Footpath repair on the road to nowhere?

Independent councillor Ralph Robertson contacted The Extra after getting nowhere fast on a footpath leading to Clarkston station.

He explained: “I was contacted about six months ago by a resident who is blind. He was going to catch the train with his guide dog and took a nasty tumble.

“He reported to the ticket office the condition of the path, but nothing seemed to be done about it, so he contacted me to see if I could get it repaired.”

Councillor Robertson has approached both ScotRail and East Renfrewshire Council – but each body has responded that the path is not in their remit.

He added: “The path serves as the only way into the station and ticket office from Busby Road, and there has to be some agreement for access and 
maintenance. I was contacted again by someone from ScotRail to say that yes, it was their path, and what exactly did I want done. After six weeks nothing had been done, so I contacted them again only to be told it was not theirs – so we’re back to the beginning. It appears that no one wants to repair this essential path and it means that someone else could very easily take a tumble.”

An ERC spokeswoman confirmed this week that the path does not fall to the council - a spokeswoman for ScotRail Alliance responded: “We have confirmed to councillor Robertson that the path is not owned by ScotRail or Network Rail.”