"We are going to do this": WECA Mayor update on mass transit plans
Dan Norris says negotiations are ongoing over a mass transit system for the West of England
Last updated 22nd Jan 2024
The West of England Mayor has told Hits Radio that he does not lose any sleep over whether the region will get a mass transit system.
Our area's political leaders have been exploring the idea for years, but any progress is currently on hold, with them unable to agree a way forward.
The three leaders of Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council and South Gloucestershire Council all want to see the idea of some sort of underground network explored further, but at a meeting of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) last year (6 October) WECA Mayor Dan Norris vetoed that option, saying he won't waste taxpayers money on something he believes will never happen.
Progress has been paused ever since, so we asked Mr Norris for an update.
He said: ""There are always conversations going on continuously between all the various officers and the politicians, but I am very confident that we will work our way through this.
"I don't lose any sleep at night over whether we are going to do this, we are going to do this, because it's in all our communities interests, where ever people live right across the West of England...we need a good public transport system that serves the needs of our people.
"I think we all agree what the problem is, we've got to now agree what the solution is."
The idea of a mass transit system featuring underground sections was first put forward by Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, who argues it would not be possible to have a network above ground, in busy areas of the city such as on Gloucester Road.
At the WECA meeting on 6 October last year, Mr Norris, Mr Rees, Kevin Guy who runs BANES Council and Claire Young who runs South Gloucestershire each had a vote on whether to spend £650,000 further exploring the underground idea.
The leaders of Bristol, BANES and South Gloucestershire all voted to spend the money, but as is his right as WECA Mayor, Mr Norris vetoed the proposal.
Speaking to us most recently he reiterated his reasoning.
"Undergrounds are hugely expensive," he said.
"If the government wants to give us £18 billion for an underground system, fantastic, we'll have it and we'll get on with it, but that isn't the reality.
"We haven't got that funding, we're unlikely to get that funding...it just isn't there."
We asked each of WECA's constituent councils for comment and a spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said: "As a council we have not taken a position on whether any elements of a mass transit system should be under or over-ground but consider at this stage we should consider all of the evidence and analysis gathered before ruling any options in or out.
"It is important to explore all the options to find a solution that provides real alternatives to car travel for the journeys that people want and need to make.”
Neither Bristol City Council nor BANES Council responded to our request for comment.