• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Wednesday September 27 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Business West calls for new mass transit system for Bristol

Business West – the business support organisation that operates chambers of commerce in Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire – has called on civic leaders to press ahead with plans for a mass transit system in Bristol.

The battle for a mass transit system through or under the city has been ongoing for years.

Metro mayor Dan Norris recently told BBC Bristol that the city ‘won’t get an underground,’ but a report written by senior transport chiefs at the West of England Combined Authority – and leaked to the Bristol Post – says a system ‘that involves some underground tunnels’ is needed and achievable.

Calling the city’s transport system “one of our key regional weaknesses and the issue that businesses want to see properly addressed and delivered on, with high ambition,” and “drag on current and future economic growth,” Phil Smith, managing director of Business West said: “We currently have some of the worst congestion in the country, meaning too many people are stuck in traffic rather than contributing to make our region stronger.

“Business needs certainty about the long term plans for our region if we are to attract the future jobs and investment that our region needs.”

He added: “Our view is that we need a mass transit system. What it looks like at this stage is unclear, but if the region is to hope to meet its major challenges on improving transport, tackling congestion and reducing carbon emissions, it needs to do the work in planning for an ambitious integrated transport system.

“The next government will also be looking to Metro Combined Authorities for ambitious proposals to unlock growth and deal with the climate crisis. We have to do further work to be ready for these opportunities.

“The West of England Combined Authority offers, for the first time in decades, the ability to ambitiously plan and deliver our region’s transport needs.

“Although the funding of this will inevitably be in part opportunistic, taking advantage of these opportunities can only happen if the evidence and costings for different levels of ambition exist. If we do not have the evidence for these options, we will have impeded our ability to win future funding.

“That is why the business community strongly supports the investment now in transport studies that properly evidence and understand the options for future transport investment and we urge our local leaders to continue the important work to progress these.”

The leaked document suggests WECA is looking at four key routes from the city centre: a South West Corridor to Bristol Airport and the Bristol-Bath Corridor to Bath Spa, which could potentially be above ground, along with a North Corridor from a proposed Almondsbury Transport Hub, and an East Corridor from the Bristol & Bath Science Park, would need some or all parts to be underground.

The report is due to be discussed in public on October 6.

Image courtesy of https://pxhere.com