60,000 Bristol jobs are expected to be created after the go-ahead was given for five new transport schemes, This Is Bristol reports.
The Department for Transport's decision to approve the multi-million pound Rapid Bus Transport (RBT) plans has been warmly welcomed by businesses and council members in the area. It means the South Bristol Link project can go ahead, as can the Hengrove to North Fringe route scheme.
The news is great not only for local people who can enjoy a vastly improved transport infrastructure, but also for the many unemployed who could apply for one of the many job vacancies. The recruitment drive may draw people from around the area, with many potentially searching for Bristol lettings so that they can easily commute to the sites.
Funding all five projects - which also include a route from Ashton Vale to Temple Meads, plus transport improvements in Weston-super-Mare and Bath - will cost the government around £136 million.
However, councillor Tim Kent left people in no doubt as to his reaction, telling Bristol 24-7 that the city is "the most competitive and economically sound city in England outside the capital, in spite of under-investment in public transport in the past.
"Now our great city will finally get the public transport system that a major league player deserves," he added.
The work should be completed by December 2016.