5 Things to Consider when Purchasing a Bus Shelter

16 March 2023 | Tags: beautiful bus shelters, bus shelter, bus shelter maintenance, fsc, hardwood, purchasing, sustainability, wooden bus shelter

Purchasing a bus shelter can seem like a daunting task, as there are so many factors and variables to consider. Whether or not you’re considering a hardwood shelter, we’ve picked five important things to think about.

 

1. Location

When planning a bus shelter, there is no “one size fits all”. The space available, the number of users, and the level of protection required, all help to determine which type of shelter would be the best fit.

Whether it’s a busy street or a more rural location, the Eaton provides protection whilst taking up a minimal amount of room. If space is limited, consider a single-sided cantilever shelter, such as the Cropston. If you expect large numbers of people to be using the shelter at one time, which is common in locations such as busy interchanges or outside schools, all of Littlethorpe’s shelter range can be extended to double, or even triple, the standard length.

If your location is more exposed, an open-fronted shelter with deep sides may be the solution, such as the Surrey. Or for maximum protection from the elements, see our range of enclosed shelters.

Visibility for road users and clearance around the shelter will also need to be considered. We recommend speaking with your local highways department as soon as possible, as compliance with regulations will factor into your plans. Across our range of shelters, any areas of boarding can be glazed to aid with visibility, and dimensions can be altered to suit your location. As all Littlethorpe shelters are made to order, you can completely customise your shelter to suit your requirements.

 

2. Life Span

With any street furniture, durability is important. A bus shelter’s durability will be dependent on the materials used, and the manufacturing quality. Shelters made from steel are prone to rust, whilst softwood is likely to rot, and a shelter manufactured poorly or cheaply can easily be damaged or destroyed. Having to replace a shelter after a few years because of rust or poor quality is inconvenient, wasteful, and very costly.

All Littlethorpe shelters are built by hand in Leicester using traditional joinery methods and are made from FSC® certified hardwood (FSC-C109654). Our manufacturing processes and choice of materials have been carefully developed to produce shelters that are strong and robust, with an expected life span in excess of 50 years.

 

 

3. Maintenance

Maintenance is a key part of owning a shelter and is worth considering before purchasing as it could be costly. Vandalism and damage are often causes of concern when it comes to purchasing a bus shelter, and this is why all Littlethorpe shelters come with a five-year guarantee against being kicked in or burnt down. The largest ongoing maintenance cost generally comes down to replacing glazing due to damage or breakages, which is why we recommend only having glazing where it is necessary. We offer a range of glazing options, including 15mm toughened glass which is guaranteed for one year against breakage. See our guarantees page for more details.

Cleaning and general maintenance are going to be required on any bus shelter eventually, but at Littlethorpe we aim to make this as simple as possible. By ensuring that no special products, tools or skills are required, our shelters can be easily maintained by the community they serve. Click here to read more about care & maintenance.

 

 

 

 

4. Environmental Impact

Sustainability and preventing climate change are hugely important to us at Littlethorpe, and that’s why we use FSC-certified hardwood. Hardwood bus shelters are undeniably a more environmentally friendly choice than metal ones, as steel and aluminium production releases extremely high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Using FSC-certified wood means that we are ensuring the protection of the world’s forests and that trees are not being irresponsibly or needlessly cut down.

The life span of a product also has an environmental impact. The expected life span in excess of 50 years on all of our shelters means that fewer products are needed over a longer period of time, resulting in less waste.

We are environmentally conscious in everything we do, and so we do our best to ensure our waste is kept to an absolute minimum and recycled as much as possible, that needless journeys are avoided, and that local ground workers are used wherever possible. Click here to read more about the environment and our commitment to it.

 

 

5.    Aesthetic

Of course, all of these points to consider are very important, but if they all resulted in a shelter that looked out of place or ugly, it would be difficult to commit to purchasing one. This is a purchase that is a feature in the community, that will be a destination for many people each and every day, so it’s important that it fits into the location effortlessly whilst being pleasing to the eye. At Littlethorpe, we only design and manufacture shelters that are great quality and beautiful to look at, with the ability to look seamless and intentional no matter their location.

 

We are always happy to chat about bus shelters! Get in touch via our contact page or give us a call on 0116 260 3777 to find out more.

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