A SERIOUS accident is waiting to happen on a busy Chingford road because of the dangerous position of a bus stop, according to a London Assembly member.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon was joined by Transport for London (TfL) officers during a visit to Station Road to assess hazards faced by users of the 97 and 179 buses.

She met residents outside Chingford bus and rail station in response to concerns that the position of the bus stop is putting lives at risk..

She said: “It is deeply worrying that passengers are required to get off the 97 and 179 buses on Station Road itself and then have to cross a busy road from between parked cars to get to the rail station.

“A serious accident is waiting to happen here. We need to find a way for buses to put down passengers safely in the bus station itself with proper provision for wheelchair users "I welcome the fact that TfL are at least willing to consider moving the stop into the bus station. I have received a promise that they will report back to me within a month.

"If for any reason this turns out to be totally impractical a modest improvement could still be found if TfL moved the bus stop back along Station Road so that the buses are not having to attempt to manoeuvre into the kerb between parked cars.

“As I saw on my visit this is often not possible for buses which results in passengers facing the dangerous situation of having to get off the bus in the middle of the road."

Caroline Pidgeon is the vice chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee and visited Station Road after an invitation from the prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green, Geoff Seeff.