'BUT the indicator on the stop says it will be here in five minutes' said the lady waiting by the bus stop.

I had seen the lady waiting for the No10 in Acland Road in the evening and I knew that the buses were diverted owing to roadworks in the Bridport Road and that the No10s were going down Williams Avenue to the market stop then straight on to Weymouth.

She was reluctant to believe me and kept pointing at the electronic bus stop sign that said there was a no 10 in five minutes.

I suddenly noticed a laminated sign stuck on the bus stop well above the printed timetable difficult to see in the dark which confirmed the fact that buses are diverted for nine days or so.

So she then believed me and set of for the market stop.

But why oh why have an electronic sign announcing a bus that was not coming?

Surely this sign should have been switched off for the duration of the diversion?

I don't really blame First Bus as the electronic sign is not apparently controlled by them but by some department in the council but surely they could have stuck their plastic sign over the printed timetable on the post which is where people look and not high up on the stop where it cant be seen in the dark.

The same applies to the stop outside the (old) museum which is falsely announcing the imminent arrivals of No10s that won't be coming.

Incidentally the next evening I found two more people waiting at Acland Road for a bus that would not be coming.

Please please someone switch off the electronic sign.

TERRY PUTNAM

Springfield Road, Weymouth