Two bus shelter queries! Firstly, a constituent contacted me as follows :
“The new bus shelter at Elliot Road. Why does it not have sides as the majority of others do along Blackness Road. It is actually very drafty.”
The City Council's Sustainable Transport Team Leader advised by response :
"The pavement width at this location was too narrow to accommodate anything other than a minimal cantilever shelter. 'Sides' would have blocked the passage of people along the pavement. Lack of space on the pavement is possibly the most common reason why we cannot relocate shelters more readily. This one is actually a brand new bus shelter and has been positioned so it provides protection from the prevailing winds.
There is currently no power supply to this location and this will be progressed with our colleagues in street lighting over the coming weeks. I will ask my team to ensure that there is printed information provided within the shelter."
Another - unrelated - query was as follows :
“I would like to ask when the Perth Road bus stop sign opposite the Invercarse Hotel is to be reinstated. When new street lighting was put in the bus stop sign and information board vanished. The "BUS STOP" paintwork is still on the road and so far buses ( X5 and 16 ) have stopped to let me off but one driver this morning asked if the bus was meant to stop there as he did not usually do the route. It is a busy stop for people wanting the Invercarse, Botanic Gardens and of course local residents.”
On this query, the Sustainable Transport Team Leader advised :
"Your constituent's query has caused us to scratch our heads.
None of my team were aware that the bus stop pole was missing and having made a few calls the trail has gone cold. We don't know how, why or when the pole was removed. If you are able to ask your constituent how long they think the bus stop has been missing, I would be very interested to hear back from you. My best guess is that it went missing following an unreported traffic accident.
We will get the pole replaced as soon as possible."
He has thereafter updated as follows :
"I have now been advised that there was a road traffic accident on 11 May 2014 and that lighting column and bus stop were knocked down at that time.
I will look into the reporting mechanisms to try and work out why it appears this was not passed to us (Sustainable Transport) at the time."