Site turns into park-and-hide as terminal roof tiles blow off

Published on Wednesday 22 October 2008 09:55

AN investigation has been launched after roof panels were blown off the terminal of a Lothians park-and-ride site – less than three weeks after it opened.

Passengers today described their lucky escape after high winds on Monday saw a number of panels ripped off the waiting room at the 600-capacity site at Straiton.

Other panels were left flapping in the wind and the canopy area has been cordoned off, and a temporary stopping place has been created adjacent to the terminal building.

It is not the first time transport chiefs have had problems with park-and-ride's roofs.

A few months after the site at Ingliston opened in 2006 roof panels also came loose in high winds, forcing passengers to use an empty double-decker bus as a temporary shelter.

Despite being in Midlothian, the Straiton park-and-ride is operated by the city council.

A spokeswoman for the local authority today said the roof will be repaired in the coming days.

But opposition politicians and bus user groups today expressed concern at the incident.

A Penicuik woman who has used the site every day since it opened said she had witnessed the roof being blown off.

The woman, who did not want to give her name, said: "It just came crashing down at the front.

"If people had been standing there, there would have been a lot of injuries.

"It's a disgrace on a brand new building."

The 4.5 million Straiton facility, which is next to the city bypass, opened on October 5 following years of legal wrangling over land.

Mark McInnes, the city's Tory transport spokesman, said: "I think the safety of the public should always be top priority in any council facility.

"I appreciate a lot of staff have changed in the council's city development department but you would have hoped they would have learned from the experiences at other park-and-rides."

Ingliston had problems with a number of proof panels after opening in 2006 but the storms which forced the cancellation of Hogmanay celebrations that year also caused further damage to the park-and-ride's terminal.

Gavin Booth, chairman of passenger watchdog Bus Users UK, said: "Obviously any danger to passengers is worrying, particularly if they have had a similar incident at Ingliston.

"You would have hoped they would have learned from that but I'm glad to hear they are investigating what went wrong and hopefully they will put it right."

A council spokeswoman said: "It is unfortunate that the high winds on Monday caused two of the roof panels on the terminal building of Straiton Park and Ride to come loose.

"The area was immediately cordoned off and there was no damage caused.

"All of the loose panels were taken down to remove any risk and we are currently looking at a solution for the repair of the roof in the coming days.

"Until then the temporary safety measures will remain in place."