The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Resident’s fury at bus shelter repair delay
LOWER LARGO: Man claims pleas for help from council have ‘fallen on deaf ears’
A Fife resident claims council chiefs have failed to carry out vital repair work on an “eyesore” bus shelter in Lower Largo despite being contacted eight months ago.
Edmund Hagen said his pleas for help from Fife Council to step in and fix the Harbour Wynd shelter have fallen on deaf ears.
The 67-year-old first noticed the smashed panels, graffiti and missing timetable more than two-and-a-half years ago but contacted the local authority in March.
But he says that despite repeated promises of action by the council, the shelter remains in a terrible state.
The Lower Largo resident said: “In March this year, I decided to do something about the state of this bus shelter as I was pretty sick of looking at it.
“I phoned the council and we exchanged about 10 emails back and forward.
“I sent them photographs of the graffiti all over and there are three large panes missing and most importantly of all, there was no bus timetable or bus stop sign.
“It’s just essentially wrecked. I had conversations back and forward, I’ve spoken to about five or six different people saying they’d take it on board.
“We’re now eight months down the line and nothing has been done.
“It’s such a beautiful village, we’ve had a great summer trying to get flowers everywhere.
“Worst of all, there’s still no bus timetable which defeats the purpose.
“The timetable space on the shelter is smashed but they could have posted it on to the side in the meantime.
“I know most people have got phones these days but a timetable is a timetable and it’s needed by some people. “I’m just at my wits’ end with it. “The bits of glass that are still there are covered in graffiti and it’s so bad that they look smokey almost because they’ve been vandalised so much.
“The roof is OK but there’s three bits of glass missing and if the rain’s coming a certain way, then it’s coming right in at you. But it just looks a tip, it looks terrible.
“It’s an eyesore – there’s no question about that.
“I’ve lived here for two and half years now and it’s been like that since I arrived. It’s been a long time.”
Sara Wilson, lead professional at Fife Council, said: “Bus shelter repairs and replacements typically take between 12 and 16 weeks, allowing for specialist procurement.
“Unfortunately, due to wider issues with an external contractor, some turnaround times are taking a lot longer than we would like.
“We hope to have this particular repair resolved soon. We’d like to apologise to passengers for the delay.”
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I’m just at my wits’ end with it. EDMUND HAGEN