What's a bus station for?

Fundamentally, a bus station should let people catch public transport and stay reasonably dry while they're waiting for it.

The new Yate Bus Station fails on both counts.

It's just been revealed that independent coach operators - who always used the old bus station - have been banned from the new one. They've been told to use the car park at the back of the Leisure Centre - no raised kerbs, so harder for older people to board the coach - or block roads while they load up at ordinary bus stops.

South Glos Council said "The new Yate Bus Station is intended to be an important public transport hub for the area and high volumes of buses will use its bays. Therefore, the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) proposes to restrict use of the new station to buses only. We are still within the consultation process prior to applying for the TRO and to date the council has received just one objection"

"Private coach companies are able to pick up and drop off at various suitable locations across Yate and Chipping Sodbury, including the overflow car park the other side of Link Road."

It is expected that local councils will object to the Traffic Regulation Order when it comes out for consultation in February. And why has South Glos only received one objection? Because they didn't tell anybody about the "consultation".
 
And there's more - the fancy but silly awning that is the only protection from the elements. As the old village fete saying goes "If wet, in the marquee". Nobody likes the cover, it looks lovely in design, but it provides no protection from the weather and very little space for people to sit and wait.

Let us know if you want to get involved in the campaign we are developing to get it improved. South Glos, who are in charge of transport, should never have agreed this.

On a more positive note, the traffic lights at the exit from the car park onto Link Road, plus the "no right turn" into the car park, seem to be working well and should avoid the accidents and near misses that we've previously seen on that stretch of road.