'Passengers left standing in rain'

Two-year wait for new bus shelter

- Alex SEABROOK

PASSENGERS in a north Bristol suburb have been left standing in the rain for almost two years after a tree fell and destroyed a bus shelter.

Across the city eight bus shelters have been removed after being damaged, while passengers face waits of many months before they are finally replaced.

While Bristol City Council is trying to encourage more people to use public transport, waiting in the cold and wet for a bus is unlikely to help make this an attractive option. A bus stop on Shirehampton Road in Sea Mills has been without a shelter since 2024 due to the tree damage.

Replacing bus shelters takes so long because of frequent rows between the council and its insurers, who even resort to getting barristers to argue against paying out claims. Leading councillors were grilled on the delays during a member forum meeting.