Is this the most useless bus shelter in the Mountains?
Although it is very efficient at providing shelter, it is not so good on the bus front. In fact, anyone taking shelter has no chance of seeing a bus approaching.
The art deco-style shelter, on South Street at North Katoomba, is back-to-front. It gives those inside it a lovely view of the nature strip but absolutely no view at all of the street.
Local resident Douglas Brown alerted council some months ago, after noticing people torn between staying out of the rain and watching for their bus.
But of greater concern for Mr Brown was that he thought the shelter was a hazard, blocking the line of sight of traffic for people trying to turn out of Minne-Ha-Ha Road into South Street.
Mr Brown said he felt compelled to raise the matter with the council after his elderly, disabled neighbour was T-boned at the intersection and then he himself narrowly avoided being hit by a car.
He emailed the council, finishing with this plea: "I know that usually no action happens until there's a fatality. Can something please be done so we don't have a fatality?"
A spokeswoman for council said the traffic team had investigated the shelter but had concluded it was not a traffic hazard. It did, however, concede that it faces the wrong way.
"Council accepts the location, design and functionality of the shelter is not suitable for current standards and requirements," she said.
The shelter will be removed, subject to any heritage issues.
Unluckily for the residents near South Street, low passenger numbers mean it won't be replaced.
