Workmen have been busy around Bath installing raised edges to bus-stops to make it easier for everyone – especially mums with push chairs and the elderly – to step directly onto the bus platform.
In places this has involved building extensions out into the road and it’s this measure that Virtual Museum of Bath viewer Tony Howell is not happy with.
‘All around this city, bus stops have been ‘improved’ – some by building a sort of ‘raft’ of (expensive?) tiles on the pavement – or rather – in place of the pavement.
Tony says where the conversion has been carried out: ‘ this extends OUT into the road, so that now, if a bus stops at the stopping place, ALL of the following traffic has to stop, thus completely blocking the road.
‘Furthermore’, he says, ‘as if this isn’t scaling new heights of insanity, there are other bus stops, which are within areas where cars ARE legally allowed to be parked, thus having precisely the same effect, i.e, the bus cannot stop at the side of the road – it has to stop in the middle of the road.’
Tony feels, the ‘apron does nothing to improve anything: all it does is hinder or stop the other traffic. It must have cost quite a tidy sum of money to carry out this pointless conversion.’
What do others think. It’s a clearly defined and easier access point for bus users? Maybe it’s also good that the following traffic is slowed. I leave it to others to comment.
