Candidate promises £1.50 fare cap
A MAYORAL candidate has promised to introduce £1 and £1.50 bus fares in Bristol if he is allowed to take control of the city's bus services.
Liberal Democrat Jon Rogers, a cabinet councillor who used to be in charge of the city's transport department, wants to see a "Transport Bristol" authority set up to run them – in the same way as London.
He said the city's buses have been monopolised by First, a private company, which is more interested in making money for shareholders than the people of Bristol.
He said: "There are 30 million journeys in Bristol each year and the cost of providing buses is about £40 million.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
"If we charge £1 for each journey, then we would be £10 million short but if we charged £1.50, then we would have £5 million left."
He wants to see a mix of fares at both prices which would mean travelling across the city from one end to the other would cost a maximum of £1.50. The charges could be set according to length of journey time or by using bus zones.
He said: "It's ridiculous that someone should have to pay £2.85 to travel down the Gloucester Road to get into the city centre.
"First run 88 per cent of the city's bus services so they effectively have a monopoly.
"A lot of people think the council decides what buses we get, but that's not the case.
"First doesn't care about the people of Bristol, it only cares about its shareholders."
He said there was a risk to the council taking control of the buses because if the number of passengers declined, then there might be a shortfall which council taxpayers would have to pay for.
But he believed that after the cheaper fares were introduced, there would inevitably be a lag before people started to take advantage of cheaper public transport.
Councillors are discussing tonight whether to give their support to quality contracts – effectively re-regulating bus services in Bristol so the council takes control of routes and fares.
Dr Rogers said the legal and government paperwork would take about three years before the council could take over the buses.
But he would want to see a result before the end of his four-year term of office if elected.
A First spokeswoman said the company would respond to the comments at a later date.
Comments
by KA12345
Monday, September 24 2012, 7:05PM
“DM_Fishponds
Thanks for supplying links to consultation and comments regarding this matter.
I have read through them and can see exactly what you mean.
The consultations are worded very poorly, extremely biased and are clearly engineered to receive the answers BCC want.... They also do not supply the whole facts (accidents, DFT report etc). I'd like to have a word with whoever approved this for publish to the public.
BCC refer to the trail 20mph zones as 'A Success'.. yet there have been more casualties in these areas since the introduction of the 20mph zone... so how on earth can they claim it a success???? Accidents/Casualties outweigh any other findings hugely! BCC must just be completely thick or live in cuckoo land...
The Department of Transport has published a report stating that 20mph limits HAS NOT made roads safer.
The AA support 'targeted and tailored 20mph zones where they are really needed, NOT a blanket implementation across the whole city.
http://tinyurl.com/3828t2t
These reports and comments MUST be highlighted to the public and if BCC are running a fair consultation then they should divulge this information.
I am all in favour of 20mph where it is actually needed and important – outside schools at peak times, near hospitals, by playgrounds, in side streets.... but NOT a near-blanket 24hr 20mph speed limit which dilutes the importance of 20mph where it is really needed.”
by soulsurfer999
Friday, September 21 2012, 1:55PM
“Banksy would make the buses a lot more interesting if he was mayor.
http://tinyurl.com/9otegzn”
by Marshwalker99
Friday, September 21 2012, 12:32PM
“There ya go, mate:
http://tinyurl.com/brjzrt2”
by SlotBoy
Friday, September 21 2012, 10:42AM
“So how do the Lib Dems think they are going to have influence over First Group? It's all very well expounding your cheap fares but whose buses are you going to use? Has BCC got some secret stash of vehicles somewhere? I wonder what happened to all those wonderful Red Routemaster buses that were decommissioned in London. Perhaps we should use those.
Rich Fisher - independent candidate for Bristol Mayor.”
by DM_Fishponds
Friday, September 21 2012, 8:52AM
“@J12345678 - ". . . why is it only in Bristol that sticky-out stops were implemented, in conjunction with road narrowing"?
In correspondence with the GBBN Team Project leader, three reasons were given:
1. To put a bus at the front of every queue of traffic.
2. To prevent the public from stopping in the bus stops and saying, "I'm not doing any harm!" when challenged.
3. To minimise the loss of parking spaces on either side of the bus stop.
Unfortunately, whilst trying to solve these problems, additional more serious problems were created.
1. Traffic jams are created in places and at times where none existed before.
2. They are dangerous for all other road users including cyclists.
3. Other vehicles are forced into the position of either trying to pass the stationary bus or being stuck behind it while it possibly stops at each SOBS.
