SAFETY improvements are being made to bus shelters across Southampton in a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour. 

The council says it is improving CCTV with new cameras coming at bus shelters in Bitterne Triangle, Swaythling High Road and Portswood Broadway. 

More cameras will also be placed in busier bus corridors which the authority says should help reduce disorder. 

It comes as part of a drive to upgrade 43 bus shelters across the city, improving waiting conditions for travellers. 

On top of safety, the council and its partners Balfour Beatty and Clean Channel have been improving accessibility and how environmentally friendly bus stops are. 

READ MORE: New Southampton Bluestar bus routes announced for next year

Eight new ‘living roof’ shelters have been put in at bus stops at Wyndham Place, London Road, Central Bridge, and the Woolston Bridge Link to support native biodiversity and bring greenery back into urban areas. 

The authority has also been trialling new real-time information (RTI) screens with improved graphics and working with visually impaired residents to ensure they work for as many people as possible.

Jemma Brown, one of our residents who gave feedback, said: “When I first found one of the new screens in place I was dismayed because there was too much information on such a small display and the choice of colours made the contrast really bad.

"It just wasn’t readable. I posted about this on social media and very quickly the team reached out to me to see what we could do to work together to improve things, we worked in conjunction with the provider who immediately made changes.

"The boards are now much clearer and laid out in a way that makes it easier for people with a visual impairment to find the information they need, taking into account assistive devices they may be using."

READ MORE: Man robbed at bus stop in Northam Road Southampton

The changes come as part of the council's long-term Bus Service Improvement Plan. 

Councillor Eamonn Keogh Cabinet Member for Transport and District Regeneration, said: “We continue to deliver a wide range of projects and have had many successes in the past year.

"These improvements are a step towards delivering the long-term ambitions of our Bus Service Improvement Plan.

"We will continue to work with our partners to achieve these goals, including upgrading bus shelters throughout the city.”

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