The bus shelters and system are not a terrible failure

I WAS surprised when I read the diatribe by ‘ name and address supplied’ about seats at bus stops and all other related bus issues, under the headline ‘Bus seat is neither use nor ornament’ (August 1).

I do not have the comprehensive knowledge displayed by previous correspondents, but I do regularly use buses from the 127 service stop on Lemyngton Street and did so this morning.

I sit on the seat there along with a couple of people also, like myself, beyond the first flush of youth. I am still able to walk unaided, but my both fellow travellers needed walking sticks.

We all seemed to manage rising from our seat to get on the bus without too much trouble.

I found the shade offered by the shelter made my wait more comfortable and in the past have managed to get some shelter from the rain, dependent on the wind direction.

The bus was a little late, and this caused some confusion amongst people who had joined the queue just after it’s scheduled departure time. This is because when a bus does not turn up on time the ‘system’ just assumes that it has gone, and displays the time of the next scheduled departure i.e. usually in another 12 minutes.

We travellers who know about this little quirk were able to fill in those less experienced and allay their confusion (our good deed for the day!).

I am not saying that the arrangements are as good as they could be, but the system is not the terrible failure that previous correspondents imply.

And many of us bus users have reasons to be more cheerful.

For a start we are fit enough to leave our houses and walk to a bus stop; and some, like myself, don’t have to pay when we actually get on the bus.

Anthony Booth Cradock Drive Quorn