Recently, I raised a question in Parliament with the Transport Secretary about the floating bus stops on Rifford Road, after meeting with local residents who are deeply affected by these changes.
At a surgery, I met Marilyn Lant, a blind Exeter resident and guide dog user, who told me how these floating bus stops take away her independence:
“You have a guide dog because you want to be free — but crossing a fast cycle lane to get to a bus stop is dangerous. I can’t hear bikes coming, and that makes a simple bus journey a nightmare.”
After my question in Parliament, I met up with Marilyn and Cllr Lucy Haigh, who has been absolutely outstanding in championing this issue in Exeter. Lucy’s work and dedication has been vital in shining a spotlight on this issue. She said it perfectly:
“It’s baffling that Devon County Council would design floating bus stops that force blind residents to cross a fast, two-way cycle path making them unsafe and inaccessible.”
In Parliament, I pressed the Transport Secretary on this, and I was pleased to get a clear answer: the government agrees these problematic floating bus stops should be paused, and that accessible transport is a right for everyone.
