In a guest blog post, local resident of Emersons Green, Kelly Allen, argues why we need better public transport services between residential areas and local transport hubs.
As a resident of Emersons Green who works in London regularly, I often find myself getting the train from Bristol Parkway, as, I suspect, do many others.
I was full of hope that when the Metro Bus was completed, I would be able to get a bus to my local railway station and avoid congesting the ring road or using the back roads to make my way to there.
Sadly, I was to be disappointed.
I emailed the previous Metro Mayor shortly after it’s completion to ask how this could be? I was told it was not the Metro Mayors responsibility to decide the route.
With Bristol declaring a climate crisis, the Clean Air Zone going in this autumn and the summer’s heatwave, I have been thinking about this issue again. A quick search on Google maps reveals that off peak it is a 14 min drive yet 53 minute bus journey with a change at UWE for the 4 mile trip to Parkway. Even a 48/49 to Temple Meads would require a ½ mile walk from Old Market, which can prove difficult for many. I don’t object to changing bus routes on a journey but I do object to it taking nearly four times as long.
There used to be an hourly bus (Mangotsfield to Southmead Hospital) and I had in fact used it occasionally myself. That service was stopped several years ago due largely to underuse I believe. However it should be pointed out that the journey took ages and it was really badly timed to arrive just after London trains had departed, leaving people with long waits.
Like most people I am not a paragon of eco-friendly virtue, but I am trying to be better. I think we need to help thousands of people to make small choices that improve the environment every day. I would really like to be able to use the bus to get to the station and not contribute to the congestion problem. I feel very strongly that for a better future we need public transport services that are designed to move people between residential areas and local transport hubs.