Buses no longer stopping at controversial Shrewsbury bus stop - due to safety
Shrewsbury's controversial new bus stop will no longer be used by buses - because of concerns over safety.
The appearance of the bus stop on the town's railway station gyratory earlier this month left residents bemused and frustrated.
The stop has been included as part of the revamp of the gyratory, but was placed across the one remaining lane of traffic, after the second lane was converted to a cycle lane.
Residents raised concerns about the impact on traffic flow with the stop blocking the one-vehicle lane, while others questioned the safety for pedestrians getting on and off buses, stepping across a cycle lane.
Shropshire Council has today started a review of the entire £4m re-design, with the potential for changes to be made.
But it has also emerged that Arriva has instructed its own drivers not to use the bus stop.
A spokesman for Arriva Midlands said: “We carried out a safety review of the floating bus stop at Shrewsbury Railway Station.
“Based on our findings, our services will no longer call at this stop and we have informed the local authority and our customers.
“Our priority is always the safety of our passengers, colleagues and other road users and we’ll continue working with partners to identify a safe and workable solution.”
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was aware of concerns over the changes - which have led to delays for firefighters responding to emergencies.
The Shropshire Star published video showing fire engines waiting for more than two minutes to get through the new one-lane route last week.
It comes as the council is today meeting to hear from those involved in the project, and those affected by the changes.
They include council highways officers, the council's contractor WSP, local businesses and residents, the town council, and the fire service.
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