Better bus access at Hereford shopping centre

Shoppers visiting Hereford's Maylord Orchards centre will be able to get on and off buses more easily thanks to a series of works carried out by Herefordshire Council.

New raised bus kerbs have been put in to allow easier access to buses. There are also new bus shelters for waiting passengers, better pedestrian drop crossings and guard railing.

An area of footway that had sunk close to the rear pedestrian entry to the Maylord Orchards centre has also been re-laid.

Raised bus kerbs installed at all three bus stops will help both the disabled and people with pushchairs and prams to get on and off buses.

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "We want to encourage as many shoppers as possible to travel into Hereford city centre by bus and these improvements will make it much easier for them to do so, especially the disabled and people with prams and pushchairs.

"We would like to thank the public for their patience while the works were carried out and hope people find the new facilities make a real difference to their comfort on bus journeys in and out of town," he added.

The newly installed bus shelters, which have solar panels fitted to their roofs to provide internal lighting, will provide much-needed weather protection and seating for passengers waiting for buses.

The existing pedestrian drop crossing point to the east of the bus stops has been upgraded by lowering the kerb heights and making the crossing point more direct. The dropped kerb in front of the rear entry to Maylord Orchards has also been lowered. Both of these now provide easier access for both disabled pedestrians and pedestrians with pushchairs or prams to get to the carriageway/footway.

In the near future new pedestrian guard railing and signage will be installed. The signs will provide clearer directions so people getting off buses can gain easier access to Maylord Orchards and into the city centre.