“We need a German design tram system. Preferably with women drivers in extremely tight black uniforms. I know their odd lot but the sausage guzzlers know how to move people around cleanly, quietly, efficiently and on time. Bendy-bus what bol***ks.”

“I totally agree Bob. I am just so fed up with years of no progress.

Mind you the people of Leeds are having the same fight and the strugggle. They were robbed of there tram system and now they have a second rate trolley system to look forward to, although I am not confident that this will even happen for them.

I am resgined to the fact that tram lines will not be running along our city streets in my life time.”

“send it up denmark street”

“Nigel,

They'd claim to have 'CONsulted' with us and then gone ahead to do First's bidding anyway!

I agree that the bid doc doesn't specify the method of transport and that, in the dim and distant future, we might get trams running along some of these routes.

However, there would need to be planning for the infrastructure for electric trolley buses, either overhead power cables (as in Leeds) or a power rail in the track (as in Caen, France). None of this will be done - the tracks will simply be concrete paths for the buses to run on - effectively bus lanes, and very expensive bus lanes at that.

Unfortunately, First are very much driving BRT forward - they're on the project board - despite an operator allegedly not chosen as yet (yeah right!) - and the vehicles will be the Wright Streetcars, an example of which visited Bristol recently.

First already run these diesel vehicles in York, Leeds and Swansea.

Funnily enough, they call them bendy buses in York and Leeds. Our local councils are calling them 'Rapid Transit' down here.

Quite clearly, our local authorities have been sold a lemon with BRT. How they thought that more diesel buses run by First would actually instigate the 'modal shift' from the car that they're all so desperate to achieve is beyond me.

It must be down to serial incompetence.”

“Bob if only the council would listen to us and not waste that £90,000 !!

I will correct you on one thing though, if you read bid document on the West of England web site it does state that the method of transport has not yet been decided upon, whilst a full tram system is not on the cards yet, the BRT lines could yet be trolley bus units like those proposed in Leeds.

Lets keep our fingers crossed on that one.”

“BRT is a very poor alternative to trams and simply demonstrates the Government's complete indifference to Bristol's traffic woes and the fact that it operates hand-in-glove with First Group.

The BRT routes will, at best, be only 40% segregated from normal traffic.

They will also be diesel vehicles operated by the reviled First, who will ramp up the cost of their fares even further once operational.

For these reasons, BRT will fail to get motorists out of their cars and onto buses, therefore they will have failed - expensively.

£48 million is a ludicrously high price to pay for what is effectively a bus running on a bus lane. This is the cost of the short Ashton Vale to Temple Meads BRT route - the longer ones will cost a lot more.

To spend this kind of money for a bus on a bus lane is absurd. For a bit more we could have a tram system, just like Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Edinburgh etc.

For about the same money we could have electric trolleybuses (smooth silent ride, no emmisions) like Leeds will have.

For far less money, we could reopen the Portishead rail line to passengers.

But no, thanks to the Government and our local councils, we're lumbered with the white elephant that is BRT - a failure on all levels.

Now that our glorious local councils can't even agree on setting up a transport authority - a move that would give them control over fares and routes - the Bristol area is yet again doomed for another generation (at least) to have the worst public transport in the UK.

Cheers guys - really well done.”

“As long as this service ain't run by the morons at First then we are on to a winner right?!”

“I am a huge fan of Trams myself they provide a much better solution, however, creating transit routes is the first step.

Today they might be bendy buses, tomorrow when more money is available they can be converted quite easily into light rail or tram trains routes. The point is we need to establish these corridors first. Also the bendy is a better solution than a double decker because it provides easy boarding for everyone; mother and baby or people that cant climb stairs for example, and they carry more passengers than a double decker.

They didnt work in london because they wind through busy roads shared with other motorists, not on seperated track beds like the majority of Bristols will be, thats what seperates bus routes from dedeciated rapid transit routes.

Unfortunately our councils are not strong enough to put a bid forward for a light rail system so will have to except that BRT is the only solution for us, for now.”

“We don't want more stupid buses you cretins, don't waste £££millions on more dumb buses.

We want TRAMS.

Bristol used to have trams, put them back. It will be the only sensible thing you ever do, so do it.”

“We`ve had Bendy Buses here as long as I can remember and although the streets where I live are only normal two lane,(With many bends),the drivers seem to cope perfectly,even in snow,ice etc.they are not as long as two double deckers as the back bit is only half as long as the front.”