With reports of pensioners being in tears over bus cuts and warnings that south Bristol could become a ‘bus desert’, as we launch our Better Buses for Bristol campaign, we went out to find out what passengers thought of the services on offer. The end of last year saw residents lashing out at the dire state of public transport as 1,450 routes were cancelled due to a shortage of bus drivers.
And the start of the year saw another body blow to the struggling transport network, with funding being withdrawn for publicly funded services. This would see 42 services removed from the network as from 1 April.
For the public, this means their reliance on a bus service to schools, hospitals, doctors rooms and other medical services were all under threat. Bristol Live asked commuters in the city centre for their views on what has been happening.
Chris Ennis: "I would take a bus if they were more reliable, but I only use them as a last resort. I use scooters, it’s quicker and I find my own way. It’s no use having a car if you are coming to the centre. I always look for an alternatives."
Lyn Scoulding: "Everything that is happening is totally wrong when we are trying to get people to use buses. I know a lot of people who are affected and can’t get to where they want to go now."
Read next: Pensioners near Bristol 'in tears' as they worry about more bus cuts
Kuestan Ali: "The buses are always late in Fishponds. I am late every day, my son gets to school late and my husband is always late for work."
Mac Hawkins: "I'm a student and rely on buses quite a lot and the times are inconvenient. Living in a city, buses should be really accessible. It’s frustrating as I have no other choice."
Christine Thompson: "My son says I’m driving him bonkers talking about buses. When I’m with my friends, we don’t talk about our ailments anymore as we can’t see a doctor, so we talk about the buses. Blame it on Brexit as all those lovely Polish bus drivers we used to have, have left."
Students Macie Lock, Vinny Bevan and Dario Akagha-Di Pietro: "The service is poor. The buses are always late, get cancelled or are delayed. We are students and buses used to be a bit cheaper for students. We need cheaper bus fares."
Amin Behi: "Sometimes they are a little bit late and if you are late for work, that affects you. I have to take the bus, I live too far to walk or cycle."
Carol and Michael Blight: "The buses are not very good. Sometimes they turn up and sometimes they don’t. It’s a problem, especially if we’re going to the hospital."
Gene Ding: "I take the new number 8 and I find the buses are fine. I check ahead so I know when the bus is coming."
Colin Ogden: "I live in Bromley Heath. We lost our bus service. It came back, then we lost it again and now it’s back. But it doesn’t run through Bromley Heath so I have a 20-minute walk. We’ve sent emails to (metro mayor) Dan Norris but he hasn’t even bothered to answer."
Helen Ward: "We are visiting our daughter at university and we are sitting here frustrated at the bus stop because the buses are always full."
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