Delays and rising costs for bus stops criticised

PLANS FOR ROYAL PARADE HAVE RISEN BY £2.5M

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

A DELAYED plan to improve Plymouth’s Royal Parade has come under intense criticism after it emerged it will take even longer to complete and the price has gone up by £2.5m.

Reacting on social media, citizens have branded the scheme a “waste of money” and are sceptical that it will be completed on time and on budget.

Work is due to start on the project on July 7, six months after it was originally planned. The cost has also skyrocketed to £7,494,692 from an original sum of £5m, which the council is now saying was an “estimate”

The money will come from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund and Bus Grant, Historic England’s Heritage Action Zone funding and the Council's Better Places funding.

The council is carrying out the Royal Parade Bus Improvement Scheme to reduce congestion and improve reliability of bus services by increasing the number of bus stops on the shops side of the highway.

But the public appears unconvinced with some saying it is Citybus that needs to improve its services. Comments critical of the plan have been left on Plymouth City Council's Facebook announcement and on a Facebook post by Herald sister website PlymouthLive.

Plymouth Disability Action posted: “Should have begun in January, didn’t. Was supposed to be well underway by now, it isn’t. You can bet it'll be over budget as well.”

Jim Mac posted: “It says about nine months, so it will probably be two-plus years.”

Ryan Dominic Arnold said: “So, three extra bus stops are going to cost £7m, and some new toucan lights.”

Dave Cann wrote: “Nearly £7.5m, that will be £12m by the new year. Meanwhile Central Park looks a mess.”