Better Transport
20% of journeys in Britain are less than one mile
38% of journeys are less than two miles
66% are less than five miles
38% of journeys are less than two miles
66% are less than five miles
Fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector are on the rise. It is the only sector of the economy where this is the case and it is because we are driving bigger cars, having more deliveries, and flying more.
As the figures above demonstrate, it’s perfectly possible to change this. We can cut our fuel consumption, save ourselves money, and give ourselves better mental and physical health. Many options are likely to save us time.
Are you one of the many that could benefit from car sharing or could you switch to an electric vehicle? You may find it useful to start noting down how much you spend on petrol/diesel and how far your journeys are. Most of us over-estimate (by far) how many long-distance journeys we do. It’s worth looking at all your car-related costs – insurance, tax, servicing, repairs, breakdown cover etc. With overnight charging, EVs are now fully cost-competitive with fossil fuel.
Below are some suggestions for local resources.
- Journey Planning
- Public Transport
- Cycling in Bristol
- Walking in Bristol
- Little Scooters and Big Scooters
- Car Pooling
- Car Sharing
- Electric Car Renting or Leasing
- Traditional Car Rental
- Buying an Electric Car
- Travel Options for Businesses
1. Journey planning
There is a wealth of information on the Travelwest website, including a journey planner that covers all forms of transport within Bristol and across the region. Traveline SW goes even further, for journeys down into Cornwall.
2. Public transport
Travelwest has full information on bus and train timetables, real-time information, ticket prices, travel cards, accessibility and even lost property. The website also gives information on Metrobus services and Bristol’s Park and Rides. If you use these services regularly, an app on your phone will give you up-to-the-minute information. UK Bus Checker is another option and First Bus has its own app which makes tickets cheaper.
Trainline has an app to give you real time information, as does GWR. Train travel cards exist for a very wide range of people, and the Freedom Travel Pass combines rail and bus and is available to everyone for a day, a week or a calendar month. Here is information about train travel with a bike.
3. Cycling in Bristol
To plan a bike journey in Bristol, CycleStreets and Better By Bike are two good resources.
If you are new to cycling, Better By Bike has lots of information about how to get started including details of a loan bike scheme, and even a free service of someone to accompany you to give you confidence.
Bristol Cycle Shack will loan you a bike for £15 per day, 10am to 5pm.
If you do want to buy your own bike the Bristol Bike Project sell fully refurbished second-hand bikes very cheaply. They also service bikes, provide space and tools for DIY repairs, teach bike maintenance courses and accept bike donations.
Better By Bike has a map of bike shops around Bristol, with several in our area.
We also have two electric bike shops in our area. Electric bikes are a fantastic way to make getting up our nightmarish hills a whole lot easier. Atmosphere Electric Bikes can be found on St George's Road (by the Jacob's Wells Road roundabout) and Electric Bike Sales Bristol is on Lower Redland Road (just off Whiteladies Road).
Revos is one of several companies selling electric bike conversion kits which can turn your normal pushbike into an electric bike at much lower cost than buying a new bike.
To plan a bike journey in Bristol, CycleStreets and Better By Bike are two good resources.
If you are new to cycling, Better By Bike has lots of information about how to get started including details of a loan bike scheme, and even a free service of someone to accompany you to give you confidence.
Bristol Cycle Shack will loan you a bike for £15 per day, 10am to 5pm.
If you do want to buy your own bike the Bristol Bike Project sell fully refurbished second-hand bikes very cheaply. They also service bikes, provide space and tools for DIY repairs, teach bike maintenance courses and accept bike donations.
Better By Bike has a map of bike shops around Bristol, with several in our area.
We also have two electric bike shops in our area. Electric bikes are a fantastic way to make getting up our nightmarish hills a whole lot easier. Atmosphere Electric Bikes can be found on St George's Road (by the Jacob's Wells Road roundabout) and Electric Bike Sales Bristol is on Lower Redland Road (just off Whiteladies Road).
Revos is one of several companies selling electric bike conversion kits which can turn your normal pushbike into an electric bike at much lower cost than buying a new bike.
