Councillor says backwards bus shelter is a disaster waiting to happen

A councillor has branded a bus shelter which he believes has been put up backwards as a disaster waiting to happen. The glass of the shelter in Knuzden, Blackburn, Lancashire, faces the road, meaning people have to walk around it to get on to the bus.



Hyndburn councillor Paul Thompson said residents had contacted him questioning if the shelter has been installed incorrectly. Cllr Thompson said: “When the bus stops it doesn’t pull up where you think it would do because the shelter is the wrong way around.

“You’ve got to come out and walk around the back end of the bus or walk the other way into the road to access the bus. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. I have had lots of complaints. People are saying it’s an accident waiting to happen. They all also laugh about it and ask if it is the right or wrong way around. In my view it is the wrong way round and needs to be removed. It was much safer when there was just a shelter there.”



A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “This design of bus shelter is intended to be installed with the glassed side facing the road, principally so that it offers some protection for passengers from the spray created by passing vehicles during wet weather. We haven’t received any reports about people experiencing problems accessing the bus from this shelter, however we will visit the site to carry out observations.” The spokesman said the bus shelter on the opposite side of the road has its glass back facing away from the highway because there was more pavement space to work with and so chose a different design.