Dismay as work on crossing is started
A bus operator has expressed its “extreme disappointment” after work this week began to move a pedestrian crossing that was put in place just three years ago.
Stirling Council has started work to realign the kerbs and pedestrian crossing at the junction of Murray Place and Station Road.
The work comes after a number of accidents and near-misses at the zebra crossing at the top of Station Road, at its junction with Murray Place.
The Observer reported earlier this month how a First Bus boss threatened to withdraw bus provision from the area unless even more was done to ease safety concerns there.
The first stage of the work, which began on Monday, involves relocating the existing bus stop on from Murray Place, near to the Station Road junction, to a new location in front of the Spar shop.
Both roads will remain open during the first weeks of work and access to the shops along Murray Place will be maintained at all times.
Work also includes; moving the zebra crossing approximately four metres down Station Road; installing a short section of barriers to minimise the risk of pedestrians crossing either side of the crossing; and improving the road surface and road markings to highlight the junction and zebra crossing.
The changes to the crossing were agreed following a council review of the layout.
Vice convenor of the council’s environment and housing committee, Councillor Danny Gibson, said: “We are taking a proactive approach to ensuring the safety of our pedestrians by carrying out these changes. The works will maintain a safe route for pedestrians where there is a high demand for them to cross the road.”
In 2017, work was carried out to introduce a one-way system in Barnton Street, Murray Place and Station Road as part of Stirling Council’s £750,000 Gateway project. The work also included the pavements in Murray Place and Station Road being widened, roadside barriers removed and bus stances, the taxi rank and pedestrian crossing re-located.
Earlier this month, First Bus operations director David Phillips said it may be forced to remove services from Murray Place and Station Road as he feared the ongoing work does not go far enough to address safety fears.
The bus operator has called for the pedestrian crossing to be moved even further down Station Road.
As work commenced this week, Mr Phillips said: “The safety of our passengers, staff and other road users is always our number one priority, so we are extremely disappointed that Stirling Council have seen fit to go ahead with these works, despite our continued dialogue around safety concerns with their proposals, as well as the strong public reaction in support of the safety concerns we have raised.
“We have now reached out to other stakeholders in the local area for their assistance in the matter. We now have no choice, but to await the completion of these works before assessing our options in terms of service levels through this section of road.
“We simply will not compromise on safety and so we would once again urge the council to reconsider our counter-proposal.”
Stirling North Tory councillor, Ross Oxburgh said: “I’m concerned that the council are pushing ahead with these changes without coming to an agreement with First Bus. The crossing was only moved from further down the road three years ago and now its on the move again back towards where it was.
“There is a risk that it will need another costly move if the bus company do not feel it has sorted the problem and threaten to stop using this important route.”
In November last year, shocked workmen discovered human remains buried beneath Murray Place, just a short distance from where the current works are ongoing.
Gas workers were in disbelief when they unearthed parts of a skeleton whilst carrying out work to cap a redundant gas pipe.