Solve our transport problems once and for all. - Call by a member of the public.

Here is a letter that appeared in the Bristol Evening Post Letters page. Valid points made by the contributer.


SOLVE OUR TRANSPORT PROBLEMS ONCE AND FOR ALL

10:40 - 16 October 2007

So the city is clogged up beyond belief and it is costing Bristolians £350 million per year - surprise, surprise ("Snarl-ups costing us £350 million a year", Post, October 13).The average four-year-old could tell the experts the reasons why and what the solutions should be.

First has the monopoly, and unless there is a combined resolution by all four local councils that forces First to listen to its passengers or pay a congestion charge, nothing can be changed.

This joint partnership agreement with First and the four local authorities is rubbish.

All it does is force the poor old council taxpayer to have to pay for expensive road improvements and so on so that First can have priority on main routes.

I believe First has the slowest bus service in the country because it has not adopted the Oyster bus fare system. Passengers should have to purchase their tickets before getting on the bus.

First has operated the system on its buses in London and on its trains, but these are areas where there is competition.

The time wasted taking fares, finding and giving change holds up the service and reduces it to a crawling pace at busy times.

Journeys must be speeded up if people are going to use the bus - there is nothing more annoying than sharing a bus with people on mobiles, listening to loud music, aggressive behaviour or loud chatter while stuck in a traffic jam.

There is insufficient information at bus stops so passengers have to stop the bus whether they need it or not for information.

Why can't First have maps on the inside of the buses as they do on the London Underground so that people know where they are going?

Buses do not have wide enough entrances and low enough floors for wheelchair, buggy and shopping trolley users.

There are no local park and rides linked to local shopping centres - Gloucester Road is a glaring example. Just imagine the difference a park and ride instead of the proposed new supermarket would make to easy access and help reduce the parking on Gloucester Road.

None of the stations have dedicated bus services linked to railway stations - Parsons Street, Montpelier and Clifton Down Stations should be part of an integrated transport network. Ashton station should be expanded as an extra station to help relieve congestion caused by people coming in from the south of the city.

Cars provide a door-to-door service which, when you have a lot of shopping and children or a walking difficulty, is a better option than waiting in the freezing cold or rain wondering if the bus is going to come and if there will be a seat to sit on.

If all the buses went into and out of the city, not across, it would also speed up the journeys and stop the knock-on effect of an accident on one side of the city affecting the other side.

A bus service should be provided to Abbotswood Station and there should be a station at Henbury to take all the commuters from the north of the city into the centre of Bristol by train.

Trains are a better deal as they have right of way, don't have to grapple with other vehicles and tickets have to be bought before you get on.

A Essex (Mrs),Henleaze.