A Fife man has erected his own bus stop sign near his home to stop buses sailing past him.
Robert Gillan, from Cults Mill near Cupar, brought the blue sign back from Norway four years ago.
And he has now put it up at a formal stop on the A914, amid fears he would be killed while waiting for official action.
While it is not an official notice, he hoped it would draw drivers’ attention to him.
However, he has become increasingly frustrated as buses continue to drive past.
Robert suffered a stroke almost two years ago and relies on public transport to get to hospital appointments.
He wears a splints on one leg and endures a long walk along a farm track just to reach the bus halt.
He then has to stand on a narrow patch of grass by the side of the road while traffic speeds past.
‘Someone is going to get killed on that road and the chances are it’s going to be me’
Robert says he first asked Fife Council to erect an official bus stop sign in 1994, when his children were small.
However, the request fell on deaf ears.
Since his stroke, he regularly uses the bus.
“I’m standing there on this patch of grass with nothing to hold onto,” he said.
“There’s a field on one side and busy road on the other.
“When a lorry or a bus goes past the backdraft can effectively knock me over.”
In the past few months, buses have failed to stop for him five times.
The last time was last week and caused him to miss a consultant’s appointment.
Asked by The Courier if he had a message for the powers that be, Robert said: “Ask me that next week and you can put it in the obituaries column.
“Someone is going to get killed on that road and the chances are it’s going to be me.
“That’s what it’s going to take for someone to pay some attention.”
Politicians and transport chiefs respond
Robert got in touch with North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie, who went to look for himself.
Mr Rennie said: “Other rural bus stops do have clear signs which clearly indicate where drivers are expected to stop.
“I don’t see why Fife Council can’t put this simple measure in place for the stop which Robert depends upon.”
A Stagecoach spokesperson told The Courier they are in discussions with the council regarding bus stop infrastructure at Cults Mill.
They described it as a “hail and ride” stop where drivers stop when safe.
Meanwhile, Fife Council service manager Susan Keenlyside said a new bus stop sign is coming.
“We’re planning to get this work done as soon as practically possible to serve the new express buses on the route,” she said.
Conversation