BUS passengers and drivers are facing more upheaval as South West Water closes a Dawlish town centre road.

Piermont Place will be closed until the end of March as part of the scheme to improve water quality in the town.

But the closure, which was due to start today, will require four-way lights and the existing one-way system is suspended.

For bus passengers, the work means the suspension of the town’s main bus stops in Brookdale Terrace and Station Road.

This means passengers on routes 2, 11 and 186 will now have to walk 160m up Teignmouth Hill to the Westcliff Road stops.

And passengers for the service 187 will have two walk 300 metres to the Lanherne stop on Exeter Road.

The change of stops has caused concern for many as it involves long, uphill walks to reach the alternative stops.

The Teignmouth Hill stop is particularly concerning as the pavement is very narrow and the stop has no shelter or seating.

Dawlish Community Transport says it was not made aware of the changes until Friday.

A spokesman said: ‘Those of us at Dawlish Community Transport only got hold of this poster on Friday so we're as surprised as everyone else at the extent of this but we will do our best to work around it.

‘We operate the 187 route on Tuesdays and Thursdays which will be impacted but will continue to run through to the Warren, Cockwood and Sainsbury’s.’

The changes have angered bus users.

One pointed out: ‘Whichever bus stop you use requires walking up a hill.How are elderly people going to do that?’

Another said: ‘They are expecting all age groups to walk up to the bus stop between Plantation, and Westcliff, the pavement isn’t even two foot wide, a bus will be parked here for minutes at a time creating more traffic issues.

‘The traffic coming round the bend from Teignmouth direction even at 30 mph will be too fast.’

One resident added: ‘I’m not sure I’d want to stand waiting for a bus on Teignmouth Hill, going towards Teignmouth, it’s very narrow and you have to cross the road to get to it as there’s no pavement by the Blenheim or even a shelter.’

And one bus user said: ‘As a regular user of the buses, it’s ridiculous to expect elderly and infirm to get to either of these stops.

‘Going up a hill then crossing over a main road with two way heavy traffic using aids of any kind would be virtually impossible.

‘The other suggested stop is outside Lanherne but to get there from the beach bus stop going through Lanherne you would need to be pretty fit and able as there a lot of steps to negotiate.’