Call for new Ottery bus stops

PUBLIC transport chiefs have been asked to hand Ottery residents a pair of new bus stops in North Street.

PUBLIC transport chiefs have been asked to hand Ottery residents a pair of new bus stops in North Street.

Councillor Roger Giles wants Devon County Council (DCC) and bus firm Stagecoach to designate separate sections along the stretch, at Ridgeway and Butts Road, as official stops.

Passengers have been picked up and dropped off in North Street at the discretion of kind-hearted drivers for years.

There are no official bus stops between Ottery town centre and Otter Nurseries.

Cllr Giles’ call for the move got the backing of his fellow town councillors on Monday.

“This is something that has been of considerable benefit, particularly for less fit passengers who are able to avoid the steep gradient from Broad Street,” Mr Giles told the Herald.

“There has been recent dispute about whether drivers should or should not pick up or drop off passengers in this vicinity.

“Rather than leave things to driver discretion, it would appear to be advantageous to have certainty.”

He added DCC funding for an actual bus shelter at Butts Road was not available in the current economic climate.