BBC News claims Bristol is at ‘the cutting edge of new transport initiatives’

A BBC News journalist from London got on the train at Paddington and travelled to Bristol where she discovered things about our city to share as examples that the capital could emulate.

Ahead of World Car-Free Day on Wednesday, a team from Politics London took a trip around Queen Square, rode a bike, boarded the metrobus and walked across the car-free Bristol Bridge.

But the report has been slammed my many people, questioning the accuracy of its rose-tinted view of Bristol’s transport.

Queen Square was heralded as an example of bold transport planning, with a dual carriageway taken out of the historic quadrangle in 1999.

Professor Graham Parkhurst, an expert in sustainable mobility at UWE Bristol, spoke of the events such as festivals and games that now take place in the square.

“The square is full of e-scooters and bikes,” reported Helen Drew, saying that across Bristol, cycling has more than doubled in a decade.

She then meets cabinet member for transport, Don Alexander, in Ashton Meadows close to Ashton Avenue Bridge, with a view along the Avon Gorge to the Suspension Bridge behind them.

Alexander spoke about a scheme where the city council loans bicycles for free to people who are interested in taking up cycling.

“It’s a kind of try-before-you-buy approach,” says Alexander., adding that people can also receive bike training.

The next shot is on the cycle lane between Queen Square and Redcliffe Bascule Bridge, before a vox-pop in Queen Square finds most people do not drive cars, instead riding bikes, scooters or taking the bus.

“To find out how a journey is so much quicker by bus, we hopped on board,” says Drew, before stepping on a metrobus service on Prince Street.

The metrobus travels along the M32, turning left along the metrobus-only interchange next to Stoke Park.

The BBC News tour ends on Bristol Bridge, at the heart of an experiment by the city council to reduce the number of motorised vehicles travelling into the city centre.

The metrobus M1 route connects Cribbs Causeway with Hengrove Park – photo: Martin Booth

Bristol’s Labour group leader Marg Hickman praised the BBC News report. She tweeted: “Watch this. Our wonderful member for transport @BristolDon has a prime spot. Bristol is the city to watch thanks to @MarvinJRees initiatives.”

The official Bristol Labour Group Twitter account said: “From our bike loan scheme, to our widespread pedestrianisation programme, to our fleet of biogas buses, we’re leading the way on sustainable transport. Next stop: mass transit.”

But other people were more wary about the claims in the report.

“What! This is disingenuous nonsense,” tweeted former chair of Bristol Cycling Campaign, Nicholas Davies.

“Bristol is a fine city but our high car dependency is one of our worst features.”

Green Party councillor for Lockleaze, David Wilcox, called the report “poor journalism”. He said: “London already has try before buy bike schemes. London already has closed Hammersmith Bridge to motor vehicles. Where London leads, Bristol follows slowly.”

John Rossiter was more circumspect: “I mean this is bollocks! There’s lots of good things here (but) transport isn’t one of them.”

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: Footage of duo riding e-scooter along M32

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