Gyratory bus stop change 'dangerous and ludicrous'

Martin Monahan, owner of The Buttermarket, set up the petition against the bus stop being built

A petition signed by thousands of people has criticised a "dangerous" and "utterly ridiculous" decision to place a "floating" bus stop on a busy stretch of road.

Work on Shrewsbury's gyratory system began in June 2024, bringing in a single-lane road outside the railway station.

A floating bus stop has an island for passengers to safely board in the middle of the road, with a cycle lane beyond.

Deputy leader of Shropshire Council, Alex Wagner, said the administration understood residents' frustrations and admitted "the bus stop placement is not where it should be, I think that's pretty obvious."

Deputy leader of Shropshire Council, Alex Wagner

Martin Monahan, owner of nearby music venue The Buttermarket, started the petition.

He said: "Why on earth has somebody done this? It just makes no sense, it is illogical.

"More importantly, for the fire service and emergency services this is ridiculous.

"Every second counts and this is not the solution."

The petition, which by Tuesday had attracted more than 4,000 signatures, expresses concerns over safety and how the stop will impact emergency services on blue-light calls.

Comments on the petition said the change was "annoying, upsetting" as well as "ludicrous" and "a shambles".

Concerns have also been raised by local businesses about a drop in trade, due to traffic congestion.

The floating bus stop on Castle Foregate

Mr Monahan said the single-lane system merely added to traffic congestion: "If you take the Buttermarket and the prison, we are now far harder to access and I know a lot of people are going the back route which is then causing problems for residents.

"We need to go back to two lanes, whether that first lane is a taxi, bus and cyclist route. We need to act on it now.

"I mean there are some positive benefits to the gyratory system; coming down Coton Hill is much easier, I am not saying all of this is negative."

Image from the petition set up by Martin Monahan to remove the floating bus stop

Alex Wagner, deputy leader of Shropshire Council, said "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.

"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."

He said the Liberal Democrat administration had inherited the scheme from the Conservatives after May's election, and government funding for it might have to be returned if it were reversed.

Shropshire Council announced on Monday that the final phase of work in the area had started, with work due to be completed by 7 November.