Transport for Bristol -
Impossible Journeys in Greater Bristol Region
Includes Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and of course Bristol.
We are looking for examples of Impossible Journeys - where fares are expensive or excessive - connections for onward journeys were difficult or -no public transport to your destination where the only alternative would have been by taxi or car.
Send us a short summary in your own words (maximum 100 words) about your impossible or difficult journeys to info@tfgb.org.uk
Read some horror stories below;
Cross Ticketing is overdue
My wife is a supply teacher and we live in Patchway, She recently got a job in a day nursery in Stoke Gifford, a few miles away as the crow flies. In order to get there in time without a long walk through snow and ice, her only option was a school bus for The Ridings in Winterbourne operated by Eurotaxis, whose driver was extremely reluctant to let on an adult passenger. Coming home, she had to take a 72 (operated by Wessex Connect) to Bradley Stoke, then a 73 to Cribbs Causeway, and finally a 75 back to Patchway Estate. That's three different operators, who don't accept each other's tickets, so no Day Rider for her.
Nick - Patchway, South Gloucs.
No Train - no job
An impossible journey is travelling from Bristol to Melksham in the mid afternoon to a job interview...I couldn't believe that there are no trains from early morning to late evening to Melksham! I know slightly out of the greater Bristol area but I can't commute there, so this is a major disappointment. Unfortunately the employer seemed to know all too well about this problem when I called.
Graham - Bristol
Season Tickets like gold dust
My grumble with First Bus isn't just the cost of bus travel for my 13 year old daughter - £5.40 return from Easton-in-Gordano to Bristol, but the wildly inconvenient way they sell child's weekly or monthly season tickets.
The ONLY way to buy them is for me to go in person (from North Somerset) to Bristol Bus Station. They can't be bought over the phone, by post or over the internet, apparently because otherwise adults buy them fraudulently to use themselves. They also can't be bought on the bus (contrary to the information I have been given over the phone by Traveline). All other season tickets are sold online etc - I can't understand why they make children's ones so hard to get hold of.
Judith - Easton-in-Gordano
No shelter - no facility
Along with my wife we waited outside Cabot Circus for the Brislington Park and Ride for almost 30 minutes in the freezing cold and rain.
I had an over coat but was soaked through and became very cold. The open sided bus shelter allowed the wind and rain to blow in; another 70 people waited with no shelter.
Although we were under the shelter every time a vehicle came down the Bus lane we were sprayed with water as the road surface is deeply "Tram lined" and hence very large puddles of water formed. Councillors and responsible Managers should be made to endure such facilities.
Last Sunday the public toilet at the new Bath Bus station was not accessible as the office was closed.
Barry - Paulton, Bath & N.E. Somerset.
A number of buses routes such as the No. 75 76, operated by First stop to change drivers halfway through the journey rather than at the terminus point as is the case in other cities, greatly prolonging journey times and increasing passenger dissatisfaction, especially when there is a no replacement driver waiting.
A particularly bad example is the No. 73. Having parked for up to 10 minutes at its terminus point at Christmas Steps, until its departure time, some no. 73's are then driven 200 yards before stopping again to change drivers at the other end of Lewin's Mead. Bad enough, but in one instance, the new driver did not turn up, and the passengers from the bus were informed by a waiting driver that she was rostered to take over the next No 73. They sat there while other bus services sailed by (they didn't change drivers there) all going in the same direction towards Gloucester Rd which was the destination for most passengers. After 15 minutes, the next 73 turned up and the new driver kindly allowed those with tickets on the stranded bus to transfer to that.
Frankie - Bristol
I wanted to go to Chew magna one afternoon only to find there was no public transport to that village only a few miles from my home in South Bristol. This must be an impossible journey !
Diana, Bristol