New bus shelters a welcome addition to Market Street

It was out with the old and in with the new at Market Street, Ely, as four replacement bus shelters were erected, much to the delight of local residents.
They were installed the week beginning 18^th January and were completed that Sunday. Work was undertaken in the evenings to reduce disruption.
The old bus shelters had deteriorated significantly and were heavily scratched, with many areas of rust and sticky residue left by poster tape. Not only were they very unpleasant to the eye, they were also obtrusive to shops, hiding their signs and front windows. This was bad for business and unhelpful to those wishing to locate certain stores. The old shelters also proved somewhat inadequate at protecting residents from the rain.
As East Cambridgeshire District Council owns these bus shelters, they were determined to make the necessary improvements. It was concluded that it would be more cost effective to replace them than to refurbish the existing structures.
The new bus shelters are already benefiting those who travel to the City for work and leisure, and have certainly added positively to the overall look and feel of one of Ely’s busiest streets.
Anne Williams, from Mepal, said: “The bus shelters are very welcome. The old ones didn’t really keep you dry because their rooves didn’t come over enough.”
Lynne Eastern, on her way to Sutton, added: “There wasn’t enough room on the old seats opposite the bus shelters and you couldn’t sit on them when it was wet, so it’s wonderful to now have seats within the bus shelters that are undercover.”
 Further compliments from local residents were “they are very smart” and they are “great for my legs after a hard day’s shopping.”
Another positive is that the new shelters have Perspex panels which can be replaced if needed, whereas the old ones did not and instead had fixed panels. Going forward, it means that the clean and pleasing appearance of the new bus shelters can be maintained.
Councillor Bill Hunt, who is Chairman of the Asset Development Committee, stated: “We recognised a long time ago that it was necessary to replace the bus shelters on Market Street, but we were keen to manage the task properly and so waited until the right time, when the money was available, to conduct the work. We are delighted with how the new bus shelters look and with the positive responses they have received from the local residents that use them every day.”
These new bus shelters will, no doubt, continue to benefit those travelling to and from the City for years to come.