At some stops on the D1 in Bath, the on board announcements do advise alighting passengers to watch out for cyclists.

Many years ago I was stuck by a cyclist as I got off a bus on the way to school.   I think my mother was more annoyed about the paperwork she had to fill in to get my NHS glasses replaced.

 
What is the difference between an island bus stop and a floating bus stop?

An island bus stop is a stop at which you board or leave your bus from a pedestrian area - a patch of pavement - set between or beyond a cycle lane and the main motor vehicle lane.  You can stand and wait on the island for your bus, and as you step off an arriving bus you are in pedestrian "territory". (@)

A floating bus stop is one which is across a cycle lane - as you board the bus, cyclists give way to you to cross their lane, and as you get of the bus, they'll give way to you. You get directly off and on the bus from the area that is shared with that other wheeled traffic, which is supposed to give way to you.

The bus services bill has - I understand from TravelWatch SouthWest - a late addition that bans floating bus stops.  Probably on safety grounds (though no reason needs be written into an act) as there have been incidents with people whizzing by on cycles and scooters and knocking into people just getting off the bus.

Here are some pictures - and it turns out there are not that many of "pure" floating bus stops - there is often a little island large enough to use to step on and off the bus, but too small to linger on for more than a few seconds - certainly not to wait in a crowd or in the rain.

Swindon's new bus boulevard - an island which includes all the facilities


London - another example of an island with shelter


Bath - an island perhaps, but one you can't realistically wait on - so is it really a floater?


Bath again  this is a floater for sure?


And here is a definite floating bus stop. Step off straight into the cycles who are not even asked to slow!


In Melksham - a basic bus stop on a shared use path. And this is the closest stop and main stop for the doctor's surgery.


There is concern that, whilst safety is paramount, banning floating bus stops will make it far harder and more expensive - and sometimes impractical or impossible to provide a bus stop at all.  And there is further concern as to the status of exisiting floating bus stops - whether they will need to be changed (and if so on what time scale) and whether bus stops may be lost in the process, or limuted funding diverted away from other improvements to fix somthing which - yes, is a concern - but perhaps should not be the priority that a law change makes it.

@ - "We" are not helped by the term "floating bus stop" being in quite common udage to define what are technically both floating and island bus stops. In fact, this post may raise some eyebrows as to my definition.

See also ...
https://road.cc/content/news/safety-fears-raised-over-bath-cycle-lane-floating-bus-stops-297941
https://www.route-one.net/news/shared-space-floating-bus-stops-design-in-england-to-be-paused/
https://cbwmagazine.com/calls-for-ban-on-floating-bus-stops-in-london/