“Re Knigel (this is about parking charges)

No the bus isn't a viable alternative, I work in a small business and work pretty much 6 days a week (every week). If I want to go into town for a bit of shopping on my one day off, I don't have the time to wait for a bus that runs every 30mins (if it turns up at all), 30mins each way, £5 and have to wait to get back. If I can't drive and park I won't go, instead I'll buy whatever I need via the web. This is the social economics BCC fundamentally don't get, the money I was going to spend in Bristol has now gone outside of the city.

Just after Xmas I needed some filofax refills, ideally I wanted to go to Harold Hockeys on Whiteladies (a nice locally owned business) and while I was there get some other supplies. To get the bus from Fishponds means going into the centre and back out again. Approx 3hr journey and cost around £8 so I took the car. Unfortunately due to the GBBN on Whiteladies 20mins sat in traffic turned round and purchased off the web. Again the £60 I was going to spend at Hockeys got spent with a company in Liverpool. Now times that by the amount of customers that now don't shop in Hockeys and thats allot of money out of the local economy.

This isn't complicated comparison to make it's basic GCSE economics, unfortunately BCC don't understand basic economics and to be fair they don't need to as they don't get the income from biz rates.”

“In my post below I should have mentioned 3 journeys this year”

“Knigel............Downend to the Centre in 30 minutes? You must be joking. I would make the same jouney as you from the shops in Downend. The 3 times I have done this journey have been late morning, i.e. not in peak time. Twice the journey took at least 40 minutes, despite little traffic and few passengers. The 3rd occasion, the bus was 10 minutes late and my total jouney time from home to the Centre was 55 minutes. So much for the bus route being a showcase one!!!
At just after mid-day today I joined Fishponds Road at the Straits from Manor Road. I was glad I was travelling away from Fishponds as the roads into town were at a complete stand=still and queueing along Staple Hill and Downend Roads. What a fine mess these super douper road works have created”

“"Unfortunately the bus isn't a viable alternative"...please explain? If I wish to use the bus from Downend to the centre, I walk up to the shops..get on then get off 30 minutes later? Of course buses don't go to every single part of Bristol nor thoughout the night. However, for the majority of people (especially OAPs) I cannot see why the bus isn't viable most of the time if you decide to use it?? Especially with fuel and car insurance rocketing!
Anyway this article isn't about Fishponds or buses but the fact that the council is using motorist as a cash cow again. No wonder they moan about cyclists and buses etc...I would, if I used a car.”

“Re: DM_Fishponds

The reason I believe the left hand turn has been banned is because, do you remember at the end of the consultation the only statistics BCC could come up with was the time it takes buses to get from Straits Parade to the junction of Royate Hill (they claimed upto 30seconds could be saved). As we now know the time it took and where it was measured from once the bus lane goes live it'll be easy enough for us to obtain our own statistics on the time it takes buses. If like I suspect it will be about the same or a touch longer (due to pointless lights on Manor Rd). If they stop cars queueing on the left hand turn at Hockeys Lane it MIGHT speed up the bus by a few seconds.

I know avoid Fishponds Rd and haven't been to the shops since it started, I see the Deli has closed already.

Oh the car parking charges, what a great idea people will just park elsewhere or not go at all. Unfortunately the bus isn't a viable alternative. Which is why BCC won't release the bus useage figures. The last figures I saw was a 1.8% increase (against a 3% organic increase for the rest of the UK).”

“I use them too Morrissey - they are a well kept secret.”

“Tim Kent had a very tough decision to make. No, not which local community to destroy by running another badly Consulted GBBN route though. It was to do with the free car parking space that all Councillors (the same ones that want to force you onto First Bus Buses) are entitled to behind Not The Council House.

You see, with the bad weather that we have been having recently (you can also blame that on motorists) the poor Councillors cars have been turning up very dirty. As it is the tax payers who provide the free car parking space for Councillors they also thought it should be the tax payers who pay to have the cars cleaned... inside and out. The only way to raise this extra cash to employee the 5 full time cleaners was to tax the motorists a bit more for daring to use their cars rather than the over-priced, unreliable and poor excuse for a public transport service that Tim Kent has spent years providing.*

It was only after deciding to implement this extra tax, that Tim Kent also realised he is killing two birds with one stone. Tim Kent has long campaigned for removing all local business from local high streets and areas. This is usually done under the guise of GBBN, but now he has another disguise.

*Councillors reading this. Fear not, the increase in charges will not impact your ability to park in any pay and display bay for free, you will still be able to claim all charges back.”

“I hope they don't touch the pay & display areas around Portland Square in St Pauls. £1 an hour (free after 6 and Sundays) and you can park closer and quicker to Cabot Circus than any multi-storey.”

“Thanks DM for your comprehensive answer. It's a complete and utter mess isn't it? I avoid Fishponds Rd where-ever possible now.”

“@AnnaR7 - "DM - do you know how one is supposed to get to Morrisons if you are driving from, say Staple Hill towards town. Also is the Hockey's Lane closure permanent and why have they done it? I am completely baffled."
Hi Anna,
Driving from Staple Hill towards Morrisons your options are:

1. Via Forrest Road: Very narrow, single track for about 100 metres, not suitable for heavy vehicles!

2. New Station Road: Now blocked by a GBBN Bus Stop, only available to pedestrians and bicycles!

3. (Old) Station Road: GBBN re-opened this road as their preferred route to Morrisons. Single Track and very narrow because GBBN have FAILED to widen this route. As the name implies not as suitable as New Station Road (foolishly blocked by GBBN against local wishes).

4. Go through the Fishponds Road/Hockeys Lane junction and turn right into Channons Hill, keep right into Station Avenue South, round the old church and then cross Fishponds Road into Hockeys Lane. A ridiculous option, proposed by GBBN as the option for a proposed banned right turn into Hockeys Lane. Rejected at informal consultation stage.

5. At formal consultation stage, GBBN were proposing a 1.2 mile detour via Lodge Causeway, but that would take large lorries past a primary school which GBBN failed to consult. Also not a very 'green' option from the council!

These unsatisfactory alternatives are why the GBBN Team is now recommending that people 'find their own route'!

The 'closure' (banned left turn) is supposed to be permanent and apply to all vehicles including bicycles. Hopefully the council will see sense and reverse the decision, but they're keeping even sillier 'improvements' so don't hold your breath!

Why have they done it? The reason the GBBN Team give is so that the 'high volume of pedestrians' (not surveyed or proven by GBBN) can cross the Hockeys Road junction while the traffic lights are green for vehicles driving down Fishponds Road. They state that 'only' 844 vehicles used the left turn during the 12 hours from 0700 to 1900 hrs, but this was BEFORE they closed New Station Road!! Now Robinson House in Hockeys Lane is the new public library and Aldi is coming next year. GBBN were asked to carry-out a pedestrian survey but refused. They described vehicular use of the left turn as 'low volume'.

My theory is that it is purely for GBBN to fit the inbound bus lane and new bus stop outside Morrisons without the buses coming into conflict with vehicles wanting to turn left.

The whole project has been badly thought-out, costly to construct, and anti-bike/car/pedestrian. The council ignored a 1,600-signature petition and Cllr Tim Kent walked the route and refused to acknowledge the problems.

Cllr Tim 'NIMBY' Kent took a very different view in this home ward a few years ago:

http://tinyurl.com/2xnmra

The council has spent £2 million on the Fishponds Bus Route and made all traffic, including buses, slower than before.”