TRANSPORT bosses have apologised for removing shelters at one of the borough's busiest set of bus stops during the wettest spring on record.

Hundreds of commuters have been left shivering in the cold and damp ever since Transport for London (TfL) dismantled seating and covers at three stops on the Grove Green Road side of Leytonstone Tube Station in February.

TfL removed the shelters during council improvement works to the area, and reportedly promised to install new and enhanced covering by April.

But due to an "oversight" the new shelters will not now be fitted until six months later in mid-July.

Labour ward councillor Marie Pye said TfL told her that it had received more complaints about the issue than anything else in London.

She said: "It's been an awful long while, especially considering it's been the wettest spring since records began.

"But this is not just about residents having to stand in the rain. Because of the lack of shelter people have been standing in the station underpass blocking the route for pedestrians.

"We've had reports of fights caused by people arguing and trying to get past.

"And I've had one elderly resident tell me it's put her off catching the bus to get to her hospital appointments. This is serious stuff."

TfL reportedly tried to install new shelters in March but took them away again on the same day after realising they were the wrong size.

It has been unable to explain the reason for the delay.

Mike Weston, the operations director of London Buses at TfL, said: “Transport for London would like to apologise to customers using the bus stops for the delay in replacing the bus shelters there after recent improvement works.

"The new shelters are larger and heavier than those that were there previously and require a larger foundation than the original shelters.

"The location of these shelters, on the overbridge, also requires extra structural work.

"This work should have been carried out before the old shelters were taken away.

"Unfortunately it wasn’t and we can only apologise for this oversight."

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