MetroBus

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

I think that there will be a stop outside St Mary Redcliffe inbound eventually, for all those wanting the Harbourside offices.

If we are talking about the same harbourside, most dismounted at Wapping Wharf for the 10-minute schlep up Prince Street. Fairly pleasant in fine weather, less so in winter or carrying baggage, and much less convenient than being dropped outside the office in 8 minutes, especially with a 33% hike in cost.

There is a stop handy for St. Mary Redcliffe on Redcliffe Hill outside the Mercure Hotel, the next stop being Temple Way.

To answer a question that Grahame posed in an earlier post on this thread, there is Metrobus infrastructure to allow alternating services to run in a clockwise loop around the central area apart from Cabot Circus South, in my view not needed, just exit Cabot Circus by the Bond Street exit and use the pedestrian crossing to the M3 stop which is also the stop for the Falcon, 62, T1, Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 services to name most. The only clockwise stop needed would be one on Temple Way opposite the existing anti-clockwise stop. One problem though, waiting for a clockwise service seeing an anticlockwise service traversing the loop in that direction might have got one to LA quicker than the next clockwise service. However it should be re-iterated that all 3 of the high profile P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) services, the Brislington, Portway and the m2 Long Ashton, all operate roughly on an anticlockwise route around the central area as does the A1 to/from the Airport.

As an aside to this, a number of high profile employers have re-located from the Harbourside to Temple Quay, Bruges Salmond being one and the recent moving of many council workers into 100 Temple Street from the many distributed locations in the central area of the city.

[martyjon]

Just had a telephone conversation with an insider, a cool £250,000 in fines issued for using bus only M32 infrastructure since m3 launch. According to him Google Maps are directing travellers via the bus only exit to access UWE.

[Western Pathfinder]

Also mentioned on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West in Breakfast this morning ,the fines may help to offset some of the cost !.

[martyjon]

Also mentioned on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West in Breakfast this morning ,the fines may help to offset some of the cost !.

So that'll be a million in a year, only 229 years to go and its all paid for.

[Red Squirrel]

According to him Google Maps are directing travellers via the bus only exit to access UWE.

According to me, it doesn't.

[martyjon]

According to him Google Maps are directing travellers via the bus only exit to access UWE.

According to me, it doesn't.

Perhaps Google has been corrected, I know that when it opened sat-navs were saying 'take next exit' and I have been on an m3 service which followed and continental arctic up and over the bus only bridge, the arctic driver was happily put on his way to the ring road by our bus driver when the bus on which I was on had to stop so as the arctic could exit from the allotments stop onto Stoke Lane.

[Red Squirrel]

Perhaps Google has been corrected...

That's the good thing about Google Maps; it gets updated. I recently looked into updating the built-in satnav in my car, and found that the manufacturers want over £200 for an updated SD card... er, I'll leave it then thank you.

[TonyK]

That's the good thing about Google Maps; it gets updated. I recently looked into updating the built-in satnav in my car, and found that the manufacturers want over £200 for an updated SD card... er, I'll leave it then thank you.

I had similar, but not so expensive at £65. In any case, it wouldn't send me off the M32 at Bridgy McBridgefarce. I can understand someone being momentarily confused when the satnav orders them to "Leave the motorway at the next exit", but there are signs telling them not to at the bus-only junction. I know, though, that there were some who did it perfectly deliberately to get to UWE a bit quicker, until the cameras went up.

[Bmblbzzz]

Google maps not directing me off the bus exit, nor are any of the other mapping apps I sometimes use. How much are the fines per incident? £250,000 sounds like an awful lot of infringements (also sounds like a rather rounded figure).

[TonyK]

Google maps not directing me off the bus exit, nor are any of the other mapping apps I sometimes use. How much are the fines per incident? £250,000 sounds like an awful lot of infringements (also sounds like a rather rounded figure).

The standard bus lane infringement penalty is £60, or £30 if settled within 14 days. I assume that is what is levied. You could make exactly £250,000 with a combination of those, but it would suggest a minimum 8,000 being caught. That seems a lot, even though people I know overlooking the bridge say there is no shortage of vehicles of all shapes and sizes using it.

[martyjon]

The local Bristol rag is quoting £500,000 plus as total of fines issued.

[TonyK]

The local Bristol rag is quoting £500,000 plus as total of fines issued.

So it is - see here.

More than £500k of fines dished out to drivers for using Metrobus-only M32 bridge
Nearly 9,500 people were caught in the 100 days after enforcement cameras were switched on

ByAlex Wood

Nearly 9,500 motorists have been caught driving over the bridge, which is situated next to Stoke Lane in Stapleton, since Metrobus’ M3 service was launched on May 29.

In just 100 days, a total of 9,458 people were caught and fined for using the bridge - which equates to fines totalling £567,480.

Although the amount may appear staggering, Bristol City Council is unlikely to receive this amount as some fines may be appealed and others reduced to £30. So far, the authority has collected a little more than £186,000 in fines from approximately 6,000 people.

The bridge provides a shortcut between the M32 motorway and the University of the West of England (UWE) campus and is reserved for buses only.

But with some drivers reportedly being directed to use the route by sat-nav apps such as Google Maps, few realise they have been caught out by the bridge’s 24-hour CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) until it is too late.



The MetroBust bridge over the M32

Of the 9,458 people who have so far been caught using the bus-only lane, approximately 6,000 have paid their fines to Bristol City Council - equating to £186,485.

A spokesperson for the local authority warned anyone attempting to use the bridge will be hit with a £60 penalty notice.

“The bridge and the surrounding roads leading up to it have been clearly marked as a bus only route since it was created and it remains a crucial element of the Metrobus route, helping it to be quicker and more reliable than other bus services,” the spokesperson said.

“24 hour CCTV is in place along the bridge and we will issue penalty notices for up to £60 to anyone caught using this route without permission.

“If someone feels they have been fined incorrectly they can always appeal the decision by following the instructions on the back of their notice.”

It is understood the £60 fine is reduced to a discounted rate if paid within 14 days.

All proceeds raised from the Metrobus bridge fines are used to cover the cost of enforcement, with any surplus funds reinvested in transport initiatives such as concessionary bus fares and filling potholes.

Metrobus M32 bridge fines

A breakdown:

Since May 29, 9,458 people have been caught and fined for using the Metrobus bridge over the M32, leading to fines worth £567,480
That works out at an average of 95 people driving over the bridge every day
The £60 fines are reduced if paid within a certain time frame, usually 14 days
Of those caught, approximately 6,000 have paid their fines of either £60 or £30 to Bristol City Council - making the council £186,485 in the process
That works out at approximately £1,860 in fines per day

[Red Squirrel]

I seen what you done there - you have added a letter 't' to the Post's copy. Can any of the other children spot it?

[TonyK]

I seen what you done there - you have added a letter 't' to the Post's copy. Can any of the other children spot it?

Well done, young Squirrel! The headmaster will give you your special prize later, behind the bicycle sheds.

[Western Pathfinder]

Better go and see Matron later .