Tauranga city centre's blue bollards are gradually being retired from their long stint protecting pedestrians from unwary drivers.

Between 60-to-70 bollards, which have been in situ for two decades, were taken off the job of protecting pedestrians from drivers last week, as part of a retirement programme implemented by Tauranga City Council.

Bollards are disappearing from Tauranga city centre. Photos: Bruce Barnard.

The blue bollards took up their positions during the $12 million CBD urban redesign project undertaken in the mid-to-late 1990s by Opus consultants.

The design, which included traffic planning, water features and shade structures, also brought in the paved streets, and removed gutters that formerly separated drivers from walkers.

The bollards have done their job, taking casualties mostly late night, and some daytime drivers have failed to negotiate the turns at the bottom of Devonport Road and Willow Street.

But over the last two years the bollards have been gradually relieved of their duty. Up to 60 have been taken from Grey Street, Devonport Road and Willow Street, and the attrition continues.

'They are being removed because they are costly to maintain and they no longer serve any purpose other than to clutter the streetscape,” says Tauranga City council transportation manager Martin Parkes.

'As the bollards have been removed over the past two years we have kept an eye on driver behaviour.

'We have not observed, and have had no complaints about vehicles being driving onto footpaths or endangering pedestrians.”

More bollards will be removed over the next 12 months.