Cars 'clog Bristol streets and ruin lives'
Residents in Little Stoke say parking problems are ruining the quality of life on their street.
People who live on the Kingsway have become fed up with vehicles lining the road, many of which they say are left by bus drivers while they work from the nearby Wessex Connect depot on Gypsy Patch Lane.
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Safety concerns, noise and inconvenience have all been raised in petitions and letters to the parish and district council. But last week, the issue came to a head when an accident between a bus and car shunted the car through a brick wall.
Heidi Brown, 39, said she had pulled in behind another car to let a bus pass, then indicated and pulled out before being hit by another Wessex Connect single-decker. Wessex Connect say their driver was not at fault in any way.
Fortunately, her four-year-old son Luke was not in his car seat when it was showered with glass and Heidi, of The Willows, Bradley Stoke, escaped with whiplash injuries and bruises.
The accident happened opposite the house of Karen Cook', a 54-year-old resident of 25 years. She said: "It was only a matter of time before an accident happened. There are cars along here all the time. It's become dangerous for children crossing the road and if there was a house fire, God knows how the fire brigade and ambulance would get to it."
She believes South Gloucestershire Council should force Wessex Connect to make on-site parking compulsory.
Mike Turner, 53, said: "These vehicles are left for 16 hours at a time and are blighting our neighbourhood, causing obstructions to the normal flow of traffic and reducing the quality of life."
Last week, Stoke Gifford Parish Council held a public meeting on local issues. The council received 21 letters about parking.
Chair of that meeting, councillor Brian Hewitt, said: "Without the co-operation of the private bus companies we are bashing our heads against a brick wall. There is a lot of ill feeling about it."
Geoff Clarkson, Bristol's assistant operations manager for Wessex Connect, said there is plenty of space for its employees to park at the depot. The company leases it from South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company, but many drivers choose not to park there because of the inconvenience of sometimes being blocked in by other cars or buses. He said: "The bottom line is I cannot force a driver to park his car or not park his car somewhere that is legal and has no restrictions, if he chooses to park there. There is no question that our bus driver was at fault in the accident that happened.
"We are happy to discuss any issues with the local councils and residents and we will be attending a meeting on June 18 at Rolls Royce to do that."
South Gloucestershire Council spokeswoman Sarah Hudspith said a public consultation on which areas of the parish should have waiting restrictions took place last year.
"Kingsway was raised and it was considered that the introduction of more waiting restrictions could move parking further up the road or into neighbouring roads," she said.
Little Stoke and Stoke Gifford's beat manager PC Tim Morgan said the police would deal with any criminal offences, such as obstructing the road, and would work with all parties involved.
16 Comments
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by Kingsway Parking Enforcer, Little Stoke
Thursday, October 29 2009, 3:03AM
“Who's breaking the law here? drivers parking legally or the people damaging the cars parked along Kingsway? What is PC T Morgan doing about that? No, most bus drivers don't need to use taco's. There are other streets in Bristol that you can't even get your car through let alone Emergency services these are the roads that need to be tackled, if a bus can get through the Kingsway then so can a fire engine! Yes its the same everywhere nowadays, and how many of you lot park outside other peoples houses when you've needed to go to the local hospitals and can't be bothered to pay for the parking?At the end of the day, no law has been breached by cars parked along the Kingsway, other than the residents vandalising them, by key scratches or paint stripper thrown over the body work, tyres slashed, things stuffed up the exhaust. Nowts been done about that, so why should things get done about the parking along there, you lot have made a rod for your own backs, you've made your beds so ly in them.”
by George, Bristol
Monday, June 08 2009, 9:05AM
“Bristol is the most congested city in the uk with car ownership higher than anywhere else - FACT....
It's about time something was done to improve public transportation and dare I say it, improve cycling provisions to at least and adequate level.
Maybe this will get people (including myself) out of their cars and using sustainable transportation to alieviate congestion. If we take the example of many european cities, they have excellent public transport where people dont "need" to use a car.
Sort it out Bristol.”
by fed up, littlestoke
Sunday, June 07 2009, 10:55PM
“At the end of the day no laws have been broken so youthe poeple that have drives use them because i know a lot of you dont
leave all this bus drivers a lone they are just doing there jobs and not hurting anyone”
by Karen, Little Stoke
Sunday, June 07 2009, 11:26AM
“Reference to the person that started, "These people whining about not being able to park outside". When we moved here there was no trouble with parking, neither was there before the bus company decided to make Little Stoke their car park. When this company first applied for a lience to Trade they had parking for their staff, now they don't & are causing problems. I have a drive way & a garage. But try getting out of the drive way, these guys would do well at handing in their notices for driving buses, they would do well at F1 driving, or working on the skid pans. Speed humps have have been installed-that was a waste of time & money. Gifford Cresent (Kingsway round about) resisdents have it worse, the only parking is outside their house. Now double yellow lines & parking restictions have been installed, great!!! I don't think so they have to move their car for an hour a day Mon-Fri or they will incurr a £40 fine each time. Parking outside their houses was made when the houses were built & now bus drivers park for up to 18 hours a day-do buses not have tacco graphs, & how many hours a day are bus drivers allowed to work? They do double shifts, sit in their cars have their dinner break & then go back to work. Damage that has been done to many cars since they have been parking here is unbelievable-but try proving its them is hard. Try walking across the road to the shops, you get swore at & told to get off the road. My grandkids used to walk across the road to the shops, to get sweets, now they can't, unless supervised. An ambulance had promlems getting to one of the resisdents in a 999 call, although she has a drive way & had to park on the pavement. I wonder if some of negative remarks that have been made are from empolyee's of a certain bus company?????”
by Ron, bristol
Sunday, June 07 2009, 9:07AM
“These people whining about not being able to park outside their houses really get on my nerves.
Weren't you aware of this when you bought your house?
When you move house and decide what type of property you want the estate agent always asks if you'd like a house with a garage, driveway etc etc so to turn around and whinge beggars belief.”