More shelters needed at Plymouth bus stops to keep people dry in rainy weather

Plymouth Liberal Democrats are calling on Labour-run Plymouth City Council to increase the number of bus stops that have shelters, to protect bus passengers from the weather and give them somewhere to sit while they wait.

Commenting, Steve Guy (pictured), the Liberal Democrat council candidate for Plymstock Dunstone in the elections to Plymouth City Council on 7 May, said: “Speaking to residents on the doorstep, this is coming up time and again. Some older people have even told me that they just stay at home and don’t go out, because they know they’d have to wait at a bus stop without a shelter, getting cold and wet – and that’s before they have even got to where they want to go!

“As one lady said to me, ‘If only we had a bus shelter I would feel easier about waiting for a bus. Especially as they do not always turn up.’ She’s absolutely right! We cannot expect people, especially older residents, to stand in the pouring rain waiting for a bus that is sometimes late or may not even turn up.”

The problem has got far worse in the city in recent years after over 200 Plymouth bus shelters were removed in 2022. These were replaced with just a bus stop, which offers no protection from the weather or anywhere to sit while you wait.

Steve continued: “Plymouth is my home city and it is a marvellous place to live, but it’s undeniable quite wet sometimes. It rains here on average on about 150 days every year, the Met Office website tells me, and with a metre or three and a half feet of rainfall annually, we get more than the English average.

“Put simply, our city is wet sometimes so we need more bus shelters. It’s not rocket science!

“Buses are a lifeline for many people, of all ages, to meet up with friends and family, go to the shops, access the library, or just to get out of the house and go somewhere for a walk or just sit and stare out at the fabulous view from Jennycliff or the Hoe. Many people don’t have a car so have no other option to get around.

“The Labour-run council has just overseen an eye-popping £7.5 million spent on new bus stops on Royal Parade, which has seen several bus routes lose their Royal Parade stops. With this kind of money sloshing about, couldn’t the council have looked at providing a few more humble bus shelters in places like Plymstock?

“If elected as the next city councillor for Plymstock Dunstone, I will ensure that there is someone in the council chamber standing up for this area. Like with the £7.5 million spent on Royal Parade, it feels to me like too often areas away from the city centre are just ignored by the Labour-controlled council. That has to end.”