If you want to find out more about what’s happening policy-wise with cycling routes, or want to get involved in campaigning, the Bristol Cycling Campaign is an active network.
4. Walking in Bristol
The journey planning sites mentioned above generally include walking options, but walkit.com is aimed specifically at helping you to get from A to B on foot. Walking maps are available here.
If you would like to get more involved with campaigning for better pedestrian routes, the Bristol Walking Alliance is your best bet.
The journey planning sites mentioned above generally include walking options, but walkit.com is aimed specifically at helping you to get from A to B on foot. Walking maps are available here.
If you would like to get more involved with campaigning for better pedestrian routes, the Bristol Walking Alliance is your best bet.
5. Little Scooters and Big Scooters
Push-scooters have become increasingly popular among adults. The advice from commuter-users is to buy good quality from the start.
Push-scooters have become increasingly popular among adults. The advice from commuter-users is to buy good quality from the start.
"I love my push scooter - it really helps me to get to work much quicker because the buses from Totterdown to Clifton just aren't good enough. It's also really good fun to ride, even if I do have to push it up hills, and there's a nice sense of community when I pass another scooter user and we give each other a little nod." - Jenny, The Court Hairdressing
Electric scooters are still illegal on public land, although you will see them being used. Bristol is having a trial of electric scooters on roads and cycle lanes in 2020.
Electric moped-style scooters are becoming more popular, particularly as batteries can be taken off and charged indoors, meaning you are not necessarily dependent on EV charging infrastructure. Eco-Move opened recently in Hotwells and they sell electric motorbikes, electric scooters and electric bikes. You can also book a test drive at Avon Motorcycles. Electric motorbikes are also available.
Electric scooters are still illegal on public land, although you will see them being used. Bristol is having a trial of electric scooters on roads and cycle lanes in 2020.
Electric moped-style scooters are becoming more popular, particularly as batteries can be taken off and charged indoors, meaning you are not necessarily dependent on EV charging infrastructure. Eco-Move opened recently in Hotwells and they sell electric motorbikes, electric scooters and electric bikes. You can also book a test drive at Avon Motorcycles. Electric motorbikes are also available.
6. Car Pooling
There are a few new platforms emerging which allow their users to coordinate with each other, to share lifts and reduce the number of single occupancy cars on our roads. The most popular one in Bristol is Lift Share, which has loads of journeys going all across our region. BlaBlaCar and GoCarShare are others.
Karshare allows car owners to rent their vehicle out while they aren't using it. You can also rent your car out through Turo, Hiyacar or Getaround.
There are a few new platforms emerging which allow their users to coordinate with each other, to share lifts and reduce the number of single occupancy cars on our roads. The most popular one in Bristol is Lift Share, which has loads of journeys going all across our region. BlaBlaCar and GoCarShare are others.
Karshare allows car owners to rent their vehicle out while they aren't using it. You can also rent your car out through Turo, Hiyacar or Getaround.
7. Car Sharing
Some people need a car some of the time but not often enough to necessitate owning one of their own. For those people car sharing services are a great help. There are three companies that cover Bristol – Co-wheels, Enterprise CarClub and ZipCar – and they have cars and vans parked in dedicated bays, ready for you to hire on an hourly or daily basis. This map shows the bays.
Some people need a car some of the time but not often enough to necessitate owning one of their own. For those people car sharing services are a great help. There are three companies that cover Bristol – Co-wheels, Enterprise CarClub and ZipCar – and they have cars and vans parked in dedicated bays, ready for you to hire on an hourly or daily basis. This map shows the bays.
"Six months ago, after considering environmental and financial factors, we decided to get rid of ours. The financial gain was immediately obvious (insurance! fuel costs! servicing!) but an unexpected gain was relief - the responsibilities of car ownership were lifted! Our experience with Co-wheels has been very good. Cars are readily available, even at short notice, at a number of pick-up points in Bristol. Communication - if there are any queries - is excellent. The booking process is simple and clear - and I speak as someone who has wept over booking train tickets online! Co-Wheels operates as a social enterprise, which means all profits go back into improving and expanding the car club service for everybody. We do recommend that you check it out" - Heather Lister and Richard Drake.
