Council left red faced after workers botch bus stop sign
Residents have branded new road markings 'crazy' after a bus stop sign was painted in the wrong place – around the corner from its bus shelter.
Workers were asked to re-paint faded road markings at the junction of St Olave's Road and Hunter Road, in Bury St Edmunds, last week, but instead of painting markings for the bus stop next to the shelter in Hunter Road, opposite St Olave's Precinct, they followed a plan that showed the stop around the corner, in St Olave's Road.
Ernie Broom, who has been campaigning for years for the return of a bus route into town via Risbygate Street, said he initially thought his fight had been successful and the route was being changed – but his hopes were swiftly dashed.
"I spoke to the chap when he was putting the marking down and asked him about it, but he said he just had to follow his plan," he said.
"I thought perhaps we were getting our bus at long last, but I understand that they have painted it in the wrong place. I think it's diabolical.
"I really got my hopes up and I'm cross that a mistake like that can be made. Who's footing the bill?"
Tom Murray, who also spotted the problem, said: "Someone's got it wrong. I'm sure it's just a mistake and I would have thought someone would have phoned up their foreman, but obviously they didn't have the common sense to do that."
Residents using the precinct's shops this week were amused by the error.
Charles Murkin said: "That's the first time I've seen it – it's a bit silly to put it there."
And Ann Baldwin, of Summers Road, said: "It's very strange. It's a bit crazy as the bus doesn't stop there. I can't understand the mentality behind it."
A spokeswoman for St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which carried out the work on behalf of Suffolk County Council, said: "Instructions were given to re-mark faded road markings. Unfortunately, two redundant markings had not been taken off the list.
"We are taking immediate remedial action and we are sorry for any confusion this may have caused."
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -7 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
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