I was alarmed to hear about the unannounced six-week planned closure of the bus stops at the A6 end of School Lane, for them to be upgraded.

This has been an incredibly frustrating for passengers, including for children getting to and from school, older residents trying to do their regular shopping, and for MOTO staff, turning up to the bus stop only to find out that it is closed.

The only option for passengers has been to cross the A6, walk down a very narrow and overgrown path, to then cross the A6 again and wait for the next bus having missed the first.

I have seen a County Council update stating that it is likely to be this way until March! I can’t quite believe that there is a completion date of six weeks or more for two bus stops, especially given the alternatives include asking residents to walk along grassy verges of the A6 in the current icy weather conditions and dark winter season.

I have also repeatedly said that this stretch of the A6 needs to be a 30mph road with “Welcome to Forton, please drive carefully” signs as it cuts through the middle of the village, with more than a dozen primary school children crossing it every day, and with the Hollins Lane side of the village also having amenities like the post office, Scouts hut, and other vital services which all residents need.

Although I welcomed the success in getting the developer of nearby new homes to install a traffic island, it’s now time to give serious consideration to these road safety measures to prevent fatalities, so I am asking that Lancashire County Council:

• expedites the bus stop upgrades, whilst seeking better temporary measures
• changes the bus stop information line from a premium rate to a local rate or freephone number
• reduces the speed limit to 30 with welcome signs along the portion of the A6 which passes through the village.

You can read my recent letter to Lancashire County Council here:

Currently, residents are being asked to walk to one of the following stops a six minute walk away: