What on earth has happened to the bus stop????

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 23 Nov 2005, 15:35

Just come along high street, and the bus shelter nearest Town Hall has collapsed. Hope no one was under it at the time?

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 23 Nov 2005, 15:48

Hi Gizmo - i just posted about that on another thread! It's the same one that fell down after an argument with a bus a few months ago. No idea if anyone was hurt, but hasn't it collapsed quite spectacularly?

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 23 Nov 2005, 16:13

I know! I am not sure if it has just happened in the last wee while, as there was a policeman standing guard.
Makes me paranoid about using those shelters in future, especially if it has collapsed in the past. Bad design methinks!

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 23 Nov 2005, 16:59

Gizmo wrote:especially if it has collapsed in the past. Bad design methinks!

I know - as I said on the other thread, i don't quite follow the logic myself. Bus clips bus shelter, shelter falls down. Shelter gets replaced...in exactly the same position.

Presumably the same thing happened today. Unless someone has the bright and innovative idea of moving it back a wee bit, the bus fares will have to go up to cover the cost of a new shelter every few months, not to mention the lawsuits...!

I do hope nobody was hurt this time.

Post by **wangi** » 23 Nov 2005, 17:08

Thing is the problem isn't with the bus shelter - it's with the road surface subsiding due to the weight of the bus atop the unsuitable locblock (now covered by tar)... That causes the bus to sit/approach at an angle and then hit the shelter!

This would be better demonstrated (depending on your POV) if someone was standing on the pavement to the side of the bus stop and they were hit by a bus approaching because it was at a slight angle and overhanging the pavement...

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 23 Nov 2005, 17:13

Bellybabe wrote:I know - as I said on the other thread, i don't quite follow the logic myself. Bus clips bus shelter, shelter falls down. Shelter gets replaced...in exactly the same position. Presumably the same thing happened today. Unless someone has the bright and innovative idea of moving it back a wee bit, the bus fares will have to go up to cover the cost of a new shelter every few months, not to mention the lawsuits...! I do hope nobody was hurt this time.

I suspect Bus Shelters are just fancy advertising hoardings, bought and paid for by Adshel and their clients. Hence the continuing need to site them adjacent to the highway, higher visibility and all that.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 23 Nov 2005, 19:21

Right enough, i forgot they were Adshel. Still, not good advertising if they continue to injure people waiting for buses, is it?!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 24 Nov 2005, 17:00

Here's what happened to this bus stop!!

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 24 Nov 2005, 17:52

Poor guy. Though I am not sure the relevance of them pointing out he has special needs?

Hope he sues Adshel!!

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 24 Nov 2005, 18:07

Bellybabe wrote:Right enough, i forgot they were Adshel. Still, not good advertising if they continue to injure people waiting for buses, is it?!

Have you noticed how many personal accident lawyers advertise on bus shelters? Its like trawlermen's nets.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 24 Nov 2005, 20:02

Alison

I've just noticed your e-mail. I also noticed the shelter had been removed when in the High Street this afternoon - and read the "Evening News" article subsequently which told me why!

As soon as I saw the "Evening News" piece I 'phoned Graeme Paget of Transportation to discuss this. He was in a meeting but I asked that he e-mail me re. the circumstances of this current collision/collapse. I said that having this happen twice in a few months was giving serious cause for concern - and I mentioned to him the fact that I had been e-mailed regarding this and the fact that the shelter had been put back with its back to the shops again such that the roof still projected out towards the roadway.

Having seen the tarmac surface recently applied as a temporary measure until phase 2 of the High Street improvements get under way, I had hoped that this would allow buses a more even and steady approach to these bus stops - this obviously wasn't enough to prevent a re-occurrence, though.

These new and improved bus shelters are located at strategic interchange points in the city but we seem to have had all the problems at this stop in Portobello. Hopefully we can find out why - is it just the way it's facing?

Thanks for e-mailing me again on this. I'm sorry that you have had to - and only glad that no lasting or serious injuries have resulted.

I've copied this to Graeme Paget for his information and will copy you into his response.

Lawrence

Dear Lawrence

As I was coming back along Portobello High Street on a bus from town at lunchtime today I saw that the bus shelter at the Town Hall was once again lying in a pile of twisted metal and broken glass, having been demolished by a bus drawing up beside it. I don't know if anyone was hurt. I sincerely hope not.

After the last time this happened, I wrote to you saying that I thought the reason was that the shelter had been installed back to front, with the overhanging lip of the roof towards the road, contrary to every other shelter of the same design between here and town.

When I saw that the replacement shelter had been installed in exactly the same way, I wondered if it might be just a matter of time before the same thing happened.

This time, can you please speak to someone and make sure the shelter is installed with the sticking-out overhang to the REAR, away from the road, where it's less likely to be swiped?

Yours
Alison

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Nov 2005, 01:05

Porty wrote:
Bellybabe wrote:Right enough, i forgot they were Adshel. Still, not good advertising if they continue to injure people waiting for buses, is it?!
Have you noticed how many personal accident lawyers advertise on bus shelters? Its like trawlermen's nets.

I say good business is where you find it.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 13 Jan 2006, 16:41

I espied them putting a new bus shelter today - and this time they've sited it about a foot back from where it was before!!

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 13 Jan 2006, 17:43

But is it the right way round?

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 13 Jan 2006, 17:52

Don't think so!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 14 Jan 2006, 20:43

I don't think so either but it matches the other one, and the one at King's Road. So.....the question now is - which way round is the right way round? Poll?