Better Transport

Campaign Against New Beeching Report (Canber) is a confederation of campaigning groups and individuals, united in the aim of preventing the closure of lines and stations and securing their future role.

More Train Less Strain campaigns for decent rail services in the West Country and the whole of the UK.

We are campaigning for:

• A decent train service with enough carriages so you know you won't be left standing on the platform
• Trains that leave and arrive when they are meant to
• Fares that are fair

Is that too much to ask?

The Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance is an alliance of 25 local environmental, transport and community groups in the Greater Bristol area.

We have published a green transport manifesto for the city and the Greater Bristol area. To view our manifesto go to our website.

Our main current aims are to persuade councillors in the four West of England councils to vote for an Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) for the Greater Bristol area (made possible by the forthcoming Local Transport Act) and get them to support a list of public transport projects we would like the ITA to undertake (mainly local rail and bus projects). We oppose major new roadbuilding and airport expansion.

We have regular contact with councillors of all parties on Bristol City Council.

We meet every six weeks, usually on a Wednesday night at 5:45pm at a central Bristol pub. All of our meetings are open to the public: contact us for more details.

Sandra Pember has been campaigning since last September for low-floor buses to be used on a semi-rural route on the outskirts of Gloucester where there are a high concentration of elderly people as well as a school for 280 disabled children.

A teacher at the school has joined Sandra in her efforts and the local newspaper has been very supportive by publishing several articles and numerous letters. The Liberal Democrats have also helped by using articles in their local newsletters. A petition signed by 2,380 people supporting the cause was handed in to Gloucestershire County Council but was dismissed, and correspondence to the bus company has fallen on deaf ears.  The campaign continues.

The particular route involved is the Gloucester to Cheltenham bus 97/98 which goes via Longlevens, Innsworth and Churchdown. The problems are mainly with the Longlevens area where the school for 280 disabled children is, and the very high numbers of elderly people (a lot of widows in their 80s and 90s). The school promotes equality and inclusion and as all of the children are currently applying for free bus tickets to enable them to use the buses which go past the school gate into Gloucester, we do have a very good case for low floor buses. The County Council however has refused to acknowledge this need as it says the school has its own transport. They are failing to understand that it is very important for the children to use public transport to enable them to mix with the general public and interact and learn social skills which they will need when older.

There is also at present no local bus to enable elderly and/or disabled people to get to their local shops, church, chemist or doctor's surgery. We are also fighting to get another local bus route (route 6) extended to provide these people with this access. We think we may well get this when Stagecoach reviews its routes this spring. However, we are still campaigning hard, for this and for low-floor buses on the 97/98 route... as are the political parties in the run-up to the local elections in May!