Is Bristol the Worst Spot to Drive in the UK?

There are certain roads in the UK that most drivers avoid at all costs, most notably the M25 during rush hour! However, a recent survey conducted by the Alliance of British Drivers has revealed that Bristol is officially motorists’ most hated place to drive in the whole of the UK. The survey revealed that drivers are angered over the amount of traffic lights and bus lanes in the city which are causing a considerable amount of congestion.

Discussing the survey, Hugh Bladon from the Alliance said: “We were prompted to run this competition because of all the complaints we were receiving about the way in which councils treat motorists. The fact is that motorists are able to use the roads less and less. The kerbs are being built out which causes restrictions and we’;ve got all these bus lanes for buses which don’;t use them very of8. Councils seem very pleased to keep traffic stationary for as long as possible. The situation with traffic lights is terrible, for example. Motorists are unnecessarily kept waiting at them for [no] apparent reason.”

In order to improve the situation Bladon claims that Bristol City Council should remove ‘unnecessary’ traffic lights and make their roads more ‘driver-friendly’. He went on to claim that the traffic is so bad in Bristol that some motorists are leaving the city in order to find work and visit shopping centres. He added: “It’;s a daft way to go about things because people are going to Cribbs Causeway to shop instead of the city centre which is making businesses suffer.”

Responding to the Alliance of British Drivers’ survey and the fact that Bristol has now been named the “Worst Council for Mobility Choice”, a Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “Ultimately our aim isn’t to put people off driving and parking in the city, but to encourage more people to travel sustainably, particularly at busy times, be it through car sharing, cycling, walking or public transport. We recognise the importance of developing and improving public transport to achieve this and we hope to create a city where more people voluntarily travel by other means.”

Due to the UK population increasing dramatically over the past few years as well as the fact that there are now more people on the road than ever, a number of cities such as Bristol have been struggling to implement suitable traffic systems. As mentioned by Bristol City Council’s spokesperson, councils are responsible for reducing emissions in their constituencies as well as making the roads safe for other users such as cyclists and buses. Unfortunately, this often means that motorists will encounter more traffic systems on their routes and will therefore have to wait longer in traffic.

Do you think Bristol is the worst place in the UK for motorists? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or get in touch with us on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter!

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

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Is Bristol the Worst Spot to Drive in the UK?