News / Transport
Ticketing could be answer to Balloon gridlock
Ticketing for the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta could be the answer to solving the huge demand which caused gridlock around Bristol on Saturday.
The site had to be shut due to unprecedented crowds as hundreds of thousands of people descended on Bristol for the 37th annual event.
It was the second time in three years that organisers have been given a major headache by the growing popularity of the event.
Visitors reported being stuck in traffic for as long as three hours before finally being turned away at the gates due to capacity concerns.
Jane Oakland, chair of the organising committee for the balloon fiesta, told the BBC that tickets might be the solution, but it would mean charging for admission.
She added that she understood people’s “disappointment and frustration” over the event’s management.
Saturday was one of the busiest days in the event’s history, largely thanks to fine weather and a string of successful mass ascents during the week.
A decision was finally taken to close the gates as a surge in arrivals – including up to 6,000 people in one 15-minute period – raised safety concerns about the nightglow.
There were major delays across the city with huge queues for the event’s shuttle bus which was eventually suspended due to demand.
First Bus said there was no movement for one hour on some routes as all major roads became jammed.
Oakland said: “We have had a record-breaking year and an incredible weekend – never, in the event’s history have the balloons flown in all seven planned balloon launches and put on such an amazing show for our Fiesta visitors and the city.”
Speaking to the Bristol Post, she added: “The popularity of the event did mean that we declared the event full for a family audience to ensure the safety of the visitors and protect the historic site – this decision was made ahead of the crowds arriving for the night glow.
“With years of experience of this event and site, when the security and site safety teams identified the rate at which audiences were growing, it was clear the site for a family audience and it was necessary to take the appropriate action.”
Organisers were said to be meeting on Monday morning to discuss the weekend’s transport and capacity problems.
The fiesta also suffered from significant traffic problems in 2012, with many visitors claiming to have been stranded on the city’s roads for hours.
Organisers then said they would be reviewing traffic management policy to ease congestion into the site.
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