Having to stand waiting for a bus on uneven ground that was considered by many to be dangerous in severe weather conditions prompted several Moray residents to write their MSP.
Now Richard Lochhead MSP is welcoming a response from Moray Council that it is hoped will lead to a newly positioned bus stop also being joined by a bus shelter at the entrance of Mason Haugh Road on Fraser Road in Burghead.
Residents contacted the MSP in November raising their concerns over the lack of a bus stop – and the danger it posed to members of the public who were having to stand on uneven ground and request buses on the Burghead to Elgin route to halt.
On disabled constituent, a regular user of the service, found standing on the uneven ground a serious problem – and made all the more dangerous by weather conditions and the vacuum that can be created by large passing vehicles.
Some passengers were even opting to stand on the pavement on the opposite side of the road until a bus came into view – and then attempting to cross the road in time to catch the bus.
Following a letter from the MSP in November, Moray Council promised to erect a bus stop sign with a commitment to add a concrete plinth in the first half of 2015. However, Mr Lochhead was informed that budgetary constraints in the current financial year precluded a bus shelter being added – although that would be considered in the new financial year.
Mr Lochhead said: “I am really pleased that the Council has erected a bus stop sign and I look forward to a concrete plinth being laid which I know will make an enormous difference to local bus users, many of whom I understand to be disabled or elderly.
“I can fully appreciate why my constituents were concerned about having to choose between the two dangerous options of either waiting on uneven ground or having to make a last minute dash across the road when their bus came into view.
“The close proximity to the sea, and the unprotected nature of the spot, means it is left open to the elements and a bus shelter would be welcome progress for those who would be saved from braving the wind and rain on a cold day while waiting for a bus.
“I will continue to keep a look out for further signs of progress.”