An Oyster-style “Brunel Card” public transport system would be introduced by the Lib Dems if they win control of Bristol City Council at the local elections on May 6.
Scrapping the city’s mayor is one of the pledges in the party’s manifesto.
The group is also promising to build a tidal power generator and promote drug consumption rooms, which are currently illegal.
They would create a “living garden” along the M32 “providing a better welcome into the city” and pump an extra £19 million into children’s play parks in Bristol.
The group pledges to clean up all the city’s rivers and streams by 2030, introduce a credit rating system for reliable renters and ensure “affordable housing” is actually affordable by reviewing the cost level for developers’ social housing obligations.
It would offer greater consultation with residents on plans to revamp Cumberland Basin with a view to protect local green space and encourage more dedicated student housing to reduce pressure on family housing stock while implementing a planning cap on “unsustainable growth by the universities”.
The manifesto backs drug consumption rooms “to reduce deaths, crime and dangerous litter, and to protect the public” and the party would push for drug reform, recreational drug testing and safe rooms for users.
https://www.bristollibdems.org/caroline
Bristol mayor says underground could be a decade away
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-56879181
Candidates from the Conservative Party, Green Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats took part in the televised debate
Bristol's Labour mayor Marvin Rees has said he believes an underground for the city could be open 'within a decade'.
The city's voters will go to the polls on 6 May to choose who takes on the third spell as its elected mayor.
Mr Rees said the scheme could cost £4bn with "national government support" during a special debate for BBC Politics West.
But Conservative Alastair Watson said the scheme was "pie in the sky".
Mr Watson added that there should be more immediate transport improvements, especially with rail and bus, and that the underground "wouldn't happen".
While Liberal Democrat Dr Caroline Gooch suggested cable cars could be an alternative to Bristol's hilly streets.
Sandy Hore-Ruthven of the Green Party suggested Mr Rees had not made improvements quickly enough and that he would introduce half-price fares for under 21s and introduce measures to reduce car journeys in the city.
The candidates were taking part in a televised debate, which covered housing, transport and whether the post of elected mayor should exist at all.
Five other candidates from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Reform UK, Rights for Nature Campaign, and two independent candidates are also campaigning for the job to run Bristol City Council.
Dr Gooch suggested the role of mayor was not democratic and should be abolished.
"The mayor can overrule the majority council decisions, he overruled the Bristol Arena and Bristol Temple Meads and he's not listening to the people of Bristol over his proposed western harbour development," she said.
Mr Rees defended moving the site of the Bristol arena, which was granted planning permission in 2020, to Filton
Mr Watson said that he thought the role had "failed for the city" and that the city had "too many mayors" now.
"We've wasted £50m on a Bristol energy company because he couldn't take that decision, whereas if that had been a leader of the council, we would have saved an awful lot more money."
Mr Rees said "visibility was really important" and the "real decision" was whether the political leader of the city should be elected by the public, or by members of the council.
He also defended the decision to move the planned Bristol Arena project to Filton, saying it would have been "financially disastrous for the city" to build it at Temple Meads.
Bristol's transport issues were also discussed during the exchanges
Mr Hore-Ruthven said the public were telling him they just wanted a mayor that is "going to get things done".
"I would have a cross-party cabinet, I would abide by any full council votes on the big issues, and I think that way we can tweak the city system and make it work," he said.
Mr Rees admitted that the council had been unable to hit his target of 800 affordable homes each year, but claimed they had trebled the amount of affordable homes built during that time.
Full list of Bristol mayoral candidates 2021
Incumbent mayor Marvin Rees (Lab) will be looking to defend his seat and seeks re-election.
Caroline Gooch, (Lib Dem), is a biomedical scientist who wants to scrap the role of mayor. This is her first election.
Sandy Hore-Ruthven (Green) is CEO of a charity for young people who is standing for the first time.
Alistair Watson (Cons) is a business consultant and former Lord Mayor of Bristol.
Tom Baldwin is a candidate from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coaliti
