News / KNowle West
Knowle West residents demand council tackles speeding drivers
Residents of a residential street in Knowle West say it is “scary” to live on because of speeding cars and buses.
Creswicke Road resident Emily Jones has started a petition calling on Bristol City Council to put new traffic calming measures in place.
The road, which has a 20mph speed limit, already has speed bumps along it – but Jones says these are not working and need improving.
is needed now More than ever
“They don’t actually do anything; they don’t slow the traffic down,” she says. “Even buses are going at 40mph, which is quite scary really because it’s a residential street and they wouldn’t stop if a child ran out.”
Creswicke Road connects Hengrove to Hartcliffe via Knowle West, and Jones says people use it as a shortcut. Photo by Charlie Watts
The road is part of the M1 Metrobus route, and Jones says this has added to the speeding problem.
“It just feels like there’s an accident waiting to happen and it’s a big increase in traffic with the Metrobus being on this road,” she adds.
“I see people walking along with their children, or children coming out of the front of their house, and it’s like walking out onto a dual carriageway.”
Fellow Creswicke Road resident Jim Smith echoes Jones’ comments, saying he is “sick of living on a racetrack”.
“Before the Metrobus route was built, it was a reasonably smooth road,” he says.
The M1 Metrobus has been running along Creswicke Road since the start of 2019. Photo by Charlie Watts
But Jimmy Somerville, the general manager of Bristol Community Transport, which runs the M1 Metrobus service, says “exceeding the speed limit is strictly prohibited”.
He says: “All of our driving team are trained professionals who are fully aware of their responsibilities.
“Metrobus vehicles are fitted with monitoring equipment that will allow us to swiftly investigate and take appropriate action where necessary.”
Residents say the speeds bumps on Creswicke Road don’t work. Photo by Charlie Watts
Andrew Rees, who also lives on the road, believes “it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt”.
“The council should be made liable if they fail to upgrade the speed bumps as an accident would have been preventable,” he says.
Bristol City Council says it is listening to local concerns.
A council spokesperson told Bristol24/7: “We share residents’ concerns around this issue and will look again with transport officers and the police about what we can do to tackle speeding in this area, without impacting the need for Creswicke Road to continue to be a main route for both emergency services and public transport.”
The petition can be signed online and you can express any concerns you have about Creswicke Road to the council by contacting democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk
Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a pilot project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo by Charlie Watts
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