Fancy a chat while you’re waiting for the 1A to Whitehawk? The number of talking bus stops in Brighton and Hove has now doubled from 20 to 40.
But you’re unlikely to get much conversation out of them, as they are intended to give blind and partially sighted passengers information rather than pass the time of day.
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for environment, said: “The scheme – believed to be the first of its kind in the country – has made a big difference to users, giving them a greater confidence and independence to travel by bus.”
People using the scheme have a battery-operated key fob which alerts them when they are near one of the talking bus stops.
By pressing the fob, the bus stop ‘talks’ to them, giving them details of which bus services are due, and where they are going to. The bus stops have won several national awards for innovation and promotion of accessibility.
The first 20 were installed in 2007. They have now been joined by:
- Churchill Square (stops B, G and H)
- St James’s Street
- Queens Road near the Clock Tower
- Sea Life Centre
- Lewes Road near to the bottom of Elm Grove
- North Street, Old Steine (stop U)
- The Royal Sussex County Hospital (opposite the Eye Hospital going east)
- Eastern Road/Gala Bingo Hall
- Elm Grove/Brighton General
- North Street (stop X and Y)
- Natal Road (south and northbound)
- Coombe Road (southbound)
- Westbourne Villas (westbound)
- New Church Road, near to the junction with Westbourne Villas going towards Portslade, Mile Oak and Downs Park
- Church Road/Tesco (westbound)
The first 12 were paid for by the European CIVITAS scheme, following a successful bid by the council, and the money for the rest came from contributions made with major planning applications.
To enquire about the system or apply for a key fob, please contact the Access Point Team on: (01273) 295555 or email: accesspoint@brighton-hove.gov.uk
