Activists blocked a Bristol Airport bus in South Bristol again at the weekend, as part of a campaign to highlight the double standards of bus provision in Bristol.
The campaigners from Bristol’s Extinction Rebellion Youth stopped the bus leaving a northbound stop outside Asda on Bedminster Parade, as it was on its way back to the city centre from the airport at lunchtime on Saturday.
It comes as Bristol Live launched its campaign for Better Buses for Bristol, demanding an end to the proposed further cuts to bus services across the West of England, and for Metro Mayor Dan Norris to start the ball rolling on taking back control of the bus services with a franchise system.
Read next: Bristol Live demands better buses for Bristol
It’s the third time the activists have blockaded in an airport bus in the past couple of months, and they said they are doing so as part of the group’s ‘Free Buses, Fair Buses’ campaign that was originally launched in June. Previous actions have stopped buses at Temple Meads and in Redcliffe.
XR Youth Bristol said one of the reasons they were targeting the Airport Bus service is because it is run by First Bus but subsidised by Bristol Airport, which means First is able to maintain a much more frequent service, but it is much more expensive for people in South Bristol to use along its route.
XR Youth Bristol say that contrasts with the other bus services in South Bristol, which are facing widespread cuts because of a driver shortage and funding cuts. The group said it was also targeting the airport bus as part of a campaign against Bristol Airport itself, which earlier this month won a court battle to be allowed to expand.
“We need to revolutionise our public transport, including vastly improving the state of the West of England's frankly awful bus network,” said Torin Menzies, 18, from XR Youth.
“Sadly, First Bus are more interested in serving the potentially expanding Bristol Airport instead of our local communities, cutting bus routes across the region whilst increasing the Airport Flyer service.
“Bristol Airport expansion will increase flights and emissions at a time of climate emergency, as well as worsening air quality, and First Bus are actively supporting these plans. What we need is fair travel, not air travel,” they added.
The group held up the bus and stopped it from leaving for a couple of hours, and said that because it was on its way back to the city centre, no passengers ‘were at risk of missing flights’ - although on previous occasions when XR Youth have carried out the blockade stunt, First Bus have pointed out that the bus held up was therefore unable to begin the return leg of the journey to the airport, so passengers were delayed in reaching the airport.
XR Youth Bristol said its demands were for free bus travel within the West of England for anyone under the age of 25, and a ‘fair bus’ policy which involves a consultation and public forum to identify improvements to bus routes that would best serve communities.
Read next:
- Impact of Bristol bus cuts as passengers share experiences
- 'I'd use buses if they were more reliable but now it's only as a last resort'
- Pressure mounts for Bristol region bus franchising deal as West of England mayor asked to consider option
- New bus franchising deal backed in key vote at Bristol City Council
