North Isles Bus - Not Allowed To Park Right Outside Tesco Store

[paulb]

im sorry to say that we were crashed into by your mini bus last year. i suspect its one reason why they are not now allowed. if there was a spot to park up near by then it would be fine. maybe lose a few disabled or mother and child spots. the bus must be allowed to pick up and drop off near the doors. but the main car park is not suitable for buses. 

[Scorrie]

 

its dangerous

But Brian, it's not as if the coach sits there all day, this is a pick-up of people's shopping - often never a full bus load of people - then it moves on... come on... 

 

 

But it does cause a major obstruction right at the choke point for pedestrians entering and exiting the store.

 

Couple this with cars trying to get past and you have a fairly high risk of someone stepping straight out into the path of a car.

 

Let's face it, the store operators have a duty of care towards their customers. Anyone doing even a cursory risk assessment at the store would pick up on the potential for a rather nasty situation developing.

 

A pisser for those using the bus service, agreed, but avoiding physical harm to the public on their site is right at the top of their safety Christmas tree......

[Colin]

Where did I say that the bus prevented people leaving the store?

 

I said that the bus parked up outside the main entrance created a "blind spot/bottleneck for other traffic and customers leaving the store".

 

I use Tesco quite regularly and I have seen buses "parked up" outside the main entrance many times with no driver or passengers on board. 

As everyone likes to "pick up" or "drop off" where the buses are parked or, use the marked crossing to cross over to the car park, the buses cause an "obstruction" that could easily lead to an accident.

Common sense dictates that the buses should be asked to "park up" elsewhere.

 

I don't see how a large(ish) vehicle parked outside the store (on double yellow lines and right on to of a marked pedestrian crossing) can be anything other than an unnecessary hazard and, imho, Tesco are quite right to try and keep that part of their property clear for use by ALL customers.

 

I suppose that the underlying issue might be that, when Tesco designed the car park, they did not make any provision for buses as they (possibly) did not expect anyone to operate a "door to door" bus service in a place where people seem to abandon(?) vehicles rather than park them sensibly.

[Middlin]

There is an ideal area near the front entrance where three cars can park nose to tail alongside the pavement. These spaces are handy to the crossing and front door and could easily be turned into a bus waiting area. if I were you I would approach the management and ask if they could dedicate this as a bus parking area. It would solve the problem at little cost. (Basically a tin of paint).

 

I have friends who need use the bus service and not only does it allow them to do their own shopping, it's a great reason to get them out of the house and meeting people. This is an important service for the elderly and less able. It would meet the needs of the bus users and I'm sure would satisfy Tesco's risk assessments.

[Guest Fetlar Writer]

There is an ideal area near the front entrance where three cars can park nose to tail alongside the pavement. These spaces are handy to the crossing and front door and could easily be turned into a bus waiting area. if I were you I would approach the management and ask if they could dedicate this as a bus parking area. It would solve the problem at little cost. (Basically a tin of paint).

 

I have friends who need use the bus service and not only does it allow them to do their own shopping, it's a great reason to get them out of the house and meeting people. This is an important service for the elderly and less able. It would meet the needs of the bus users and I'm sure would satisfy Tesco's risk assessments.

Thanks - good idea - I'll put it to them.

[Guest Fetlar Writer]

im sorry to say that we were crashed into by your mini bus last year. i suspect its one reason why they are not now allowed. if there was a spot to park up near by then it would be fine. maybe lose a few disabled or mother and child spots. the bus must be allowed to pick up and drop off near the doors. but the main car park is not suitable for buses. 

Ah I see - maybe that hasn't helped.   I agree, the main car-park is not suitable for buses and the bus must be allowed to pick up and drop off near the doors.

[Guest Fetlar Writer]

There is an ideal area near the front entrance where three cars can park nose to tail alongside the pavement. These spaces are handy to the crossing and front door and could easily be turned into a bus waiting area. if I were you I would approach the management and ask if they could dedicate this as a bus parking area. It would solve the problem at little cost. (Basically a tin of paint).

 

I have friends who need use the bus service and not only does it allow them to do their own shopping, it's a great reason to get them out of the house and meeting people. This is an important service for the elderly and less able. It would meet the needs of the bus users and I'm sure would satisfy Tesco's risk assessments.

Absolutely. Talking to folks, many use this shopping time to meet others - very important indeed in such a place as Shetland.

