News / Transport
Controversial bus gate that raked in £500,000 in fines has ‘catastrophic design flaws’
A local resident has compiled a damning dossier on a controversial bus gate in the hope of demonstrating its “catastrophic design flaws”.
As Bristol24/7 first revealed in March, the bus gate on Spike Island resulted in 30,000 fines in its first three months since coming into operation in January, bringing in £500,000 for Bristol City Council.
Only applicable on the inbound lane, the bus gate prioritises public transport over private vehicles by only allowing buses, cycles, taxis and motorcycles to enter the central areas of the city using Cumberland Road.
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Matt Sanders, an architect by training but who most recently has worked for Aardman Animations, realised many of his colleagues were “getting caught out” at the bus gate and landing hefty fines.
Taking matters into his own hands, Sanders has sent the council a 150-page document which brands the situation a “scandal” and outlines a “catalogue of shortcomings” on the piece of road infrastructure.
A spokesperson for the council said they have taken several steps to enhance the bus gate’s visibility, including installing extra signs in the area alongside clear road markings.
Matt Sanders has complied a damning dossier on a controversial bus gate in the hope of demonstrating its “catastrophic design flaws”
Sanders believes the number of fines handed out during the bus gates first three months is “alarming”.
The national average for a bus gate is around 5,000 fines per year, he says, but Cumberland Road’s triggered 29,078 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in the first three months.
Sanders estimates the bus gate could rack up 116,000 PCNs in 2024, which he argues would fetch the council £4m.
“The traffic island should have a ‘No Entry’ sign, and not a bus route sign,” says Matt Sanders
Speaking to Bristol24/7 about his motivations, Sanders said: “Because I already knew the details and the information for the traffic signs manual, I could tell it immediately that the bus gate wasn’t compliant with regulations.
“So, I’ve looked into it further and written a dossier for the council to show where they’ve gone wrong.
“And also, to show that there are catastrophic design flaws in the whole thing. I’ve also offered an alternative design.
“So, either they could get rid of the bus gate, or they could redesign it properly, complying with the regulations.”
“Cumberland Road admits four vehicle types, so sign 953B is used — but that should be 900mm in diameter, not 750mm,” says Sanders
“I’ve written up my findings, partly for the benefit of the council officers and the councillors, so they can see where they’ve gone wrong and also for the benefit of the public who may want to challenge their fines,” Sanders added.
“I’ve listed at least a dozen ways in which the bus gate fails to comply with regulations. And I believe a lot of the mistakes are genuine mistakes.
“The council or some people in the council, transport department maybe aren’t quite familiar with all the rules…
“My conclusion is that there are so many errors in the bus gate and it isn’t enforceable.
“The council should refund all the fines, get rid of the bus gate altogether or redesign it properly to comply with the regulations.”
“One of the major problems is that it sets a junction between Cumberland Road and Gas Ferry Road.
“But instead of being at the junction, it’s 30 metres beyond and cars then drive all the way to the bus gate before they realise it’s there.
“Then have to either reverse backwards and go around the corner into Gas Ferry Road or do a three-point turn or a U-turn in the middle of the road.”
Matt Sanders compiled a damning dossier on the “shortcoimngs” of bus gate on Cumberland Road – screenshot: Milan Perera
A spokeperson for Bristol City Council said: “National government regulations only require councils to display two signs for a bus gate, but we have installed 14 signs in the area for this one alongside clear ‘bus gate’ road markings.
“To give extra warning, an electronic sign was put in place for a month shortly after the bus gate was installed in September 2023.
“People who continued to drive through this bus gate in error were issued with warning letters as a reminder, before the first Penalty Charge Notices were issued four months later in January 2024.”
The spokesperson added: “All vehicles can still travel eastbound on Cumberland Road up to the bus gate, which means that the SS Great Britain and other nearby Spike Island attractions can still be accessed from both directions.
“Motorists should always follow road signs, rather than sat navs/navigation devices. You would need to contact those route providers directly about their software.
“While councils are not required to install red road surfacing at bus gates, we have taken this step at the Cumberland Road bus gate to further enhance its visibility.”
The matters raised by Sanders are due to be discussed by members of the new transport committee, chaired by Green councillor Ed Plowden, a former director at sustainable transport charity, Sustrans.
All photos: Milan Perera
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