Sometimes the small things matter most. In this case, moving a bus stop by just 25 metres will improve mobility access in Lower Galdeford.
Two years ago, I asked for the steps and bollards at the Galdeford end of Friars Walk to be removed. This ensured a fully accessible route between Old Street and Lower Galdeford and the Bishop Mascall Centre.
Since then, the bus stop at the Galdeford end of Friars Walk has been better used. But there was one problem. Buses could not draw up close to the kerb.
The mobility gap
The problem here is that the kerb at the end on Friars Walk is very high. If the buses draw close, the drivers risk damaging the bus. Normally, to allow mobility access, they would lower the floor of the bus to pavement level or lift out the ramp. But that can’t be done when the floor of the bus is at the same height as a kerb.
So we moved the bus stop up the road to under the chestnut tree. It’s a simple move that achieves quite a lot.
