features such as lighting and passive surveillance.

The Boon St project would also replace the ageing public toilets and incorporate an improved passenger waiting area with seating and lighting.

The project is expected to be completed by May next year, with demolition of the old building to start by the end of this year.

A report to the regional council acknowledged that a permit called an archaeological authority would be needed from Heritage NZ, and consultation with affected parties would be needed before this could take place.

This is the regional council’s second successful application to the Bus Driver Fund, after the completion of public restroom facilities on Montiicola Drive in Pāpāmoa.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.