ANGRY Clackmannan pensioners are challenging the council's executive director to stand in the swirling rain while waiting for the bus in the town.

Port Street resident Sandy Madden, 72, has started a petition after Clackmannanshire Council revealed to him the relocated the bus stop on his lane would only feature a bench, but no shelter.

He says he has 127 signatures from residents to date, with the paper calling for the local authority's Garry Dallas to brave the elements at the bus stop, if he thinks the provision is adequate.

As previously reported, Sandy started a drive to make sure elderly bus users are protected from inclement weather back in October after the shelter, which had been standing there for around four decades, was removed as part of the Clackmannan School Streets Project.

In a letter dated October 20 last year, council staff told him there were intentions to erect a new shelter and that it would be in place between six to eight weeks.

However, further communications on December 22 revealed a “number of” residents objected to this and there would only be a bench at the Port Street bus stop now.

Instead, the council sought compromise by creating a box style shelter at a newly relocated bus stop on Lochies Road, some 180 yards away.

In his reply, Sandy told the council: “Some of the older people have a long walk to the Port Street bus stop.

“Do you expect people in their 70s and 80s to make a 120m dash along Lochies road to seek shelter when they see rain approaching across the River Forth?”

A spokeswoman for Clackmannanshire Council told the Advertiser: “Before deciding on the location of the shelter which is to be provided on Lochies Road, council officers undertook a survey of bus stop use in the area and looked at the impact of provision on local residents.

“This work has shown that the proposed new bus stop infrastructure will benefit the majority of service users.

“It will allow not only the replacement of the old shelter with a brand new one at a location that benefits users, but will also improve provision in the area by providing additional facilities at another bus stop in the form of a bench.

“We understand that this may inconvenience a very small number of users, but overall this change will be of benefit to many more local people.”

Sandy is also blasting those who objected to the bus shelter on Port Street, who he said were only a few, and branded the whole scenario an “abuse of the elderly”.

Another issue for bus users was the size of the new shelter on the Main Street, which can only fit around three people and is practically unprotected on three sides.

However, the roads and transportation department told Sandy side panels will be installed there this month.