The proposal by Bristol City Council to introduce new bus lanes on the A4018 Passage Road has sparked a wave of backlash, with Bristol Live readers and Conservative councillors slamming the plan as “traffic vandalism.” The proposed bus lane is designed to alleviate delays for the Number 1 bus during peak times, but there are growing fears about the potential impact on drivers and the risk of increased congestion on this commuter route.
Conservative councillors have fiercely criticised the plans for new bus lanes in Bristol, denouncing them as “traffic vandalism”. The council’s intention is to implement these lanes on a stretch of the A4018 Passage Road, which is a key thoroughfare in the north of the city.
The bus lane is planned to extend from the Crow Lane roundabout to the summit of Brentry Hill, and would be operational solely during peak hours to ensure the Number 1 bus avoids getting caught in traffic. Despite this, concerns are mounting over the reduction in road space for cars, which could lead to even more traffic jams. The A4018 is the main access point to the city centre from junction 17 of the M5 and Cribbs Causeway. At a transport policy committee meeting on October 24, council leaders were urged to rethink the contentious proposals, which were described as a “colossal act of self-harm”.
Councillor Mark Weston, the leader of the Conservative group, stated: “There’s still time to pull back on it. You’re going to artificially create congestion, and it’s going to be chock-a-block all the time.”
Commenter Ezergood says: “Leave your car at home and use the bus. Problem solved.”
Berklicker replies: “Every day at peak times bus after bus leaves Old Market FULL. People are already using the buses and there is no room for any passengers to get on between town and Kingswood or Fishponds. I see a long line of packed buses passing people by in Easton and St George and if any more buses were on those routes the road would be clogged with full buses all going nowhere. Personalised transport is and always has been the solution to commuting and building roads that allow that is the answer and not trying to get people to revert to the previous century.”
Jubblyone4 agrees: “Unless you live in an area poorly served by buses or live some distance from the nearest bus stop or need to go to several places in the day which would be impossible if relying on public transport. There’s a reason the motorcar is so popular.”
Pioneer2508 adds: “It makes me chuckle when comments come up along the lines of ‘why bother because they are never on time’. The main reasons for a late/non running bus are because they have been caught up in the traffic and adjustments have to be made to correct them. If you are one of these people whose only knowledge of buses is catching them, then I suggest you contact First and ask them if you can shadow a driver from the start to the finish of their shift.”
KaptainVon replies: “Another part of the problem is the sometimes bizarre decisions that have been made regarding bus lanes that push buses back into traffic by allowing parking in bus lanes. As a result buses are late, people won’t use them, congestion continues and round in circles we go when a reliable and punctual public service could address a lot of the problems Bristol has.”
Junius1 points out: “In the context of increasingly congested cities and climate change, cars cannot remain the dominant mode of transport- but try persuading motorists of that. Buses alone are not the answer either. A well planned overground mass transit system, removing the need for cars and buses, sadly absent from Bristol, is required in the mix.”
BS8GR8 says: “I take the bus on this route to travel to and from work and it is frequently stuck in traffic and often runs late as a result. The installation of bus lanes elsewhere in the city has increased reliability and passenger numbers and will ultimately lead to a more frequent service especially if WECA supported by BCC can bring buses back under council ownership ( bus franchising ) as per Manchester where the local authority can determine the details of the services to be provided, such as where they run, frequency and fares etc.”
Scary kerry thinks: “I live just off the Crow Lane roundabout. Since the council has mucked up the lights at Falcondale/Passage Road junction, letting cars turn right only onto Henbury Hill the congestion is horrendous. All those elderly people and council tenants must be choking on the extra fumes. Now the no 1 bus is going to make it much worse by having a bus lane, but only so far! Absolute waste of tax payer’s money just like the one on Muller Rd.”
What do you think of the new plans? Will the bus lane free up traffic and improve transport in Bristol? Have your say in our comments section.