106.5 JACK fm Bristol

As Bristol's open top bus service launches its 18th season, there is anger that one of their main routes will be closed from Monday.

City Sightseeing Bristol, which carries around 18,000 visitors and residents every year, officially starts its summer season today.

But on Thursday night, Bristol City Council announced that Bridge Valley Road, which goes from Clifton down to the Portway, will be shut for repairs from the start of next week.

Warwick Hulme is the Managing Director of Rubicon Classic Enterprises, which runs the service.  He said the decision could not have come at a worse time, as the company has just taken delivery of 140,000 new timetables:

"The closure means our timetable will be totally up in the air.  Instead of going direct from the SS Great Britain up Bridge Valley Road to the Zoo, our buses will face a major detour along Hotwells Road, up Jacobs Wells and eventually up Pembroke Road.

"Tourists will also miss out on one of the most spectacular views of the Suspension Bridge."

Warwick said he would be surprised if the Council had not known in advance about the closure and some consideration of services using the road regularly would have been appreciated.

"We fully understand the safety issues, but why is it going to take so long to secure the rock face?  This is going to cause traffic chaos and the affect on the tourist industry is going to be considerable".

The council say Bridge Valley Road will be closed for "several weeks" from Monday, and it could remain partly closed for about four months.

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