Bus stop crusade victory

Coun John Hilton had first raised concerns about the lack of cover for passengers for more than five months now after the structure was wrecked in a car smash.

He said Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) had promised to replace the bus shelter on Wigan Road in Aspull in November but up to today the work had still not been carried out.

However, after the Wigan Evening Post made inquiries to the authority, it said that engineers would be at the site tomorrow putting up a new shelter.

The refuge had to be demolished after a motorist lost control and drove into it in August last year.

The driver was not thought to have been hurt in the collision.

Coun Hilton said: “I’ve been getting lots of complaints from residents.

“It is a well-used bus stop and it is quite exposed on all sides to the elements.

“It can get quite chilly waiting there without any protection.

“You may as well be standing in the middle of a field because of how exposed it is.

“Someone drove their car into it on August 23 and they came to take the rest of it down a few days later so it has been a while since.

“We were initially told by TfGM that the shelter would be replaced in November 12 but there is still no sign and it has been eight weeks.

“I haven’t heard anything from them since.

“A lot of elderly people from the estate use the bus stop.

“We are trying to encourage more people to use public transport but they aren’t going to do that when we haven’t got the facilities in place.”

The foul weather duly obliged to illustrate Coun Hilton’s point about a lack of refuge for passengers when he posed for a picture at the stop. The heavens opened and there was nowhere to shelter. He has called for TfGM to replace the shelter as soon as possible.

And last night a spokesperson said: “The replacement shelter on Wigan Road in Aspull, near to the junction with Holly Road, will be installed on Wednesday. The previous shelter was badly damaged in a road traffic accident last year.”