For the last few years there has been much discussion about the Bristol transport network. In the last month, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority launched the first of its multi-million-pound MetroWest programme which is enhancing the local rail network. The first railway station to open was the 5.8 million pound Portway Portway Park & Ride station, between Shirehampton and Avonmouth, connects the existing park and ride site with the Severn Beach railway line. It is a single-platform station that will offer passengers half-hourly services between Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth, and an hourly service to Severn Beach
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00:00 "Well for the parking light system they do it very well. Other than that, I mean buses
00:04 in Bristol are, yeah, enough said on that."
00:07 For the last few years there has been much discussion about the Bristol Transport Network.
00:13 In the last month, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority launched the first of its
00:19 multi-million pound Metro West programmes, which is enhancing the local rail network.
00:26 The first railway station to open was a £5.8m Portway Park and Ride station between Shirehampton
00:33 and Avonmouth, connecting the existing park and ride site with the Severn Beach railway line.
00:40 It is a single platform station that will offer passengers half hourly services between
00:45 Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth and hourly services to Severn Beach.
00:51 Let's find out what locals think.
00:53 "It's more regular and it goes on for later, so it's a lot more user friendly for me, because
00:58 otherwise after 7 o'clock I couldn't use the park and ride."
01:04 "I think it's absolutely essential. Bristol is really poor for public transport. I've
01:09 done a lot of travelling."
01:11 Metro Mayor Dan Norris has said he is aiming to improve public transport around the city
01:17 in order to encourage locals to use it in an effort to meet the ambitious net zero target
01:22 by 2030.
01:23 Mr Norris has said it's just the beginning. We need to continue with our reverse beaching
01:28 programme to give more residents the stations they need, as well as also the faster, better
01:35 trains they deserve.
01:37 But what do locals think of the public transport in Bristol? Let's find out.
01:41 "I've always used it rather than trying to park the car in town. So yeah, I've always
01:47 used the park and ride."
01:48 "I think we need a lot more public transport that we've got. I think the trains and the
01:53 buses really need to have inversion put into them, because cars are okay and they're very
01:59 useful but they're not the best, they're expensive, they're going to become more expensive.
02:04 And not everybody has a car and when you live in town, it's a lot easier to have good public
02:11 transport than to have a car."
02:13 "Particularly if we're serious about net zero. And I really think you've got to convert people
02:18 first. So whenever you build, you need to build with public transport built into it
02:23 so that it gets to be a habit and it gets to be something that you can do easily. And
02:27 at the moment it's almost impossible, unless you're lucky, to do sideways moves around
02:33 Bristol. It's okay, generally speaking, just in and out of the centre. But if you want
02:38 to move around and for people who want to get to places like hospitals, visit people
02:42 in different suburbs and so on, it's really difficult. I mean, the car is just so much
02:46 easier."
02:47 Earlier this year, there were many changes made to the overall bus network in Bristol
02:53 as part of the council's biannual review of the route. Only time will tell what the impact
02:58 is of the council's continued investment into Bristol's public transport sector.