Wanted: Transport commissioner for Bristol

Expressions of interest ONLY please. 

On May 5 a democratic decision will be made as to who the new elected mayor of Bristol will be, and I am currently one of the independent candidates up for election.

Bristol, as I write this, has a rather unsatisfactory schizophrenic approach to traffic. On the one hand we are basking in the glory of being a Green Capital. While on the other hand, congestion from road traffic provides toxic emissions with the opportunity to party away somewhere high above cloud level.

Whereas London has invested heavily in a failing cycling superhighway, Bristol’s effort has been far less than super and far more failing. One designated lane, for instance, has so far cost over £300.000 for what remains as an empty stretch of a busy main road in an area within close proximity to Temple Meads station, and would make a white elephant feel incredibly useful by comparison.

Added to which we have 20mph speed limits where in some cases there is absolutely no need for them at all: and several thousand people agree with me. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the city has seemingly borrowed somewhere in the region of £5 million to roll out resident parking zones (which a lot of people also don’t want) and have payment machines installed which appear to be providing amusement to protesting vandals, while being an absolute pain in the derriere to others.

So, putting it in movie-speak: Your mission Jim, should you choose to accept it, would be this:

Should I be elected, you will bring with you a proven legacy of experience from within a bigger city, to Bristol and my team. Your experience of effective traffic management will be second to none because you will have been in a executive position requiring innovative, outside of the box leadership, and you will be a problem solver.

The newly formed Bristol Transport Commission, of which you will be executive director, will take overall responsibility for roads, traffic management, parking, visitor journey planning and mapping, taxis and minicabs, cycling, the river, public transport and fares, the metro, improvements and repairs, and safety.

The city also hosts many major outdoor events during the summer months which bring a considerable amount of traffic and people to Bristol. The Traffic Commissioner would also take control of event planning and management to ensure that we have a robust co-ordinated approach.

My administration for the city will give priority to the democratic voice of the people of Bristol, who will be part of the overall decision making process. 

I do not do meaningless tick-box exercises, and any major decisions which involve the city must receive democratic public agreement before being rolled out. Your innovative and visionary thinking will welcome such an opportunity to provide a service to the people of Bristol which fully embraces the ethos of democracy when you express your interest in this role.

PLEASE REMEMBER. This is NOT a vacancy which exists at this present moment in time. I am merely seeking expressions of interest from suitable people SHOULD the opportunity arise after May 5 this year and I am elected. Please email me privately if you have the relevant experience and may be seeking a new career challenge.

John Langley is a candidate in the Bristol mayor elections 2016