Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Residents in plea to save ‘essential’ city bus stop from axe
ANGRY Dundee residents have ca l led on council bosses to rethink proposals to remove dozens of bus stops across the city.
People living in St Mary’s held an emergency meeting to discuss plans to remove the stop outside the community centre on St Kilda Road.
The plan is part of wider proposals from Dundee City Council’s sustainable transport team in an effort to reduce journey times.
The local authority is responsible for the provision and maintenance of approximately 1,000 bus stops, including 350 with shelters.
A consultation is currently being carried out with councillors, bus companies and community groups to gauge the feeling on the proposals.
But Alice Bovill, chairwoman of the St Mary’s residents’ association, says she fears older people and those with disabilities will be negatively impacted by the plans.
She said: “The bus stop is right outside the community centre, next to the church, and it’s absolutely essential that we keep it.
“I don’t think we can afford to let a stop go in St Kilda Road. It’s quite a long road and we only have three stops as it is.
“If it’s down to two – one at the top and one at the bottom – I personally would not be able to walk that length.”
She added: “There was well over 40 or 50 people at the meeting. It was a good show.
“They did not stop speaking and they had intelligent questions to ask.
“We are now going down the road of collecting individual letters (of objections) to send to the council and we will assist at the centre with that.”
Under the plans, a “considered approach” will be taken to determine which bus stops could be axed.
A focus will be given to “principal bus corridors” where reduced journey times have the greatest potential to create a “modal shift towards bus use”.
In addition, the council will lead on the removal of bus stops that have become obsolete through a “contraction of the city’s bus network or the relocation of community facilities”.
As well as the removal of some bus stops, the plans also include proposals to merge two existing stops to a more central location.
Dundee City Council has said no decision has been taken on the proposals and the authority will consider all responses to the consultation.
In an earlier statement, a spokesperson said: “As part of the council’s sustainable transport delivery plan, which was unanimously agreed by councillors last year, the council is currently consulting on the option to improve bus journey times in the city by reducing the number of stops.
“In considering this option, the council is reaching out to community groups, bus operators and equality/access groups to gather their views, and all responses will be very carefully considered.
“No decisions have been taken and should a bus stop reduction programme be promoted, this would be reported to the relevant council committee for consideration of approval.”
Councillor Fraser Macpherson, who represents the city’s West End ward, previously hit out at the plans.
He said: “The argument for this plan is that bus reliability will be speeded up and the ones they are proposing to take away are the ones that are less used.
“But if you have a bus stop that isn’t being used, then evidentially the bus is not stopping there – so how is that holding up the reliability of the service?
“What’s the harm with just leaving it there? There might be times when people need to use it and do you really want an elderly person walking an extra 300 yards to a stop?
“We think it’s a complete waste of time and effort.”