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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is to review its bus shelter policy to stop school children getting “soaked” as applications to Translink are left unprocessed for “over two years”.
The Council report has identified seven outstanding applications for bus shelters, which have gone passed a three month referral period. A council officer said: “The bus shelter policy (July 2022) includes the council’s approach to applications for new bus shelters at Translink bus stops.
“The policy states that prior to considering any new applications for bus shelters at Translink stops, that council will seek the view of Translink and whether the request for a new bus shelter will be met by Translink as part of their bus shelter provision programme.
“Some of these applications have been with Translink for over two years.”
The extended delays by Translink resulted in the first such committee report to councillors for the potential abandonment of bus shelter applications. However, a proposal for the council to take its own bus shelter construction could see Translink adopt NMDDC made shelters as a new policy.
Crotlieve councillor, Declan McAteer said: “Translink have a large amount of applications at this time, I believe to be for about 300 bus shelters in Northern Ireland.
“They are required to gain funding from the Department for Infrastructure for these.
“Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has started to provide its own bus shelters, which are then adopted in to the Translink portfolio.
“The maintenance is then done by Translink.
“May be the committee could consider looking in to that.
“There have been areas such as Burren (Co Down) looking for a bus shelter for years, school children are getting soaked, whilst these applications and consultations are running for years.
“This option would be good value for money and would ensure the safety of children going to school especially in the cold dark mornings in rural areas.”
The proposal by Cllr McAteer was carried with a report expected in the new term council following local authority elections in May.
