Solar bus timetables in Brighton and Hove

11:10am Sunday 10th February 2013 in News

Coun Ian Davey and Shelley Atlas try one of the newly installed stops Coun Ian Davey and Shelley Atlas try one of the newly installed stops

Solar-powered bus stops are lighting the way home for night-time travellers.
 

Brighton and Hove City Council is installing the columns, which store power and illuminate the timetable at the push of a button.
 

The local authority installed one on the northbound side of Preston Road, near Preston Park station, after commuters said the spot was particularly dark at night.
 

Costing £1,500, the bus stop was funded by money raised by the council from private property developments nearby.
 

Another one, operating near the American Express Community Stadium, is due to be moved to the top of Coldean Lane serving passengers on the N25 route.
 

Transport committee chairman Ian Davey said: “There’s something nice about using sustainable power to illuminate sustainable travel. So hopefully pressing that button will also give our bus travellers a warm glow."

 

Comments(18)

006 and a third says...
11:18am Sun 10 Feb 13

Great. These might even pay for themselves in energy saved in about 8,000 years time. As long as they're not vandalised and the panels don't degrade in the same way that most solar panels do.
The money raised from local developments should have been spent on something sensible.

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RottingdeanRant says...
11:29am Sun 10 Feb 13

What a useless use of the money! I suspect most people could see these timetables perfectly well before they installed these lights - even if they had to use the light on their mobile!

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Tallywhacker says...
11:32am Sun 10 Feb 13

Why aren't the bus company putting their own timetables up?

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Fercri Sakes says...
11:39am Sun 10 Feb 13

Why can't we spend £1000 plugging these into the national grid, and then pay £50 a year for lighting them up for ten years?

£1500 is such a waste of public money!

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NickBtn says...
11:47am Sun 10 Feb 13

£1500 for a bus stop light. Well done to whoever sold these to the greens - they saw them coming!

Unfortunately it's our money that they're wasting

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NickBtn says...
12:17pm Sun 10 Feb 13

The article says "commuters said the spot was particularly dark at night". Isn't that the problem which needs fixing? So one of the street lights is moved to be closer to the bus stop

Now there commuters will still have to stand in the dark, probably fearing their own safety, waiting for the bus. At least they will know when the bus should be there as they will be able to read the timetable!

Perhaps moving a streetlight to illuminate the area and answer the commuters' concerns would have been cheaper and better?

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lordenglandofsussex says...
12:17pm Sun 10 Feb 13

They won't last for a month before they are destroyed by mindless vandalism. What a pity that this country breeds vermin that destroy anything and everything.

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Surely not! says...
1:24pm Sun 10 Feb 13

lordenglandofsussex wrote:
They won't last for a month before they are destroyed by mindless vandalism. What a pity that this country breeds vermin that destroy anything and everything.
what a pity this country breeds vermin like you too

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davyboy says...
1:44pm Sun 10 Feb 13

Tallywhacker wrote:
Why aren't the bus company putting their own timetables up?
the bus company supplies the timetables, but all street furniture is looked after and paid for by the council. that includes benches and litter bins.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
3:37pm Sun 10 Feb 13

Why is the council providing this equipment for a monopoly bus company?
Surely questions should be raised about this particularly when it's not necessary at this time of cuts to front line services.

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lordenglandofsussex says...
4:14pm Sun 10 Feb 13

Surely not! wrote:
lordenglandofsussex wrote:
They won't last for a month before they are destroyed by mindless vandalism. What a pity that this country breeds vermin that destroy anything and everything.
what a pity this country breeds vermin like you too
Only one kind of slime and gutter trash on this comment page - yourself!

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
6:08pm Sun 10 Feb 13

lordenglandofsussex wrote:
Surely not! wrote:
lordenglandofsussex wrote:
They won't last for a month before they are destroyed by mindless vandalism. What a pity that this country breeds vermin that destroy anything and everything.
what a pity this country breeds vermin like you too
Only one kind of slime and gutter trash on this comment page - yourself!
I concur

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Dealing with idiots says...
6:43pm Sun 10 Feb 13

I predict these will go the same way as the bike counters on London Rd & Lewes Rd. Company goes bust and you can't get them repaired. OO, just thought, the same situation will be happen to the I 360.

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Dealing with idiots says...
6:43pm Sun 10 Feb 13

PS Ian Davey looks just as ghoulish in the light of day.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
8:13pm Sun 10 Feb 13

It's also interesting that this has been installed in a Green ward.
More help for their posh mates.

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Idontbelieveit1948 says...
9:45pm Sun 10 Feb 13

That's cost one D Band council tax bill for one bus stop !

Still there's penty more whre that came from .

So glad Councillor Davey thinks it's good value.

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Bristol VR says...
9:47am Mon 11 Feb 13

I do have to question the necessity of these when we are being forced to pay an extra 1.9% on our Council Tax because our current, somewhat aloof from reality Council Say they need the money.... of course they do, because they keep wasting it on completely unnecessary ideas like this one!

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thevoiceoftruth says...
12:16pm Tue 12 Feb 13

£1,500 for one bus stop? I had to re-read this to double check that was correct! I bet the lights stop working within 12 months, just like the cycle counters. Talk about p*ssing money up the wall.

Reckon now would be a good time to start an eco business in Brighton - imagine the contracts you could get from this mad hatter council!

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