Lorry parking 'every day' outside Kent One Stop forces 'passengers into middle of road' to catch bus

A One Stop delivery lorry being parked every day in a busy bus stop in a tight-knit village in Kent is putting people's safety at risk, warned residents.

There are two One Stops almost next to each other on the same side of the High Street in Rusthall in Tunbridge Wells.

Each week day morning, a One Stop lorry driver pulls into the bus stop and is stationary while unloading stock to the store near the green.

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Photographs taken regularly by an Arriva 281 bus passenger document this event which makes it hazardous for locals to get on the bus. Arriva South told KentLive in a statement, included below, that the "last thing we want is for anyone to come into any danger".

Passengers can also not use the bus shelter, as they can't see the bus coming, so are left standing, sometimes in the rain. And drivers' view is blocked coming out of the side road.

A resident, who said the lorry has been using the bus stop for at least three years, said: "Since I started taking the bus early mornings, since June, I have noticed the lorry there every day on the bus stop. They don’t seem to comply with the law."

'Get on bus in middle of road'

"It’s a safety problem because there are elderly people and disabled people. There are mothers with children and school children getting on the bus. Since we cannot use the bus shelter because the lorry is there, we have to move away and the bus stops in the middle of the road for us to get on. Only when the bus has enough space to park in front of the lorry, then the bus can park for us to get in from the pavement," they said.

"Suppose I was going to cross the road to get the bus and cars cannot see me because the lorry is blocking their view? Nobody from Manor Road can turn left and see who is coming from the road because the lorry is there. Nobody can see anything on the road if the lorry is there. We can’t see the bus coming, we have to go up the road and look for the bus. It’s a nightmare."

The bus stop is used by the popular Arriva 281 service. A spokesperson for Arriva South told KentLive: "We’re keen to work with the council to find a solution to this problem."

"The safety of our customers is our top priority so access to the bus stop is vitally important because the stop is a safe place for them to board.

"That road is a busy one and the last thing we would want is for anyone to come into any danger so we’d welcome any opportunity to help the council find a solution."

KentLive knows of two residents who have complained to One Stop, local councillors and one of them even had to report an incident to Kent Police.

One Stop 'liaising with Kent County Council'

KentLive asked One Stop twice to comment but the company has not given a statement, only providing background information. However, One Stop said it was liaising with Kent County Council.

But when we contacted the county council, showing the photos of the lorry positioned fully in the bus stop and explaining residents' concerns, it said it was the "responsibility" of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

One resident said the other One Stop manages to get deliveries, so it was "puzzling" how this one a few doors up could not. Enforcing the bus stop rules would fall on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's parking attendants and not Kent Police, said the force.

A spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said: "In the past week the council has received a complaint that the lorries unloading at the shop are frequently going into the marked bus stop. The loading hours are clear and the parking team will enforce this restriction whenever they can. There is no agreement between the council and the shop for a parking bay."