News / Transport
Ferries in Bristol ‘need to be more accessible’
A prominent disabled transport campaigner has said ferries in Bristol need to become more accessible for people who use wheelchairs.
Ferries operated by several different companies are a familiar sight in the Floating Harbour with Bristol City Council now exploring how to improve water transport.
Passengers have a choice of ferry services around the docks including Bristol Ferry Boats who have recently run a trial service from Netham Lock, Number Seven which runs the cross-harbour ferry and Bristol Packet who earlier this year converted one of their boats to electric in a UK-first.
is needed now More than ever
David Redgewell, a transport campaigner, urged the council to improve accessibility during a transport policy committee meeting.
He said: “It looks to me at the moment that for the ferry services, which are important, there doesn’t appear to be one authority really picking up responsibility for that service.
“There’s a need to make the boats fully accessible.
“They’re never going to be commercial services, this is not Stena Line in Bristol docks.
“What I’m asking today is can you identify which department of the council will take responsibility for the harbour ferry services?
“How can we modernise the boats and the wharfs? Even the Temple Meads ferry terminal is not accessible.”
Mary Brunel is a Rotork Sea Truck co-designed by James Dyson when he was a 23-year-old student at the Royal College of Art – photo: Barbara Evripidou
It is unclear who in the council would take the lead on making the ferries accessible.
A related issue is the convoluted way passengers must buy separate tickets for a ferry, bus or train, despite potentially using more than one mode of transport in a single journey.
In London and many cities in Europe, integrated ticketing lets you buy one ticket to use on buses, trains and metros.
Green councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport committee, said: “I’ll take that away and discuss it with both the combined authority and other policy committee chairs.
“Whoever ends up taking responsibility for this – it may well be this committee – will have it in their sights.
“I for one would like to see much more progress on mobility as a service and integrated ticketing.
“For about eight years now, mobility as a service seems to have been just around the corner. We appear to be letting the best be the enemy of the good on that.
“We need to look at how we can get one single platform for all forms of ticketing in the West of England area, even if it’s not integrated ticketing, that would be a good start.”
The West of England Combined Authority is exploring ticket integration between multiple bus rides and journeys using a bus and a train.
Following that is a “longer-term aspiration” for bus to ferry through-ticketing, according to a written answer provided by the council ahead of the committee meeting.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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