'Ridiculous' Cornish bus stop move criticised

Padstow Town Council's plans to move a bus stop up a steep hill have been criticised

Protesters have gathered in a Cornish town to voice their anger at plans to move a bus stop.

Padstow Town Council said it wanted to remove the bus stop at the Railway Car Park in Station Road and replace it with a new one about half-a-mile (0.8km) away because of concerns the area was a safety hazard due to pedestrians and vehicles there.

But the move has been heavily criticised by passengers, who said the new stop would be at the top of a steep hill, which might be a struggle for older residents and people with mobility issues to get up.

Campaigners gathered by the bus stop on Friday to voice their concerns about the move, which is set to take place on 18 November.

Gerry Chandler, 92, said he relied on buses for transport for visits to doctors' and dentist appointments, and believed the move would have a negative impact.

He said: "It's ridiculous. People like me will have no alternative.

"If you stop the buses at the top of the hill, I might get down to the dentist but I wouldn't get back again, would I?"

Protesters gathered in Padstow to voice their concerns about moving the bus stop

Richard Stevens, managing director of Go Bus Cornwall, urged the town council to talk to the operator to resolve the issue.

Mr Stevens said: "Nobody's going to criticise taking safety seriously, but they've not given an indication as to what that safety concern is."

Cornwall Council has also previously asked the town council to reverse the plans and said it was committed to do all it could to resolve the situation.

'Unmanageable situation'

The town council said it had first raised safety concerns with the bus operator and Cornwall Council in April 2022.

It said the council had been working to find a "better solution" since then and has "sought to engage with all parties to improve the situation".

A town council spokesperson said: "Anyone who knows the area will have witnessed first-hand the increasingly unsafe and unmanageable situation that the bus stop presents."