Bus stops are like buses - there'll be another one along in a minute...

As part of a Government-funded scheme, many of our local bus shelters are currently being replaced.

The new shelters will have raised bases to help people who have difficulty getting up onto buses, and they should all be big enough to accommodate wheelchairs, anticipating the newer types of buses with ramps that will come in the future.

What's more, the shelters will have displays with real-time information about when the buses will arrive - another government scheme is paying for most of our local buses to be fitted with sensors so their position is known.

There have been some problems, however - despite agreement to replace shelters one-for-one, the enclosed shelter at Blaisdon - the first one to be replaced on Shire Way - was replaced by an anorexic open design. We've been promised that it will be changed - in fact we stopped the contractor working until South Glos agreed this.

Other problems have happened in Yate. Shelters have been put in the wrong way round, so that they don't shelter people from being splashed by the traffic, and in one place the shelter has been set so far back that you can't get a double buggy past it.

It appears that everything is being done in a rush, and that South Glos has very little control over its contractor - we're watching them carefully and will be chasing up any deficiencies.

Our town and parish councisl have spent quite a lot of money on bus shelters over the years, and are very concerned that the replacements should really shelter people from the elements. Don't know about you, but we would rather keep dry than know exactly when the next bus is coming.