BOPF Transport Action Project
This project focuses on a number of transport concerns, including bus services, walkability, cycling and shared spaces and is looking to feed directly into the formal decision making and political structures of public service providers.
A one-year project funded through Bristol Ageing Better (BAB), which started in June 2019 with the launch of a Transport Action Group and our Transport Special Newsletter. We have a core group of twenty older people working on this project with the uptake and interest increasing after every meeting.
The project will support the Age Friendly City Agenda and will help strengthen the Bristol One City Strategy. There are three elements to the project:
- Transport Special Newsletters
- Development of our On-Line Transport Information Hub (via our newly launched Website)
- Formation of our Transport Action Group (TAG)
Current Work
We met with Cllr Kye Dudd (Bristol City Council’s Chair of the Transport Board) Mayor Rees and head of transport policy Alex Perry in November to discuss how best to shape our position on transport.
We outlined our plan for a BOPF Ten Point Transport Manifesto and it was agreed that this can form the basis of ongoing work to:
- influence directly the Bristol One City strategy
- advise on, and work to find, solutions to transport issues identified.
- ensure that our priorities are fed in to policy and decision making at Local Government Level, with service providers like First Bus and Great Western Railway, as well as linking in and influencing regional policy (West of England Combined Authority – WECA) where relevant.
How will it work?
The following has been negotiated.
- The BOPF TAG group will be formally recognised as a ‘Task & Finish’ Sub Group of the Connectivity (Transport) Board. It will meet twice a year with attendance from Cllr Kye Dudd, Alex Perry, BCC Transport Special Advisor and, as identified, the management from First Bus, GWR etc. BOPF will chair the meeting and we will set the agenda.
- We will focus on priorities set out in our Manifesto and work closely in partnership with BCC and transport providers to deliver some tangible outcomes (avoiding talking shops)
- The Manifesto will be used to inform and influence the refresh of the One City Plan (annually).
- This arrangement has now been proposed and adopted at the recent Connectivity (Transport) Board Meeting with the initial meeting set for early February.
This is a solid commitment by Bristol City Council to formally recognise the work of TAG and enable older people to be at the heart of decision making around transport policy. It is a collective approach and we hope it will ensure that we are not just passive bystanders.
Our BOPF Magazine transport launch special went out in the late Summer (2019). A follow-up edition, due out in March 2020, will also focus on transport.