Lack of parking for coaches is driving people away
BRISTOL City Council has been accused of driving visitors away from the city.
A coach firm owner says he and other drivers were told to move on by traffic wardens while waiting to pick up theatregoers outside the Bristol Hippodrome.
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Ian Miller was told to move on by two traffic wardens outside the Hippodrome Picture: Jon Kent BRJK1210 19A-003
Ian Miller, owner of Chaffeurhire based in Chipping Sodbury, says he believes the council's attitude towards visitors was "disgraceful" - and says no-one from the authority or tourism group Destination Bristol has taken him up on an offer of showing them how coaches could be better accommodated.
Mr Miller was one of seven coach drivers who were waiting with the vehicles to pick up people who had watched a matinee performance of the Lion King last week.
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They were approached by two of the council's traffic officers who, Mr Miller claims, told him they had been sent to tell the coaches to move on as they were "clogging up" rush hour traffic.
Mr miller accepts that some of the coaches were parked at the back of a regular bus stop but says this was because cars were parked in the spaces allocated for coaches.
He also said there was no room for coaches outside both the Hippodrome and the Colston Hall.
Mr Miller believes the council is "driving people away" by making coaches unwelcome.
He said: "Where can a 40ft coach go in the city centre? It's not like we can go away and come back, the traffic situation is ridiculous.
"The council should be promoting the city as a tourist destination but people cannot even go and see a show and be picked up easily afterwards.
"I contacted the council and Destination Bristol to tell them about the problem – and even offered them a ride around the city to point out what could be improved for coaches – but they were not interested."
Mr Miller said the wardens told him an agreement was in place with coach companies that they should pick people up in Prince Street. He said he and the other coach drivers had not heard about this arrangement and that it would be too far for some of the elderly people he was picking up to walk anyway.
The city council has told The Post that additional parking facilities have been laid on for coaches and that it has to take action against vehicles that block rush hour traffic to avoid long tailbacks.
Council spokeswoman Kate Hartas said: "The Hippodrome is a historic theatre that was in the centre of the city long before motor traffic was even invented, so it is important that we protect its success. Additional parking facilities have been put in place for coaches dropping off and picking up for matinee performances at the Bristol Hippodrome.
"The theatre's management team and the city council's transport officers recognised the need for more temporary coach parking arrangements. In particular the pick-up element after matinee performances coincides with evening rush hour and can cause problems with coaches blocking traffic lanes in the central area."
She said three temporary areas had been earmarked in the centre that would not affect the traffic flow:
â Space for two coaches in the loading bays outside the Hippodrome on Saint Augustine's Parade
â Space for three coaches on Prince Street inbound lane
â Space for one coach on Colston Street.
"These are in addition to the established long stay coach parking facilities in the city," said Ms Hartas.
"A leaflet advertising the new arrangements distributed to coach companies across the city and region. The council has to take action against coaches that block rush hour traffic and impede the bus stops.
"This is to prevent them severely inconveniencing road users who are trying to get home from work. A very long tailback builds very, very quickly from that location."
Comments
by J12345678
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 11:31AM
“Parking for two coaches? That's about 100 people for a show. I have seen 7 or 8 coaches at times so if they can't park the Hippo will simply lose 500-600 in the audience which I doubt it can afford. It's a bit rich for BCC to suddenly realise that people want to get home after daring to work in Bristol when BCC's road schemes (especially GBBN) have created single lanes when there used to be two and the traffic used to flow much more freely.”
by smoosername
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 11:30AM
“Coaches were parked at the back of a regular bus stop but says this was because cars were parked in the spaces allocated for coaches."
Did the person in the car say 'I'm not doing any harm'. If so, I have an idea of who it might have been.
http://tinyurl.com/3o5toft”
by smoosername
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 11:27AM
“Wait until they close off the city centre to everyone except bicycles and buses!”
by mcupis
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 11:09AM
“The simple fact is that if you aren't on a bicycle or handing your cash to First Group, you aren't welcome in Bristol.”
by DM_Fishponds
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 9:32AM
“The council currently has a policy of narrowing instead of widening roads.
Interesting that sticky-out bus stops have recently been introduced across the city but that does not help the coaches.
Bristol City Council's love of buses obviously does not extend to coaches! Or did the council just not consider coaches in their transport planning?”
by ItIsntBristol
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 8:37AM
“I know that the pavements can be very busy at peak times in the centre, but most of them are over 10 metres wide.
Surely we can stretch another 4 metres out of the paved areas for traffic/coach bays?”