Bristol Voted Worst City in Britain for Motorists

Book Theory Test Today investigates why Britain’s best place to live has been singled out as a bad city for motorists.

Boasting a high theory test and practical driving exam pass rate, you’d think that Bristol would be a haven for motorists living in the city. However, a car drivers’ group holds a somewhat different opinion.

Referring to speed limits, parking zones, bus lanes, one way systems and even theory test conduction, the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) has identified Bristol as one of the country’s worst for drivers.

Book Theory Test Today states: “It appears that the ABD is on a mission to sift out the best and worst councils across the UK from the viewpoint of drivers. Ultimately, they have crowned Bristol as the worse.”

What’s the ABD?

Book Theory Test Today says: “It’s a pressure group with a mission to, in their words, ‘provide an active, responsible voice to lobby for Britain’s beleaguered drivers’.”

This latest escapade, criticising everything from the state of roads through to theory test centres, has seen the group create a five-minute video focusing on everything they think is wrong with the state of motoring in Bristol. The video ends by urging motorists to send in their views.

Complaints

In particular, the video is extremely critical of the state of Bristol’s highways, especially in the city centre. The video begins by declaring Bristol to be an ‘anti-car’ city where road space has been ‘deliberately’ taken away from motorists.

The video gives particular attention to the state of the M32, Whiteladies Road, Baldwin Street and the Portway and even attacks the shoddy state of theory test centres in which candidates have to sit their theory exam in poorly maintained buildings.

Narrated by ABD director, Brian Macdowall, he says within the video: “What you see (in Bristol) is road space deliberately taken from drivers causing congestion, frustration, and stop-start journeys.”

He added: “Many residential areas in the Southville district have narrow roads, negating the need to spend £2.3 million introducing unnecessary limits. The main A4 road into the city has a mix of speed limits, which are confusing, bear no relation to the natural speed of the road and have not prevented a number of deaths on the road.”

He continued: “Other examples of bad planning are bus stops in the middle of the road in Old Market, which necessitates buses and other vehicles crossing lanes with each other at junctions, multiple pedestrian crossings on short stretches of road and excessive use of traffic lights, particularly on roundabouts.”

He concludes: “Parking is expensive, with off-street parking costing £20 for a working day in the centre of the city. This causes many commuters to park in surrounding residential streets.”

Book Theory Test Today says: “The cost of driving in Bristol is above the country average and although it boasts a high theory test and practical exam pass rate, costs such as parking and fuel prices prevent motorists, who have recently passed a theory test or practical exam, from being able to afford to operate a vehicle.

Book Theory Test Today offers an intermediary service assisting clients with booking a UK theory test, or practical test, at test centres across the nation. The service also supplies resources to help you prepare for your theory test – Ready to take your theory test? Book your theory test online today…

(Image source: Flickr)

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 27th, 2014 at 7:32 pm and is filed under Driving Safety, Road Safety. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.