Transport Department moves bus stop to northern suburbs from outside Mayfair Hotel on King William St

BUS passengers to the northern suburbs are unhappy they have had their stop outside Adelaide’s newest five-star hotel moved at the request of the establishment’s management.

Passengers at the X2 stop on the western side of King William St have told theSunday Mail they objected to the Mayfair Hotel asking for them to be moved on, which one claimed was because they didn’t want to “look at poor people and oldies’’.

Hotel management has not yet commented on the Australia Day changes but is understood to have asked for the stop’s relocation because of pedestrian traffic congestion at the busy site near the intersection with Hindley St.

Rosie Liew, of North Adelaide, said she had been catching the 208 for a year outside the Mayfair Hotel.

“The old stop was a good spot for the bus stop because it had very good shade,’’ she said.

“There was no warning and I don’t agree with the move anyway.

“Even if there was a crowd at the front when people were trying to get out or in to the hotel they could have moved the bus stop just to one side of the main entrance.’’

Although planned for more than a year, the X2 was shifted 40m south outside the Migrant Resource Centre only last Tues­day, the controversial change hidden among dozens of other schedule and bus stop changes by the Transport Department.

When canvassed by the Sunday Mail, other passengers also complained that there was no shelter from the rain at the new location, that three seats for older people were not moved with the stop, and there was no sign outside the hotel warning that passengers had been moved on.

Despite having a year to plan the move, a spokesman for the Transport Department said it was “working closely” with Adelaide City Council to provide seats and shelter at the new location.

Hannah Dibbens, of Adelaide, was last week waiting for a bus with her friends at the old stop outside the Mayfair when the paper informed her the stop had been relocated. She said there were no signs stating that the stop had moved, which she said was “rude”.

“I think people staying at the hotel would know there is a bus stop anyway,’’ she said.

Margaret, who did not want to give her surname, said she had for five years been catching the bus outside where the Mayfair had now been opened in a renovated building.

She said the biggest disadvantage for older people was that seating remained at the old bus stop, and there was a 30-minute wait between buses on her route.

“The rebuilding of the hotel building was disruptive enough and now that they have finished that we have been moved altogether, just because they don’t want to look at poor people and the oldies,’’ Margaret said.

The bus stop being moved has also altered where other passengers alight and board, and those who may be affected can check details at www.adelaidemetro.com.au.

A curtain covering the front windows of the Mayfair to block the view to King William St has been taken down.

Source: Sunday Mail (SA), Miles Kemp, 30^th January 2016