As a member of a car club, you book a car online, over the phone, or with an app (depending on which company you’re using) and use an app or smartcard to access the car, with no need for keys. When you’ve finished with the car, you put it back in its bay. You just pay for the distance you drove and the hire time. With electric cars, you generally don’t pay for the fuel and the companies also take care of the insurance, servicing and cleaning.
There are many financial advantages to not owning – the biggest is the avoidance of the up-front capital and the depreciation in value. But perhaps even better - you don’t have to spend ages driving around trying to find a parking space.
There are many financial advantages to not owning – the biggest is the avoidance of the up-front capital and the depreciation in value. But perhaps even better - you don’t have to spend ages driving around trying to find a parking space.
8. Electric Car Renting or Leasing
There are an increasing number of electric car leasing sites that will deliver to your door. They can be leased for very short periods (eg for a wedding) or for weeks or months at a time. Here are a few but others can be found online.
If you're travelling to some major European cities and want to hire an electric car WeShare might be what you're looking for.
There are an increasing number of electric car leasing sites that will deliver to your door. They can be leased for very short periods (eg for a wedding) or for weeks or months at a time. Here are a few but others can be found online.
If you're travelling to some major European cities and want to hire an electric car WeShare might be what you're looking for.
9. Traditional car rental
Unlike car clubs, traditional car and van rental companies such as Avis, Europcar and Hertz hold their vehicles at their depots and you have to go there to pick them up. This map shows the location of all the companies.
Unlike car clubs, traditional car and van rental companies such as Avis, Europcar and Hertz hold their vehicles at their depots and you have to go there to pick them up. This map shows the location of all the companies.
10. Buying an Electric Car
If you need advice on buying an electric car, there are plenty of sites online giving guidance. One suggestion is the GreenCarGuide. Another highly recommended option is to attend the annual (June) Fully Charged Show at Silverstone where almost every car is on show and there are specialists to answer all questions. Here is one lecture from the 2019 event on ‘How to choose an electric car’.
Ovo also provides a useful guide to batteries and EV charging. ZapMaps and Carwow will tell you where the public charging points are across Bristol and the rest of the country. Bristol City Council has recently announced plans for several more charging stations and TravelWest has a page dedicated to updates on charging.
If you are looking for a second hand EV, the Drive Green showroom near Shepton Mallet has been highly recommended by several sources.
If you need advice on buying an electric car, there are plenty of sites online giving guidance. One suggestion is the GreenCarGuide. Another highly recommended option is to attend the annual (June) Fully Charged Show at Silverstone where almost every car is on show and there are specialists to answer all questions. Here is one lecture from the 2019 event on ‘How to choose an electric car’.
Ovo also provides a useful guide to batteries and EV charging. ZapMaps and Carwow will tell you where the public charging points are across Bristol and the rest of the country. Bristol City Council has recently announced plans for several more charging stations and TravelWest has a page dedicated to updates on charging.
If you are looking for a second hand EV, the Drive Green showroom near Shepton Mallet has been highly recommended by several sources.
For new and second hand, Wessex Electric Car Dealership is one option, as is EcoCars4Sale.
Several electricity suppliers are offering deals (or ‘bundles’) to positively support the roll out of EVs. For example, Octopus offers cars to hire, the installation of charging equipment and low night time tariffs to encourage off-peak charging; Ovo provides fixed tariffs and access to charging points; and Ecotricity also has a tariff that includes access to its own charging network.
Several electricity suppliers are offering deals (or ‘bundles’) to positively support the roll out of EVs. For example, Octopus offers cars to hire, the installation of charging equipment and low night time tariffs to encourage off-peak charging; Ovo provides fixed tariffs and access to charging points; and Ecotricity also has a tariff that includes access to its own charging network.
11. Travel Options for Businesses
For a detailed look at what options exist for businesses that want to use transport more sustainably head over to our Business Transport Resources page.
For a detailed look at what options exist for businesses that want to use transport more sustainably head over to our Business Transport Resources page.
Did you find our resources helpful?
If so, please make a donation to support our work. We can't do it without you!
If so, please make a donation to support our work. We can't do it without you!