Letter from Janice Hartley:
I would like to say how inconsiderate the council has been with the way they think of pedestrians going shopping via bus.
I cannot understand why they have moved the bus stop on Spital Hill just to create extra parking for cars on both sides of the main road which is used frequently by the ambulance service, fire brigade and police who have difficulty getting by due to parked traffic. There is plenty of parking in the area and we do not need any more! Tesco itself has a massive free car park. Then there is Gower Street plus round the back of shops and all these areas are free.
I am disabled and unable to carry much shopping very far so now I have to get the bus to town to get one back home again. After all, not everyone has a car or the income to run a car. I would like this to be seriously looked into for everyone, especially the disabled!
Mrs Janice Hartley
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Letter from Alex Lamb:
As a regular user of buses I’d like to say that the new position of the bus stop further away from Tesco on Spital Hill makes the walk with two heavy bags of shopping much more difficult. Those that have decided to position the stop further away have given no consideration to people who walk and who use buses and have no access to a car.
I understand Spital Hill has traffic flow problems, but even the temporary stop has had up to five buses backing up and traffic is at a standstill at various times of the day. Drivers try to overtake on a stretch of road on a bend with a crossing island close by. The position of the new stop allows more cars and other vehicles to park on Spital Hill which can stop traffic as you wait for them to pull in.
Making a car park on the unused land that I believe was a petrol station would help reduce the need for on street parking, but this land has been disused for many years.
I was unaware of the change of position of the bus stop until it had happened. I certainly would have objected to the new position and hoped a better one could have been decided upon to benefit those without cars.
Alex Lamb