(Image: Mike Laycock)
Passengers waiting for buses on a busy York route have been exposed to all weathers since shelters were removed six months ago – and plans to replace them quickly were scuppered.
The two old bus shelters and advertising panels, situated on either side of Fulford Road near York police station, were taken away after City of York Council awarded contracts for their provision to a new company.
The council said it normally aimed to install new shelters within a week of old ones being removed.
“However, sometimes we find undocumented cables or pipes have been laid within the foundations of the old shelter,” it said in a notice posted at one of the bus stops.
“A live electricity cable was discovered at this location. The new shelter will be installed as soon as the utility (Northern Powergrid) has attended and made the site safe.
“We apologise for the inconvenience.”
It added that the new bus stops would have improved seating and LED lighting.
A bus stop in Fulford Road, York, which had its bus shelter removed
(Image: Mike Laycock)
Northern Powergrid said “cable diversions” are needed to carry out the work because the bus shelters are being replaced.
A spokesperson said Northern Powergrid “provided advice” to City of York Council and the JC Decaux advertising company “confirming that the cables will require an application for a mains diversion”.
They said it would be “beneficial for each diversion to be applied for ahead of any bus shelter replacement works starting on site”.
“We have provided quotations; however, these have been following the bus shelters already being removed,” the Northern Powergrid spokesperson said.
“We’re happy to provide further advice and work with both parties to progress the required works to divert the cables.”
City of York Council apologised for the delay and said the new bus shelters will have a “positive change that improves the experience for bus users across the city”.
“During works like these, unexpected issues can arise and in this case our old contractor, JC Decaux, is working with Northern Powergrid to reroute live electricity cables. As soon as that work is complete, new shelters can be installed by our new contractor,” a council spokesperson said.
“Thankfully this kind of issue is the exception rather than the rule, but we apologise for the delay until the new shelters are installed."
The bus stops are used by passengers heading into the city centre, as well as those travelling to Fulford, the York Designer Outlet and Selby.
Delay is 'ridiculous', says resident
Local resident Mike Laycock said the lengthy delay in replacing the shelters was “ridiculous”.
Mike, a former Press chief reporter, said: “It doesn’t really affect me because I normally walk into town but it does impact a lot of other people, as this is a very busy bus route.
“Loads of people catch buses from here to get into the city centre but also to go out to the York Designer Outlet and to Selby.
“It’s not too bad at the moment, because the weather has been so dry, but if the shelters still haven’t been replaced by the time autumn storms arrive, passengers could end up getting very wet while waiting for their buses.”
Fishergate councillors Sarah Wilson and Conrad Whitcroft said they were “working hard” to get the shelters reinstalled as quickly as possible.
They said in a newsletter to local residents that they were “coordinating with Northern Powergrid and the highways team to try and speed up the process”.
Cllr Whitcroft added: “We want better, modern shelters here but we also know residents need this service daily.
“I am pushing to get them safely reinstated as soon as possible.”
The councillors said the new shelters would be safer and more accessible than the old ones.