This is a bus coming up Fleet Street here in Torquay. Fleet Street is a pedestrianised street but as there is no other practical way down to the Harbour from the top of town and back again we are allowed to drive along provided we keep to a speed limit of 10 mph. Now you can see the bus is in the centre of the roadway, well away from the pedestrians on the right of the photo. You should also be able to see on the left, highlighted in yellow some posts. These arrived about a month ago and at first I believed they were there to protect people walked past the bus stops over on the left by the phone boxes. We have never given anyone the idea that people walking here need protection from the buses. If we are moving into that area on the left it is to stop at a bus stop so we will be going even slower than the 10 mph limit anyway. I have since heard that the posts were put in to protect the drain covers which run along the side of the roadway there. Whatever reason the placing of these post here has not made the Street any safer because now when we stop at the bus stop we are 6 feet out into the centre of the road.
As you can see on the above photo the bus facing away from the camera is stopped at the bus stop and the two buses coming up Fleet Street have to move closer to the pedestrians on the right instead of driving along the centre of the road as we used to, and show in top photo. These posts also make it difficult for buses to get down the Street and are causing congestion especially before 10 am when we share the street with delivery trucks.
Please Torbay Council, remove these posts ASAP.
Just in case you think it might be dangerous having buses in a pedestrianised street look at the 3rd photo. The couple are walking along oblivious to the bus behind them but the bus driver isn't oblivious to them. What he is doing is following them, watching them and everyone else carefully. We don't blow the horn in this situation either despite what a local shopkeeper says. We just wait patiently till they move out of the way and then continue on our way.
4 comments:
I'll mention it at work tomorrow, if you like
yes please.
I am advised that there needs to be official comment from himself wrt these bollards
They are oblivious because the engine is at the back of the bus facing the direction the bus has been, and their ears are pointing forwards away from the quiet bus.
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