One of the most powerful things about research is what happens when you stop speaking for people, and instead hand over the tools for them to tell their own stories. This is exactly what we did over the past few weeks with a group of first-year economics students from the University of Bristol. As part of a project exploring transport inequality in Bristol, we asked four student research teams to look closely at their own lives, and the lives of their peers, to answer a simple but surprisingly complex question: How well does transport in Bristol actually work for students and young people?
Produced by 1st year University of Bristol Econ students
For this, they were tasked to: Investigate the challenges. Speak to peers. Analyse the data. And then create something that could speak directly to policymakers, transport providers, and decision-makers in the city. What they produced was impressive. A powerful video, drawing together insights from their own research, mapping, and conversations with students across all year groups and disciplines in Bristol. You can watch their video above.
A city divided by distance
Alongside the video, the student groups also produced detailed presentations unpacking what they found and what they thought should change. Their answers tell us a lot: not just about buses and routes, but about inequality, housing, cost of living, and the basic geography of student life.
One of the clearest patterns that emerged from their research was this: if you live near the city centre, your experience of transport in Bristol is radically different from those living further out. Students in East Village or Stoke Bishop, often first years in university accommodation, benefit from direct buses like the U1, subsidised routes, and quick access to campus, and many of this cohort did not feel that transport was especially expensive or difficult. But for students who have moved out of halls from their 2nd year, or those living in areas like Knowle West, or further north, the story changes dramatically.
Transport deserts and invisible barriers
Students told us that getting around Bristol on public transport is hard, not because they do not want to use it, but because the routes, schedules, and services often fail to line up with how student life actually works. The University’s U1 bus came in for particular criticism. While it is supposed to cater to students, its limited route and times mean many are left isolated — especially in the evenings, on weekends, or during the holidays when service cuts leave entire areas disconnected.
Students living outside of Stoke Bishop or Clifton, especially those based in areas like Easton, Bedminster, or even further afield, feel particularly left behind. Students surveyed in Redland, for example, reported that it was often quicker to walk to campus than to wait for the bus. Others highlighted how few reliable options there were outside of peak university hours. This led students to describe parts of Bristol as “transport deserts” — areas where the lack of good public transport limits not just mobility, but also social life, access to jobs, and participation in university events.
Affordability is relative
Interestingly, not all students thought transport was unaffordable, but those who did were overwhelmingly students who had to take multiple buses or travel from the city’s outskirts. This distinction between perceptions of cost is crucial; for many, the cost issue was not just about the price of a single ticket, but about needing to take multiple trips daily, or about being excluded from the subsidised routes others could access. Several students explained that transport costs were eating into money needed for food, books, and even rent. Some felt forced to live further away from campus due to rising rents, only to find themselves burdened by higher travel costs and longer, more stressful commutes.
One of the sharpest insights that emerged here overall, was that housing and transport cannot be treated separately. As Bristol’s rental market pushes students further out, transport becomes not just an issue of convenience, but of survival. Students juggling part-time jobs, studies, and evening commitments described exhausting commutes and a growing feeling of isolation.
What students want: cheaper fares, better coverage, more night buses
Importantly, the students were not just diagnosing problems. They were offering solutions too. When asked how transport in Bristol could be improved for students and young people, the answers were strikingly consistent across different groups.
- A student fare cap to make transport genuinely affordable: £1.50 per journey and £18 per week. So that it ensures subsidised travel available to all students, not just those living in university accommodation.
- Expanded routes and frequency for the U1 service – including evening, night-time and weekend provision, and better connection to the city centre year-round.
- A dedicated travel support scheme for students living furthest from campus due to housing pressures.
- Extend the student bus pass to cover more of the city
- Ensure buses run reliably and on time
Students living further away felt that the current system heavily favours first years in university accommodation, leaving others with long, expensive commutes.
Creative solutions from students
Perhaps most creatively, one group proposed that the University of Bristol should partner with Uber to support low-income students commuting from further afield, an idea they knew would be controversial, but which reflected a genuine frustration with the limits of the current system.
Final reflections: Why this matters
These findings come at an important moment. Bristol is a city in flux, grappling with how to make its transport network more equitable, sustainable, and accessible. But young people’s voices are often missing from those conversations. This project was a reminder that no one knows the reality of Bristol’s transport system better than the people using it every day.
For policymakers, service providers, and the University itself, there is something deeply valuable about listening closely to the patterns, frustrations, and ideas that emerge when young people are given the space to research their own lives. The students were able to capture not just a snapshot of transport in Bristol today, but a vision of how it could be better. More joined-up. More affordable. More reflective of real life.
With thanks to the student researchers whose work informed this piece:
Group 1: Jay Mahan; Jaiden Howes; Zaim Rizvi; George Grunberg; Joshua Bryan
Group 2: Laurence Raeder; Ben Li; Oscar Shalson
Group 4 (Video Production): Shreyes Verma; Samshwith Marka; Maya Isabel Binti Nazrin; Henry Lankester Jones
Their creativity, insight, and honesty made this work possible.