4. Following buses get caught in the queue of traffic.
5. Bicycles sometimes choose to cycle on the pavement to avoid them.
6. Occasionally, when avoiding overtaking traffic, a bus gets its roof ripped off when it hits a tree!
Add to this the enormous cost of each one, and the lengthy traffic delays while each one was being installed!
No wonder Bristol City Council was the only council stupid enough to think that they were a good idea! South Glos Council hasn't installed any; they magically appear just after you cross the city boundary!
To make matters worse they were not even detailed on the 'informal consultation' documents. The only indication was 'bus stop improvement' marks on the plan, together with 'not to scale'. They were then installed between the informal and formal consultation stages without any further mention!
They are a lasting monument to the arrogance of the current local LibDem administration who only care what the people think when they want their vote!”
by J12345678
Friday, September 21 2012, 12:45AM
“Sticky-out bus stops were indeed stated to enable access for pushchairs, shopping trolleys and wheelchairs. Seeing as bus routes in every part of the UK also need to address this statutory ( ? ) requirement, why is it only in Bristol that sticky-out stops were implemented, in conjunction with road narrowing? I have not seen this stupid/quirky approach in London, Birmingham, Manchester or Cardiff.”
by KBillies
Thursday, September 20 2012, 7:52PM
“Even the most mild mannered person would describe DM Fishponds as a bore.”
by KA12345
Thursday, September 20 2012, 6:31PM
“@Gary Hopkins
As you are reading this forum and responding to the points raised, I would like to take this opportunity to raise a few more issues which I'd like answers to....
1. Sticky-Out Bus Stops
Motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and the police have all expressed their concern with regards to sticky out bus stops being dangerous. The report into the Fishponds Rd bus incident which involved the roof being ripped off was never published, why? Well, we are not stupid; the sticky out bus stops was clearly a factor.
Why has your party not come out to admit this was a serious error and why is something not being done about it??? Even if it means removing them ALL (which no doubt will be at the tax payers expense, but this should've been thought about before you installed them).
Please do not use the excuse of disabled and pushchair access as you do not have to have a sticky-out bus stop for this, a raised kerb in line with the normal kerb is the same thing (and there are many of these in Bristol).
2. The recently approved 24hr near-blanket 20mph zones.
The trial 20mph zones in Bristol have showed an overall INCREASE in the number of casualties/accidents.
Unanimous recent reports show that accidents in 20mph zones are on the rise.
http://tinyurl.com/9hjsy8n
http://tinyurl.com/8q7qeyj
http://tinyurl.com/clrwyhr
The department of Transport has published a report stating that 20mph limits HAS NOT made roads safer.
The AA support 'targeted and tailored 20mph zones where they are really needed, NOT a blanket implementation across the whole city.
http://tinyurl.com/3828t2t
Why have you completely ignored the DFT report and ignored The AA???
Please do not mention the survey you have on numerous times referred to. I have seen a copy of this and it is very biased, misleading and tactically written.
Should you not scrap this idea now before more money is wasted?
3. I'll state the obvious
If you want to cut traffic jams, reduce congestion & pollution then people who drive cars need to get to their destinations in the quickest & safest manner possible thus spending less time on the road:
* A 24hr blanket residential 20mph limit DOES NOT help this.
* Sticky Out Bus stops DO NOT help.
* Traffic Lights everywhere & every 50 or so yards on some roads DO NOT help.
* 24 Hour Traffic Lights on Roundabouts DO NOT help.
* 24 Hour Traffic Lights on some clear-view junctions DO NOT help.
* 24 Hour Bus lanes with no 24 hour buses DO NOT help.
* Road Works with the workforce only working 'Part-Time' hours DO NOT help.
* No affordable, convenient and sensible alternative to the motor car DOES NOT help.
Your views please???”
by bristolreded
Thursday, September 20 2012, 5:30PM
“I agree with you Scott s9 except the exact change only bit. It's unrealistic to expect people to have the right change. I know what will save time, how about bus fare machines that give out change.”
by DM_Fishponds
Thursday, September 20 2012, 3:22PM
“Since it's a red letter day for LibDem apologies today, perhaps all the Executive Members in the current LibDem Bristol City Council who have been involved in unpopular or less than successful transport schemes such as GBBN, BRT, 20 mph zones, bendy-bus park & rides, Sunday Parking charges etc could apologise to the people of Bristol today.
If they do I will happily set it to music! I imagine that something by the Wurzles would be quite appropriate.
If the apology could include such phrases as: "Where be that LibDem to?" or "I've got a brand new First Bus contract", they would help enormously.
Thanks in anticipation.”