Halts, Stops & Stations.

Realism suggests that transport is not always going to arrive 'just in time' for every passenger, so in addition to a recognised stopping point complete with proper 'BUS STOP' (or 'TRAM STOP') flags, seats night-time lighting and information (real-time and other types) passengers need - not just "want" but NEED - a shelter designed for weather protection.

For two-way roads served by buses (trams) travelling in both directions these facilities should be on both sides of the road.

Out & Back signs really should be discouraged - these may be OK for people with local knowledge but should public transport be only for those in the know?

The only exception to this rule would be for local hail and ride services for which buses will stop anywhere (safe) along the route. For these perhaps some street lamp-posts could be used as extra information points.

Admittedly there is sometimes a problem with vandalism of transport stop / station shelters (etc;) but this is a problem for society to deal with. It should not be an excuse for good passenger facilities.

Perhaps there could be a case for bringing back the stocks for the worst cases of wanton vandalism? - backed up with community service and education to try and instill into these criminals a sense of responsibility towards their fellow humans and public property. A thorough investigation their food consumption could also be of benefit - as certain food additives, colourings, etc., can negatively impact upon children's behaviour. Depending on their ability these thugs could also be made to contribute (financially) towards the cost of repairs, although how much would depend on their personal finances and the crimes they committed. There is also a need for society to face up to the fact that too often it de facto 'encourages' young criminals through lenient justice. Youngsters are very good at knowing their rights - but are they ever taught their duties?

Smoking.

In June 2005 the government announced proposals to prohibit smoking in street-based bus shelters - to achieve this it is planned to define open-sided bus shelters as "enclosed public spaces". Similar regulations will also apply to mainline railway termini and football stadia. The aim is to prevent non-smoking passengers inhaling other people's smoke. Both people caught breaking the rules and organisations which fail to enforce the rules will be prosecuted, and fined. Most public transports already ban smoking on the vehicles, so these proposals could be seen to be a logical next step - although people who smoke may not be in agreement.

Smoking is already prohibited on many railway stations - platforms, waiting rooms etc as well as on the trains and buses.

Why Provide Shelters?

It cannot be emphasised enough that passengers do appreciate weather protection!. In reality this means fully enclosed waiting areas, although especially for street-based bus and tram stops space constraints mean that this is not always possible.

Too often shelters are designed with "visual appeal" being the primary design feature and whilst visually attractive street furniture is of importance, (both for enhancing the "image" of the transport and the overall street / railway station scene) what really ought to be of upmost primary importance is functionality - ie: protection from rain, sleet, snow, etc - which in windy weather might be falling at an angle.

Transport operators / planners etc., must remember that if they want to attract people who have a choice in their modes of transport (public or private) to use public transports then it is simply not good enough to expect potential passengers to meekly accept "a soaking" whilst waiting for the transport to arrive. Getting soaked in this way is most unpleasant - and will provide many potential passengers with a good enough reason for choosing to "travel by car" on their next journey.

After all, protection from inclement weather is what "shelters" are all about.

Other features which can make the overall journey experience more pleasant and therefore passengers might expect at bus / tram / railway (etc) stops and stations will include seating, route information (both a timetable & a map) and in the present-day technological era, real-time information. These are looked at on the main Stops and Stations page.

Although clear glass is the preferred glazing option (it is much more visually appealing!) many shelters feature a form of unbreakable plastic which unfortunately is much more prone to showing marks - especially scratching. The real issue here though falls back to human mis-behaviour - too often transport providers would use better quality materials if only there was less vandalism. Replacing smashed glass at bus stops is an expensive business - especially as for reasons of safety special toughened glass is usually used.

A compromise between maximum shelter and better passenger access sees some shelters having two openings. Sometimes they will both be along the same side, at other times they may involve staggered openings on opposite sides or the second opening might be at the opposite "end" of the shelter, There are no fixed rules - often it depends on what the organisation responsible for the shelters deems to be appropriate - or can afford.

Entrance doors on street-based bus (tram) shelters are rarely fitted.

To make it easier for regular travellers to find their bus at larger bus stops / stations which are served by many buses the buses will often be allocated specific bays (or bus stops) at which to call.

In addition the stopping points will sometimes be laid out in a 'saw tooth' pattern, as this makes it easier for the bus to access the correct stopping point and leave afterwards. Another benefit is that because the buses stop at an angle the total land space required is reduced as well (or, in other words, more buses can dock within a limited amount of kerb-space - although the importance of this will vary from location to location.)

Shelters on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Systems.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a broad term which is often understood to refer to a type of bus service which through improvements to infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling, attempts to provide a service that is of a higher quality than a so called 'ordinary' bus service.

In recent years several BRT systems have commenced operations here in Britain, albeit under other marketing labels. These have been introduced with a specific aim of creating new, high quality idioms in bus transport and are proving to be reasonably successful in achieving this.

Whilst some of this success has been due to their featuring much private right of way (eg: bus lanes, bus-only roads) so that as far as possible the buses are not delayed in traffic, their 'higher quality' remit also includes the use of many of the other features which passengers expect. eg: seating, night lighting, a stop name, plenty of route information [eg: timetables, local area map], real-time information... In many ways there has been an aim of emulating the known popularity of modern light rail / trams - although the use of fossil fuel buses results in this remaining an impossibility. (Only trolleybuses share the same 'clean air' attributes as trams - not motor buses).

Unfortunately however an area where the planners seem to be missing the mark is that whilst these systems include the use of modern distinctively styled bus shelters they seem to be opting for designs which put 'nice & shiny' visual impressions ahead of weather protection.

In South America the BRT systems tend to feature more substantial / fully enclosed 'passenger station' style bus stops.

Typically passengers will be expected to pay their fare when they arrive at the bus stop and before the reach the 'platform' (just like railway stations) so that when the bus arrives they can board it without the usual delays.

In recent years several Australian cities have been investing heavily in BRT systems, with 'bus stops' which are as grand as railway stations.

Shelters on Tram & Light Rail Systems.

With light rail the stop type can vary depending on location being served. For older tramway / streetcar systems the facilities will often mirror the cities' bus facilities (which unfortunately can mean precious little) however especially on segregated sections of newer lines the stations can be as grand as any mainline railway station.

Depending on the locality, and whether the service is 'new' or 'pre-existing', light rail stops will usually be between 200 metres and 800 metres apart. That will often be further apart than bus stops but closer than heavy rail / métro stops.

Especially on newer systems it is usual for all light rail stops to have a name - this follows european transport philosophy where it is also usual for bus stops to be named. Typically the name will be a local landmark, pub, side road, etc.

When built many mainline railway companies took pride in creating stations which featured waiting rooms (heated in winter) and platform awnings designed to provide weather protection as well as 'be visually pleasing'. Over the intervening years many of these stations have been allowed to decay so that eventually the structures were removed - and if replaced then with tiny 'bus-stop' type shelters which unfortunately only provide a few people with very limited shelter.

Part of the problem is that in the name of (false) economy stations became unstaffed and with no-one watching vandals would wreck the place so that whilst some transport operators would like to provide better facilities vandal resistance has become as (if not more) important than the passengers' needs.