No buses to Balloon Fiesta

Shuttle buses will not be available during Bristol’s annual Balloon Fiesta due to a national shortage of drivers.

First West of England, which normally runs the service between the city centre and Ashton Court, linked its loss of drivers to Brexit, COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), and strikes.

The Balloon Fiesta’s operations director, Ben Hardy, said they had ‘exhausted’ all viable alternatives to the shuttle bus service.

Organisers are advising visitors to ‘plan ahead’ and walk, drive, or cycle from the city centre instead.