More should be done to tell people that they cannot use electronic cigarettes in bus stations, a meeting heard.

The devices are banned from all bus stations in West Yorkshire, as well as on all trains and most buses, a meeting of Metro’s Bradford Passenger Consultative Committee heard yesterday.

But there was disagreement over whether the message was getting through to passengers.

Members of the committee debated whether it was clear enough that the current ‘No Smoking’ signs covered electronic cigarettes as well as traditional tobacco products.

Neale Wallace, of transport authority Metro, said: “The current signage in relation to conventional cigarettes also relates to electronic cigarettes.”

But committee chairman Councillor Imran Khan said as electronic cigarettes let off a vapour rather than smoke, people did not think the signs referred to the devices.

He said: “It’s ‘vaping’, so technically it’s not smoke, so when you challenge people they say it’s not smoking.”

Councillor Keith Dredge said there was a wider problem with people ignoring the ‘no smoking’ signs, especially in outside areas of stations where people mistakenly think they are allowed to light up.

Mr Wallace said in bus stations owned and managed by Metro, customer care staff were told to challenge people found smoking.

The meeting also discussed a controversial remodelling of bus stops on Market Street, Bradford, where new extra-long ‘supershelters’ have been criticised for baffling passengers.

Coun Dredge said he thought the work was a “vast improvement” to the street, with people queueing for buses causing less of a blockage to pedestrians. And Councillor Geoff Reid thanked Metro for installing signs telling people using the ‘supershelters’ where the head of the queue was.