| Bollards ... Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:22, 12th December 2025 |     |
... in Bristol.
From the BBC:
Cameras to replace bollards in East Bristol liveable neighbourhood
Some bollards and planters will be replaced with cameras in order to let emergency vehicles through more quickly
Cameras will replace some bollards and planters in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood to stop the fire service from getting delayed.
A freedom of information request recently revealed that several fire engines were delayed in reaching incidents in Barton Hill, Redfield and St George.
The neighbourhoods have recently become part of a trial to reduce the amount of traffic cutting through the area by closing sections of roads.
A decision on whether to make the trial permanent is expected in March, based on feedback from residents and data on traffic counts and air pollution, which is set to be published.
The cameras will catch drivers passing through bus gates and then issue fines to vehicles which are not exempt. This would allow fire engines and ambulances to get through.
Leading councillors faced questions about the delays during a member forum meeting on Tuesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Labour councillor Fabian Breckels, representing St George Troopers Hill, said: "What we need to know is: are lives more important than anti-car dogma?" He quoted feedback from Avon Fire Service, which found that some crews had to respond to calls on foot, as their fire engines could not reach the scene.
Council staff will review each bollard and planter in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, and will likely remove some of them.
Green councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport policy committee, said: "We're going through all of them on a case-by-case approach and reviewing them. Some of them we intend to change from bollards and planters to camera enforcement instead." He said that some bollards and planters would remain to maintain the aims of the scheme.
Another issue affecting fire engines is "inappropriate and illegal" parking, which makes the roads narrower and harder for large vehicles to turn around corners. The council is planning to ramp up parking enforcement to discourage this.
A decision on whether to make the trial permanent is expected in March, based on feedback from residents and data on traffic counts and air pollution.
Some bollards and planters will be replaced with cameras in order to let emergency vehicles through more quickly
Cameras will replace some bollards and planters in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood to stop the fire service from getting delayed.
A freedom of information request recently revealed that several fire engines were delayed in reaching incidents in Barton Hill, Redfield and St George.
The neighbourhoods have recently become part of a trial to reduce the amount of traffic cutting through the area by closing sections of roads.
A decision on whether to make the trial permanent is expected in March, based on feedback from residents and data on traffic counts and air pollution, which is set to be published.
The cameras will catch drivers passing through bus gates and then issue fines to vehicles which are not exempt. This would allow fire engines and ambulances to get through.
Leading councillors faced questions about the delays during a member forum meeting on Tuesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Labour councillor Fabian Breckels, representing St George Troopers Hill, said: "What we need to know is: are lives more important than anti-car dogma?" He quoted feedback from Avon Fire Service, which found that some crews had to respond to calls on foot, as their fire engines could not reach the scene.
Council staff will review each bollard and planter in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, and will likely remove some of them.
Green councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport policy committee, said: "We're going through all of them on a case-by-case approach and reviewing them. Some of them we intend to change from bollards and planters to camera enforcement instead." He said that some bollards and planters would remain to maintain the aims of the scheme.
Another issue affecting fire engines is "inappropriate and illegal" parking, which makes the roads narrower and harder for large vehicles to turn around corners. The council is planning to ramp up parking enforcement to discourage this.
A decision on whether to make the trial permanent is expected in March, based on feedback from residents and data on traffic counts and air pollution.
Cameras will replace some bollards and planters in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood to stop the fire service from getting delayed.
It seems it didn't occur to any of the head-scratchers in the Bristol City Council planning department that bollards and planters, plonked into the roadway, might inconvenience ambulances and fire engines.
I'm glad I don't live in Bristol any more.
