Reading council is considering a request for an upgraded bus stop where passengers are forced to stand and wait.
There are 605 bus stops in Reading Borough, most of which are shelters allowing people to sit down and keep dry when it’s raining.
But some are simply ‘flag and pole’ stops, where people have to stand and wait.
One of these is the southbound bus stop near Chalgrove Way in Emmer Green.
The northbound stop near the entrance to Emmer Green Drive does not have a shelter either, but at least has a bench for people to sit down.
Alexandra Coles launched a petition calling for the installation of a bus shelter at the southbound stop.
The petition, which was signed by 22 people, was discussed at a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s traffic management sub-committee.
She was meant to appear on Microsoft Teams but was unable to attend.
Improvements to the bus stop are being considered after the council recently let a new contract for the supply and maintenance of bus shelters throughout the borough.
John Ennis, lead councillor for transport, said: “Residents have made an effort to go around and do some good stuff.
“There are technical issues about fitting it, but at the same time we’ve got to look at it to bring it forward, but there’s no timescale admittedly.
“That is an area that’s increased since the Golf Course, and we want people to use the bus.
“We’re going to have some really good ones [bus stops], it’s something that we should not dismiss, that’s the point I’m making. ”
Rob White, the Green leader of the opposition party on the council, said: “Having a decent bus stop is really important to help people get the bus, having somewhere to sit down, somewhere to shelter when it’s raining, all of that sort of thing.
“I fully support this moving forward.”
It was then clarified that the Chalgrove Way stop was added to a list of requested measures for bus stops. A shelter would cost £15,000.
Cllr White (Green, Park) then asked: “Could we get a bit more of a timescale, because some of these lists, stuff does stay on them for years and years.
“Would it be this year? Could we narrow the timescale down a bit?”
Cllr Richard Davies (Labour, Thames) said: “Clearly there is no budget because this has just come up this year, so it would be presumably next year at the very earliest.”
Meanwhile, cllr Ennis (Labour, Southcote) alluded to technical issues with the pavement that require investigation.
He said: “Greens would be the first to complain that people with pushchairs and wheelchairs can’t get on a path because there is a bus stop.
“We need to investigate further. We’ve accepted it.”
The petition was acknowledged at the meeting on June 10.
Improvements have already been delivered at 101 bus stops that were fitted with new real‑time passenger information displays in December last year, with audio announcements for customers with visual impairments.
The council also introduced green living roofs at 15 shelters in November 2024.
