Mayor Kim McAliney supports the move for steel mesh panels at bus shelters instead of glass. 87566 Picture: VANESSA VALENZUELA
By VANESSA VALENZUELA
WYNDHAM’S glass bus shelters are set to be replaced with steel mesh following a vandalism spree that has damaged more than 150 over the last 12 months.
Ten glass bus shelters will be replaced with mesh in a trial over the next few weeks across Werribee and Wyndham Vale.
If the trial is successful, Adshel, the company which owns and maintains bus shelters throughout Wyndham, will roll out the new mesh shelters across the municipality.
Wyndham Mayor Kim McAliney supported the trial.
She said it was disappointing to see that steel mesh would have to be installed in bus shelters across the municipality because of constant vandalism to the glass panels.
“We are getting so many new bus shelters in the area now but because of the reported damage they now have to start trialling steel mesh,” Cr McAliney said.
“It is really disappointing to see young mothers with prams, students and elderly people having to sit in broken glass.”
Cr McAliney told Star she had reported to the police four separate incidents regarding the damage of shelters along Morris Rd and in neighbouring areas last week.
“Enough is enough. It’s the actions of a few that have ramifications for the rest of the community,” she said.
Cr McAliney said maintenance of bus shelters was the State Government’s responsibility.
“It is not acceptable to have over 150 bus shelters damaged in such a short amount of time,” she said. “However, it is a positive step that they (Adshel) are finally doing something about it.”
Adshel spokesperson Ed Pullen said the company would replace glass panels with steel mesh in shelters along Market St and Heaths Rd.
“There has been a lot of breakage to the glass shelters in the area and we thought it was about time to install steel mesh,” Mr Pullen said.
“We try to clean up as quickly as we can but no one wants to be sitting around broken glass.”
Mr Pullen said Adshel had already installed a prototype shelter on Market St in Werribee.
He said the new trial shelters would not be placed at the front of residential properties in Wyndham and that glass panels would not be replaced in any damaged bus stops.
“For the shelters that have been broken we won’t replace the glass in those. We will wait until the steel mesh arrives,” he said.
Mr Pullen said trial shelters would arrive in Wyndham within the next couple of weeks.
Damaged bus shelters can be reported to the Adshel hotline on 1800 501 402.
