People are being left standing in the wind and rain while waiting for buses in York due to shelters not being replaced, campaigners have said.
York Greens said some stops had been left without shelters for months due to a replacement process which activist Andy D’Agorne said had been badly-managed.
Labour Acomb ward councillor Jason Rose said one shelter at Fishergate’s Alma Terrace stop was scheduled to be replaced next January after the previous one was removed in April.
Garry Taylor, City of York Council’s city development lead, said they understood passengers’ frustration particularly in autumn and winter and 72 out of 126 of bus shelters had now been replaced.
It comes after Clear Channel won the contract to operate York’s bus shelters after a move to award it to previous providers JCDecaux in April 2024 was reversed.
A handover where JCDecaux removed its bus shelters and Bauer-owned Clear Channel installed theirs was set to run until December last year.
But York’s Greens said the Alma Terrace stop was one example of many cases of missing shelters elsewhere, prompting them to launch a petition calling for action on the issue.
One image showed people sitting in plastic chairs while waiting for a bus at a stop by Aldi in Fulford Road where a shelter was missing but has since been replaced.
The Greens have called for temporary bus shelters to be provided if replacements cannot be installed within a month and to halt further works until a live scheduled can be drawn up.
Their petition, which also calls for measures to stop delays in the future, had garnered more than 90 signatures as of Friday, 6 October .
Green campaigner Jonathan Carr said the council was failing to deliver an efficient and transparent replacement process which put passengers first.
Mr D’Agorne, who previously served as the council’s transport spokesperson, said shelters were vital to encouraging people to use the bus particularly as the weather gets colder and wetter.
He said: “Replacing more than 100 shelters across York is not straightforward but the process is still been badly managed, with residents and visitors being left standing in the wind and rain.”
Labour’s Cllr Rose said each bus shelter change was originally only supposed to take five to 10 days.
But he added backlogs and issues with utilities under the shelters had led to delays.
Cllr Rose said on Facebook: “Given that any newly identified shelter with electric cable foundation issues would have a colossal gap until the new one comes in, JCDecaux has been instructed to not remove the shelter unless they have verified that there are no cables beneath and they are using ground-penetrating radar surveys to confirm.
“Those without any risky utilities will be scheduled and implemented, and those with any risk will get resolved before the shelter is removed.
“Sadly still a long wait, but at least there will be a shelter in place throughout.”
Minimise disruption
Mr Taylor said they had been working closely with providers to minimise disruption and ensure shelters are replaced as quickly as possible.
He said: “The project involves much more than simply removing and replacing shelters.
“In many locations, existing foundations that have been in place for around two decades need to be excavated and removed, utility surveys undertaken, electrical connections altered, and new foundations installed before replacement shelters can be fitted.
“Progress is being made, with most shelters now fully replaced with modern facilities, including improved lighting, updated digital information panels and, at some locations, living roofs that support biodiversity.
“While some delays have occurred, lessons learned from the initial phase of the programme have helped improve the process.
“Our focus remains on completing the remaining installations as quickly and safely as possible while delivering a modern bus shelters that will benefit residents for many years to come.”
