Public transport officers are working in “duplicate jobs” in Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority according to a key campaigner. Strategic transport staff at the council are set to transfer over to the combined authority in a controversial bid to cut costs.
The proposed transfer was previously criticised by Green councillors who said Bristol needed to “transform” the way people travel around the city, in order to tackle climate change. But Labour said the West of England has legal powers over strategic transport.
Now the planned move of staff has been backed by a prominent public transport campaigner. During a cabinet meeting on Monday, May 15, David Redgewell, South West Transport Network, said some services are currently duplicated in both organisations.
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He said: “We’re seeing duplication of services between the West of England Combined Authority and Bristol City Council, and officers doing duplicate jobs with public transport officers here and in the combined authority. We really do need to make savings and transfer staff to the combined authority, where the duties and powers now lie.
“That will make savings for this authority, which is very important. This is supported by all the transport groups who have made statements to full council, by stakeholder groups and by the bus operators. We really need to move everything to the authority that has the governance for public transport service and delivery.”
Work to transfer transport staff is “now underway” according to Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, who said the council was also continuing to cooperate with neighbouring local authorities, for example with South Gloucestershire Council on plans for a new park and ride on the M32.
Mr Rees said: “That work is underway now for the transfer. There was always going to be a period of adjustment between local authorities and combined authorities, to make sure that we’re more than the sum of our parts, to avoid duplication, and to deliver on those cross-border issues.
“Alongside that, we need to continue to work on our cross-border relationships directly with the other local authorities. Because there are things that we can just crack on and do, that have historically been points of cross-border tension. We’ve been working incredibly well on the M32 park and ride, for example.”
