We have now entered the sixth month of work to replace just four bus shelters at Magdalen Street in Oxford city centre.

As I have watched buses not quite knowing where to stop, or not having enough room to stop, or having to double-park in order to stop – while passengers queuing to the left of the work had to rush right, or those queuing to the right of the work had to rush left, or those giving up on queuing altogether just waited in a loose group – I wondered why the work was necessary at all?

Are the new bus shelters different? Yes. Are they any better? Absolutely not. How can they be?

When my “shelter” (I use the term loosely) finally re-established its real-time updates, it informed those of us waiting for our 15-minute service that the next bus was due in 27 minutes. It now just says: “Refer to Timetable”. Right. That was worth waiting for.

So, who pays for bus shelters being replaced with bus shelters?

I mean, they don’t actually wear out, do they? And it is not as though we are struggling with a massive annual budget deficit, together with a humongous debt to pay off, is it?

Is it a Keynesian workfare scheme? Yours puzzled.

KEITH DANCEY, St Peter’s Road, Upper Wolvercote, Oxford