[brian.smith]

 

its dangerous

But Brian, it's not as if the coach sits there all day, this is a pick-up of people's shopping - often never a full bus load of people - then it moves on... come on... 

 

Well it is because it obscures the vision of both pedestrians and drivers

Edited December 5, 2016 by brian.smith

[Urabug]

What has triggered this,has someone been "mangled " as they drove or walked around the bus,or has Tesco got an over enthusiastic member of staff now.

Probably time for some serious negotiations to find a suitable loading area,not that I see an awful lot wrong with the way things have been for years.  

There is no doubt that Tesco car park is a very dangerous place,but driving at a sensible speed and keeping one's wits about them,I see no problems. There is room for us all surely.cars and pedestrians alike.

Is this member of staff on "da council" by any chance. 

Edited December 5, 2016 by Urabug

[paulb]

it took out our rear bumper when we were parked there. but we did not report it to tesco. maybe the bus company did. may have been other incidents. something must have sparked it. tesco does have a duty to reduce risk if they dont their insurance will not cove them. but ourincident was near two years back. so i wonder if they have hit someone else.

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

There is no doubt that Tesco car park is a very dangerous place,but driving at a sensible speed and keeping one's wits about them,I see no problems. There is room for us all surely.cars and pedestrians alike.

 

You're contradicting yourself, it's either dangerous or it isn't.

 

...  and the bus must be allowed to pick up and drop off near the doors.

No.  The bus should stop where buses usually stop - at the bus stop.  If it means that the bus company has to liaise with perhaps Grotesco's manager and see if passengers might be escorted safely to the store then so be it, but are you seriously telling me that there aren't any able-bodied, willing passengers to assist them who might not be so nimble on their feet?

 

However, what is the height of stupidity is the fact that buses and folks with disabilities didn't factor sufficiently into the original layout ... oh dear, something the SIC Planning Dept. could have commented upon initially ... but then Planning Conditions and Grotesco's don't exactly go hand in hand, do they?

[Guest Fetlar Writer]

Really, the crux of the matter is, there wasn't sufficient planning, factoring in those who live outside of the mainland who might need to travel into town who don't have transport - including other planned bus trips, even Mainland buses (I've seen buses park up with lots of teenagers inside - some sort of fancy dress outing... either that, or vampires really do exist  )

 

If you think about it, even if we have 6 people (on one journey) who use the North Isles bus to shop at Tesco, when the bus is parked in the car-park it only uses two bays... (not forgetting the saving of fuel and less pollution) If those 6 individuals were to travel separately by car - then 6 car bays would be used up (plus pollution from 6 cars)  - planning should have thought about this. Also, the North Isles bus arrives at a set time each day to pick up, so other times the coach bay could be used by other bus services. But am I expecting too much?    

[BigMouth]

They could save more fuel by not running the bus! Seriously though, I am only surprised that the bus driver manages to get a parking place there as it is normally full of cars. The temptation to move one with the keys left in it and the engine running is difficult to bear!

[Malcolm]

It's not just buses at Tesco tho, Taxis are the biggest offenders followed by van drivers and buses last. So why are the buses and only buses that are being asked to move ?. To be honest nobody should park in that spot as a) There is a Zebra crossing and a fire escape right slap bang in the middle of that section. I have see all of the above vehicles park right up to and even on the crossing, this I think is where the most danger comes as shoppers (young and old) have to step out in front of anything parked there. There is (to me) an obvious solution, stop people using the second lane which is unmarked and turn that into a bus stop and taxi rank in its own right either that or put a bus stop on the Sea road right outside the gap in Tesco's stane wall.

[Guest Fetlar Writer]

I rang again today and was told by Duty Manager Joe (or Jo), that the bus had been abusing the rules of no parking, and that it was stopping the flow of traffic. Another Tesco representative I spoke to, advised people to write to the Manager to voice concerns and to make any suggestions.

 

So, I'll be writing. A suggestion - anyone who needs assistance to get their shopping to any bus that will be parked in the car-park in the future - ask a Tesco member of staff to assist them across the car-park with their trolley -  address below for writing.

 

Neil Connell (Store Manager)

Tesco

South Rd

Lerwick

 

ZE1 0RD

 

Tel: 0345 671 9524

Edited December 6, 2016 by Fetlar Writer