Citizens Advice offices write to Metro Mayor candidates about public transport links and digital inclusion
- Citizens Advice offices covering the West of England Combined Authority area (and North Somerset) have published an open letter to the Metro Mayor candidates ahead of the election on 1stMay
- Leaders of the charities are concerned people struggling in the region are being left without joined-up bus routes
- They also state people who cannot access the internet are at risk of being left behind and must be factored into digital inclusion strategies
READ THE OPEN LETTER TO THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES HERE.
The candidates for West of England Metro Mayor are being asked to improve transport connections and provision for those unable to access the internet.
The leaders of the local Citizens Advice offices covering the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) area have written an open letter to the six people in the running for the post.
The charities – which support the move towards bus franchising – argue the people struggling in the region who they help are being put under extra pressure by problems with public transport connectivity.
And they state WECA’s digital inclusion strategies need to recognise some people are simply not able to access the internet and so are being let down by, for instance, bus timetables not being available in printed format.
The letter is signed by leaders of Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire, Citizens Advice Bristol, Citizens Advice Bath & North East Somerset and Citizens Advice North Somerset. North Somerset is not currently part of WECA but is likely to be joining soon.
There is currently no direct bus from Thornbury to Yate – meaning anyone needing to visit Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire’s office in Yate for debt advice would need to travel into Bristol and out again.
And WECA’s definition of digital inclusion does not consider those who are unable to access the internet, the letter argues. For example, someone living in temporary accommodation may struggle to find bus times as their bus provider no longer provides paper timetables.
The Citizens Advice offices between them help more than 26,000 people across the region per year.
Advice areas include but are not limited to benefits, debt, housing and cost-of-living-related issues.
The charities want to engage those campaigning for the post at this stage in order to strike up a working relationship with the successful candidate.
The letter is signed by:
- Chantal Watts, CEO of Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire
- Richard Yates, Operations Manager of Citizens Advice Bath & North East Somerset
- Jon Shoesmith, CEO of Citizens Advice Bristol
- Amy Jones, CEO of Citizens Advice North Somerset
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire CEO Chantal Watts said: “Our clients can run up against real logistical problems with getting to important appointments or accessing vital information and services depending on their location and level of digital access or competency.
“We want the mayoral candidates to be considering these challenges faced by their potential constituents, and invite them to acknowledge and respond to our concerns.
“We would be useful partners for the incoming mayor and would welcome the chance to meet with candidates now – or with the winner of the election after 1st May.”
The letter can be read in full here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nkuCAdk39bCWKM0JyZlPZ3XYIYIourKW/view?usp=sharing
Published 25/04/25
