Council’s idea to place bus stop in middle of road so ‘daft’ locals thought it was AI

A bus stop painted into the only remaining lane of a busy Shropshire road has been branded so bizarre that locals thought it must be AI-generated.

The stop in Shrewsbury forces traffic to a halt whenever a bus pulls in.

A cycle lane and strip of pavement have also been added, removing what was once the second lane of the road.

Residents say it creates a bottleneck and could obstruct emergency vehicles leaving the nearby fire station.

Nightclub owner Martin Monahan has started a petition demanding changes. 

He said: ‘I think everyone was looking at the picture of it thinking it is AI-generated – and if not, what on earth have they done.

‘As soon as I saw it, I thought: “You don’t know what you are doing”.

‘Why on earth would you put a bus stop in the only lane remaining? It beggars belief.’

Martin also warned of safety risks for cyclists.

He added in the Change.org petition: ‘This new cyclist lane doesn’t even connect to any other cyclist lane either before or after – it is literally only this short stretch of road.

‘Making the left-hand lane a taxi/bus lane-only means the council could put the bus stop in the left-hand lane too.

‘All this could be achieved quite simply by removing the few metres of newly installed paving in the middle of the two lanes and then tarmac over it, and then simply redo the road markings – and it would be job done.’

Locals have questioned how emergency services will get through. Others described the scheme as ‘crazy’ and a ‘hare-brained idea’.

Student Liam Moore, 23, said: ‘They’ve basically plonked it in the middle of the road.

‘It’s the daftest place for a bus stop I’ve ever seen. Not only does it block all the traffic, those stepping off might get mown by a bike.

‘Somebody at the council needs their head examining – who on earth signed this off?’

Martin’s petition calls on Shropshire Council to scrap the cycle lane and move the stop.

The council is carrying out long-term changes to the town’s gyratory system.

Deputy leader Alex Wagner said the Liberal Democrat administration had inherited the scheme from the Conservatives.

He said: ‘The new Liberal Democrat administration completely understands the frustrations of residents and businesses about the ongoing work around the station gyratory, and the concerns about the relocation of the bus stop as part of this scheme.

‘The scheme was a priority of the previous Conservative administration, funded by the last government’s Levelling Up Fund and supported enthusiastically by the former MP.

‘It did not have the support of the current administration on a number of grounds, including value for money.

‘Since day one we have been working with officers to make the best of a very difficult situation and improve matters for residents.

‘There have been some successes here, including a change in the traffic lighting around Smithfield Road, which has helped traffic flow, and a downscaling of plans on Castle Street, which made no sense.

‘Council officers are working to understand the necessary legalities around the future placement of bus stops and the passage of emergency vehicles, which will benefit most of all from reduced traffic and congestion in the town centre.

‘However, funding is not currently available to make significant changes to the scheme, with the strings attached to the plans and funding which we have inherited.

‘The above said, initial monitoring has shown that journeys from the north of Shrewsbury towards Smithfield Road have slightly improved by using Chester Street.

‘We would recommend that drivers check live traffic data before making journeys, as the fastest route may not be the same as it was before the work.’

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