‘Key to getting the bus service Bristol needs is improving transport infrastructure’

Who hasn’t experienced the joy of getting to the stop just as your bus is approaching? Or the pain of watching one sail by when you are too far away to hail it down?

Or the worst experience of all, a bus that doesn’t turn up at all meaning you have to wait for the next one? Not pleasant when the wind is blowing in the middle of winter!

Love them or loathe them, buses are the main form of public transport in this city and as such will always be a topic of conversation.

As a councillor on the transport & connectivity committee, it’s in my remit to try and bring improvements to our bus service.

So I was delighted when Helen Godwin won the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) mayoral election, as she shares my passion for better buses.

Helen promised improved reliability, integrated ticketing and an end to ghost buses. It is these basic things which people want from their bus service; if the bus turns up without you having to wait too long, you are much more likely to use it again.

While WECA is responsible for strategic transport, Bristol City Council is responsible for the road network they use, and delivering the infrastructure needed to facilitate better buses.

Key to getting the bus service Bristol needs is improving transport infrastructure. More bus lanes generally make for better reliability.

However, there was much made in the election campaign about the so called ‘war on motorists’; indeed, I’ve already been part of many transport committee debates on this topic.

From the liveable neighbourhoods to the installation of bus lanes and cycle lanes, we need to take people with us on this journey.

I hear both scaremongering from some politicians and a lack of empathy and listening from others.

The Tories have described new bus lanes as “madness” whilst the Greens have told people “don’t bother” driving into Bristol once pedestrianisation plans are complete.

I take issue with both approaches.

Our job as politicians is to make brave yet measured decisions. Good consultation and listening is key to this.

We cannot let ideology take over our thought process, else you end up with money being wasted on schemes that people don’t want that then have to be reversed – like the wiggly cycle lane on Clevedon seafront – or not building the infrastructure Bristol needs to facilitate better public transport.

To get the best out of projects, councillors need to properly scrutinise schemes they may, on first look, instinctively support or object to.

Take Broadmead pedestrianisation as an example. Green Party councillors immediately sang the praises of the scheme despite the disabled parking provision not being good enough.

We scrutinised the plans, pushed back on them, and passed a motion to make Bristol aim to be the UK’s most accessible city.

As a result, we have a significantly improved scheme that will deliver the same benefits whilst ensuring disabled people have suitable locations to park.

While it is important not to rush things, I became a politician to make a difference. And while change doesn’t happen overnight, slowly but surely, we are making progress.

Improving buses are my priority and now Helen’s too.

The Labour government has made it clear that these are its priorities as well. With a Labour government promising more devolved powers, I am looking forward to building a good working relationship with Helen.

I’m confident that a fresh Labour metro mayor working with Labour councillors will bring positive change to the city and region.

On a side note, I also have to say that Helen is people-centred with inclusivity at her core.

I’ve known her for a long time; not just as a friend and Labour colleague but as a passionate supporter of the LGBT+ community.

I lobbied her while she was a cabinet member for the rainbow crossing on Wine Street and she delivered.

Helen doesn’t do the politics of division; she will work for all citizens of Bristol and the wider region. I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with her to bring positive change to public transport.

Perhaps the next time I meet Helen for coffee we might talk about what rapid mass transport really means.

But for now, my number 2 bus is due. Time to sign off!

This is an opinion piece by Kaz Self, a Labour councillor for Southmead

Main photo: Kaz Self

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• ‘Our newly elected MPs need to work to protect Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community’