Road safety issues for bus passengers on Station Road were top of the agenda when Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, met Chingford residents outside Chingford bus and rail station earlier this week. Caroline Pidgeon visited the site after an invitation from Geoff Seeff, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green.
After the meeting, which was also attended by officers from Transport for London (TfL) Caroline commented:
"It is deeply worrying that passengers are required to get off the 97 and 179 buses on Station Road itself and then have to cross a busy road from between parked cars to get to the rail station. A serious accident is waiting to happen here. We need to find a way for buses to put down passengers safely in the bus station itself with proper provision for wheelchair users.
"I welcome the fact that TfL are at least willing to consider moving the stop into the bus sation. I have received a promise that they will report back to me within a month.
"If for any reason this turns out to be totally impractical a modest improvement could still be found if TfL moved the bus stop back along Station Road so that the buses are not having to attempt to manouevre into the kerb between parked cars. As I saw on my visit this is often not possible for buses which results in passengers facing the dangerous sitation of having to get off the bus in the middle of the road."