Bristol councillors renege on promised funds for night buses despite safety worries. Letter to be penned instead.
The council will write a letter instead. Clean Air Zone funds three bus routes. Two routes end at 7pm. One route runs three trips daily.
A bus task force studied Clean Air Zone funds. Members opted not to fund night buses. The transport committee learned this on February 6th. Adam Crowther spoke about night bus funding. Other services seemed more important, he said.
The council will ask for a review. They want to explore night bus options. The council may raise evening parking fees. Evening parking costs £4 now (6pm to midnight). Next year, it could be charged hourly.
Four hours parking could jump to £10. This isn’t approved yet. Clean Air Zone fees also pose a problem. People working past midnight pay twice. They pay once late at night. They pay again early next morning.
Kaz Self says fees should not price people out of work. She feels the Clean Air Zone midnight change is a real issue. Emma Edwards stated people should use bikes and buses. However, night transport isn’t easy. Women often feel unsafe at night. Night buses aren’t a total solution.
Businesses could fund rides home. They could use minibuses or taxis. Scooter company Tier-Dott could extend its hours.