Getting a congested city moving

By Paul Stevens
BBC News, Bristol

Councillors say there is no quick fix to the transport problems

BBC News looks at how Bristol's transport problems could become a general election issue.

Anyone who has tried to drive around Bristol's streets in the last 15 years will be aware how congested it has become.

Want to get from south of the river to Clifton in less than the 15 minutes it takes by bicycle at 0830 on a weekday? You've got more chance of finding a smoke-free pub in Bedminster.

So what are the immediate issues and what can the people of Bristol expect from its new transport department and its £99,000 director David Bishop?

The considerable population growth predicted for the region means it will need to advance to effectively stand still.

Some 3,700 homes are to be built in the area around Bristol annually, with the figure possibly rising as high as 5,500 after 2011.

Even if only half of those householders drive into the city for work, the potential for gridlock seems great.

I think we're stuck in a mindset where people are now wedded to their cars. They see no practical alternative to the three Cs - convenience - cost and comfort. Rob Maynard, RAC

Bristol City Council has joined with other local authorities to form a partnership to help the area cope with the population growth and its effect on traffic volumes.

Congestion costs British businesses more than £50m a year, with 23% of drivers' time travelling in peak periods spent stationary.

Rob Maynard, of the RAC, is sanguine about the problems facing the council's new department - officially titled the Planning, Transport and Sustainable Development Department.

"Bristol has specific problems and a very high car ownership compared to the rest of the UK," he said.

"The city is also bisected by water, leading to quite specific problems. All of those are pinch points so if one or two things go wrong the knock-on effects are enormous.

Bristol City Council plans a series of "showcase routes"

"Also lots of people use the motorways to the north and west of the city as urban shortcuts which leads to specific practical problems."

He said there was exasperation among some Bristol motorists after the collapse of the city's tram scheme.

"With the collapse of the Rapid Transport Scheme a sense of disillusionment has crept in," he said.

"In the late 90s there was a willingness to accept alternatives to the car. People were quite excited by the idea of the tram but when that collapsed, the damage done to people's willingness to consider other options was enormous.

"I think we're stuck in a mindset where people are now wedded to their cars. They see no practical alternative to the three Cs - convenience, cost and comfort."

There is a general awareness that if Bristol is to face up to its problems there has to be a higher percentage of people using public transport for their daily journey to work.

With this in mind, Bristol City Council has suggested "showcase bus routes" - a £70m scheme to highlight advantages of public transport.

Rob Maynard said: "Bristol has begun a series bus routes where everything is done to facilitate the bus and give options of choice for people - traffic lanes, bus traffic lights that give right of way - it's a very big thing in their planning."