People who successfully campaigned for a new metrobus stop in south Bristol have been left frustrated at a lack of progress with the project.
A petition for a new stop in Whitchurch gathered the support of more than 900 people in December 2018, and led to Bristol City Council approving a new stop on Bamfield Road.
But Bristol Live understands it could cost £500,000 to upgrade existing bus stops to metrobus stops - and funding is yet to be secured.
The current metrobus stops are 1.5km apart, leaving people with lengthy walks home from the bus stop.
Whitchurch resident Lisa Hartrey said: “There used to be a 50 bus that I could catch on Oatlands Avenue, this service was scrapped due to the M1 and unfortunately this service stops nowhere near Oatlands Avenue.
“I only have one option now which is the 92 every 30 minutes and with all the continuous road works on route, it is now taking me an hour to get home.
“If I get the M1 at the current stops, I have a 20-minute walk which is no joke when you’ve been on your feet for nine hours a day. It’s making my life rather difficult at the moment.
“I signed an online petition ages ago but still nothing.”
Hengrove and Whitchurch Park ward councillors, Harriet Clough and Tim Kent, launched the campaign over concerns residents had been cut off from public transport. Cllr Kent says they have been left “dangling by inaction” ever since.
“This not only affects the residents of the area but those trying to get to the library, local doctors, Asda - all effectively cut off from the M1 bus service,” Cllr Kent said.
“We first highlighted the issue to them about a year ago in meetings when it became obvious that First Bus planned to withdraw the 50 bus service from the area when the M1 launched.”
“We launched the petition in December last year - by the end of January the council had conceded to the principle of a stop but we have been left dangling by inaction ever since.
“They had agreed a bus could use the existing stop but only once finance was agreed.”
Tim Kent praises the M1 as “a much improved bus service overall” but says the delay in installing a new stop is “unacceptable”.
Funding issues
He said: “we have asked numerous questions and have been told that a decision was to be made on funding it, but still no decision. It is unacceptable that the area has been left for so long without a bus service.
In a council meeting on September 10, Cllr Harriet Clough asked Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees for an update on the stop.
Mr Rees said officers have been trying to find the funding to upgrade existing, standard bus stops to ‘metrobus quality standards’.
He added: “Once funding has been approved, metrobus services will be able to use these stops, and the upgrades implemented as soon as possible.”
Both of the pre-existing bus shelters, near Oatlands Avenue, would need to be changed to metrobus stops and have iPoints installed, which Cllr Kent told Bristol Live officers say will cost “£500,000”.
“We have tried to work with them giving them suggestions on how to radically reduce those costs but still have a high- spec stop. We hope they will take up our suggestions as these would greatly reduce the costs. But it is quite difficult to get coherent answers on this,” he said.
“The funding is to come via the West of England Combined Authority (Weca). A report about future funding programmes for buses was agreed in July - but there was no detail or mention of our stop.
“We are still stuck in the same situation eight months later which is unacceptable and demonstrates the complete failure at Bristol City Council and Weca to deliver.”
A spokesperson for Weca said: “Bristol City Council is the lead authority for metrobus and as highways authority is responsible for bus stops in the city. No application for funding for bus stops has been made to the WECA committee.”
Bristol City Council has been contacted for comment.
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