Floating bus stops
Sight Scotland Calls for Immediate Halt to Floating Bus Stops Until Safety Proven
Sight Scotland has called for an immediate halt to the rollout of floating bus stops in Scotland, saying the designs are putting people with visual impairment in danger, creating fear and confusion, and stripping away independence.
Despite the UK Government pausing similar schemes in England over safety concerns, councils in Scotland continue to introduce them, including nine proposed new floating bus stops as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s active travel plans for Dundee Street and Fountainbridge.
Concerns from Sight Scotland’s Policy Group member
Bilal Iqbal (pictured above), is from Livingston and has visual impairment. He comments:
“I am deeply concerned about the growing use of floating bus stops, designs that force pedestrians, including those of us with visual impairment, to cross fast-moving cycle lanes. These layouts are not just inconvenient; they are dangerous and life-threatening. Despite the UK Government recently pausing similar risky designs in England, Scotland continues to roll them out unchecked.
“The City of Edinburgh Council’s proposed active travel improvements along Dundee Street and Fountainbridge include nine new floating bus stops. This plan ignores repeated warnings from disability groups and rehabilitation experts and disregards the real-world impact on visually impaired people. For us, these designs create daily fear of collision and injury, making independent travel stressful and hazardous.
“Guide Dogs’ recent investigation confirmed what we experience every day: inaccessible bus stops force people with visual impairment into fast-moving cycle lanes, putting lives at risk. These proposals are not progress – they are danger zones and an accident waiting to happen. We need streets that are safe and inclusive for everyone, not designs that sacrifice accessibility for convenience. It is unjustifiable that floating bus stops remain part of new street design plans in Scotland, given the clear risks they present. I stand with Sight Scotland’s calls for a pause in the roll out of any further floating bus stops until further research is done on their safety.”
Mark Ballard, Head of External Affairs and Campaigns at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, said:
“These new Floating bus stops put bus users, including people with visual impairments, in real danger. They ‘float’ between the road and cycle lanes, and lack clear curbs or guidance to tell where the pavement ends and the cycle lane begins. People using the bus stop can end up straying into fast-moving traffic. This makes everyday journeys risky, strips away independence, and effectively excludes visually impaired people from society. We are calling for an immediate pause on any further floating bus stops until they are made safe for everyone.”
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Further reading and resources
Accessible community transport – why are we waiting
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