Work to improve pedestrian safety at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station has begun.

The £432,000 upgrades will see the speed limit reduced to 10mph and the eastern side of the bus station, along The Paddock, turned into a one-way lane.

As part of the plans, the pedestrian crossing points will be repainted in a light green colour to improve visibility.

Other improvements include new landscaping, refreshing traffic signs and narrowing the crossing point outside the former travel information centre.

Carriageway resurfacing will also take place overnight between Dock Road and the signalised crossing on Waterfront Way.

Construction work started on Monday, 22 September and will be completed within eight weeks.

During the works, the bus stops at Stands A1, A2, A3 and A4 are closed at all times and affected buses have been running from alternative stops within the bus station.

Passengers are being advised to follow the diversion signs in place.

The scheme is being completed by the council’s contractor, VolkerHighways, and has been funded by the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Medway Council says the works form part of its “commitment to enhancing pedestrian safety, accessibility and public transport” after several serious collisions at the bus station in recent years.

This includes a tragic crash involving an elderly pedestrian in May 2023, and in July last year a woman was taken to hospital after she was hit by a bus.