Roger Key, Key Transport
Why do you think devolution is needed?
I think devolution is needed because the wider Bristol travel to work area really needs someone to co-ordinate the transport system.
Someone who lives in Weston for example should be able to get into the city centre quickly and easily, but at the moment this isn’t the case.
Although the local authorities do have a duty to co-operate and have been progressing, I don’t think they’ve been especially great at delivery.
An example of this is finishing the ring road in South East Bristol. It’s glaringly obvious that it’s still needed. There’s no other city in the country that is the size of Bristol without a ring road.
We also need to focus on public transport, but this can be tricky.
The Metro Mayor will have combined authority powers, which will enable him or her to run the buses much like they are in London and that can only be a good thing.
What would you like to see the Metro Mayor achieve?
I would say this wouldn’t I because I’m a transport planner; it’s got to be public transport!
People talk about getting rid of congestion but in any busy town or city congestion is inevitable.
London is the city with the best public transport network in the country yet they still have congestion.
The focus therefore has to be on public transport and the Metro Mayor will have the power to do something about it.
Ann O’Driscoll, North Bristol SuSCom
What would you like to see the Metro Mayor achieve?
I’d like to see the Metro Mayor tackle congestion in the city and the wider city region
I’d also like to see more emphasis put on behaviour change and getting people to travel more sustainably.
I think it’s important that the Metro Mayor encourages people to get out of their cars, be more active and use public transport more frequently, in addition to promoting cycling and walking as a way to get around.
It’s got to be better than sitting in traffic!
Ned Cussen, JLL
What would you like to see the Metro Mayor achieve?
The top priorities are simply: transport and infrastructure.
These are the key areas that the Metro Mayor will deal with and if there’s a thing we need to resolve in this region to make us even better its transport.
Jaya Chakrabarti MBE,TISC Report
Why do you think devolution is needed?
Devolution is needed now because we can see that with world events there are things that cities and city region’s do far better than leaving it to central government
Central government has a lot to deal with and some of the things that we have here in terms of education, transport and health can be done far better because one size does not fit all.
- Log in to post comments
Do you want to join the conversation?
Sign up hereA guide to devolution, metro mayors and the West of England
