The charity Guide Dogs has called for the pausing of the roll-out of “floating bus stops” and similar designs after a research publication made several safety recommendations regarding them.
The research by University College London (UCL) was commissioned by Guide Dogs to highlight the fears shared among vision-impaired people due to the layouts, which are designed to improve safety for cyclists.
The designs mean pedestrians have to cross cycle lanes to access buses, which the charity says “creates dangerous and stressful situations”.
It calls for a halt on new floating island stops and shared-stop boarders until more research is conducted and their safety can be guaranteed.
Guide Dogs says the lack of standardisation leads to confusion and leads to many near misses.
“Public transport should be a gateway to independence, but for disabled people, these types of bus stops make using public transport an even more stressful and potentially frightening experience, forcing people to stay closer to home,” says Eleanor Briggs, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs.
Among the recommendations is that road planners should “investigate different ways of enabling cycle lanes and bus stops to interact which do not raise safety concerns amongst passengers and pedestrians using the bus stop”.
It called for better signalling, signage, and other technologies to ensure cyclists are aware of the presence of such bus stops.
It also says consideration should be given to making audio and visual announcements on the bus regarding an upcoming shared-stop boarder, where the cycle lane is immediately adjacent to the bus and between the bus and the footway.
Ms Briggs adds: “We welcome changes to make cycling safer, but not at the expense of disabled people.
“Our findings underline the need for street designs to be consistently designed, planned and tested with the involvement of all potential users, including disabled people.
“We urge policymakers to prioritise safety and inclusivity in street design.”
Bus Users UK has also been among those calling for a review into these bus stop designs.
