Redundant Bus Stop – 2008

The village of Constable Burton has two bus stops; one at the western end of the village and the other at the eastern extremity. Both are on the busy A684 which, in Constable Burton, has no footpath – and in most places not even a space for refuge at the side of the carriageway. Not surprisingly, very few people risk walking on foot on the main road, so both bus stops are hardly used.

For many years there has been a bus service through the village – connecting to Leyburn in the west and Bedale in the east. One run by Dales and District and the other, the Post Bus. Both services were able to use both bis stops.

Then, a few years ago, the Dales and District route was changed so that it passed through Hunton and, as a consequence, the bus left the A684 at the Hunton road junction so that the buses, in both directions, no longer passed the eastern bus stop – missing it by about 50 metres. The Post Bus however, still passed the eastern stop although because of the danger in getting to it, few, if any, ever used it.

In a phone call to the transportation department at County Hall a few years back a villager drew attention to the redundant bus stop. He was told that money was tight, and that it took “paperwork” to re-locate a bus stop so it wasn’t worth doing.

Time passed and in 2011 the Post Bus was withdrawn so that since then, no public transport passed the eastern stop. At about the same time a falling branch demolished the bus stop and for many months it lay forgotten on the verge.

So it’s somewhat surprising that, at the beginning of 2013, a brand new bus stop – pole and sign – has appeared at the site of the fallen stop.

New Redundant Bus Stop – 2013

Even when busses used to pass the stop, no one used to use the bus stop because of its dangerous location. Now that NOT A SINGLE BUS passes the stop, how can anyone justify the expense of erecting a brand new one ?

Ideas anyone ??