South Shields bus stop knocked down after crash

The stone bus shelter on Prince Edward Road, close to the junction with King George Road and opposite Cleadon Park Library, was left damaged following a crash during the early hours of Friday, May 22.

Because of the state the impact left it in, transport organisation Nexus has said police called in a team from South Tyneside Council to knock down what was left of the structure so it was not a risk to people on foot or traffic.

A spokesperson for Nexus said: “We can confirm that the bus shelter on Prince Edward Road in South Shields was badly damaged by a collision.

“What was left of the old stone shelter has been removed and the site made safe while we prepare to replace it.”

The organisation is now carrying out a process to remove the remains of the shelter and make the footpath which runs behind it safe.

Due to its location, discussions will be carried out about how traffic can be managed, with plans in the pipeline to close the bus stop on the opposite side of the road, outside the library, and use its layby to direct traffic safely past the work.

This will take place between 10am and 6pm, with hopes the shelter will be cleared later this week – Nexus has said the concrete roofs used in such shelters can weigh up to four tonnes.

Barriers are in place around it in the meantime, with buses still able to use the stop to drop off and collect passengers.

It is planned that it will be replaced with a modern glass and metal shelter to replace the stone version, which are no longer under construction due to their cost.

A bus stop has been in that location since the 1960s, if not earlier, and is the first stop on Prince Edward Road for buses heading towards The Nook.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you