News / Bristol
‘Latest MetroBus blunder is the final straw’
Traders were forced to shut up shop as the latest MetroBus blunder left a section of East Street with no power on Wednesday.
The high-speed bus route is already facing growing opposition across Bristol as months – or even years – of delays, traffic chaos and escalating costs stack up – and the disruption was the final straw for some business owners.
“Our trade is down a good 40 per cent – it’s absolutely awful, there is just no thought being put into what they are doing,” said Adrian Harris, the owner of Stan Butt butchers.
is needed now More than ever
Stan Butt butchers is down on trade by some 40 per cent since the works started
He was speaking after workers excavating the street outside his shop accidentally cut through a power cable, leaving businesses and homes in the area with no electricity throughout Wednesday (August 30) afternoon. MetroBus has apologised for the inconvenience caused.
“I’m obviously losing trade because we cannot serve anyone and we have got no idea how long the freezers will be off. It’s not at all ideal,” continued Harris.
“The works have already been damaging business. This is the last straw.”
Jackie Armstrong and Anna Milby of S & L Fabrics
“I heard a bang and everything just went out,” recalled Jackie Armstrong, owner of S & L Fabrics, East Street, who took the blunder in her stride.
“It is an inconvenience to businesses, but the guy is fine and that’s the important thing. He was apparently quite shaken up.”
She said that while her shop could just about cope, other businesses were badly affected by the works, and power outage.
“Oh you know MetroBus, £10m over budget and then it almost puts businesses out – it’s not great value for money is it?” Andrew Crabb, sub postmaster of Bedminster Post Office commented wryly, standing outside of his dark premises to field the many customers trying to come in.
Nearby, East Street resident Moana Schischka found herself locked out of her block of flats as the power cut seemed to have stopped her key fob working.
“The power went off in the flat and I thought it was maybe just the flat, but then it was the whole building. I don’t know how I’m going to get back in now,” she said, adding hopefully that the electricity might be back on before too long.
Just across the street, many businesses escaped being hit by the power cut, but admitted they are still fed up of the disruption caused by the ongoing works.
Jerome Nava of Bubble Play Cafe says the power cut would have been devastating for his business
“I would be in a desperate situation if it happened to me because I was in the middle of cooking,” said Jerome Nava, co-owner of Bubble Play Café.
“For us personally, the works are not having too much impact, but we would usually put an ice cream machine outside in hot weather and we can’t do that at the moment. It is just an eyesore and we are hoping it will be finished soon.”
A MetroBus spokeswoman said: “An unusually low depth cable was damaged during excavation work. We’d like to apologise for any disruption it may have caused. The contractors have already been in touch with Western Power Distribution who are on their way to make the repair.”
At the time of publication, it was not known how long power would be off for.
Electricians on the site of the MetroBus works on East Street
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