At a recent meeting, Bristol City Council went ahead with a £48 million bendy bus scheme despite Government warnings that the money may not be there.

You could understand if the money was for the reopening of the Portishead rail line to passengers. But a bendy bus? It is not worth taking the risk. The council is prepared to risk £170,000 for it. Is this taxpayers' money? We are all told to tighten our belts, expect no pay rises for two years. Do I need to carry on?

How many times has it got to be said the bendy bus is not up to the job? It speaks volumes when other places around the country are getting rid of it, including Boris Johnson's London.

The obvious choice to cure Bristol's transport problems is our local rail network. This is where the problem starts. It seems our local decision makers do not want to invest in our local railways.

The council wants to spend £40m to have a bendy bus route from Ashton Vale to Temple Meads. Why spend this £40m on a new route into Bristol when nearby is the Portishead rail line that runs from Ashton Gate directly into Bristol Temple Meads station. No money needs to be spent on new bridges and the infrastructure for the railway is all in place. It beggars belief the council is ignoring the railway with its obvious advantages.

The catchment area along this rail corridor is huge, and could include a new station at Ashton Gate for the new Bristol City football stadium at Ashton Vale. And if Sainsbury's supermarket gets built, a new Ashton Gate station would come into its own. Also on this direct rail route into Bristol are Parson Street and Bedminster stations. If the travelling public had a half-hour train service here this line would be well used .

The £170,000 would be better spent on a new platform at Shirehampton park and ride site. This is where the money is needed on the successful Severn Beach line that is attracting new passengers all the time. People coming into Bristol from South Wales and Portishead could use this park and ride site. It is ideal for them to leave their cars there and then travel by train to their work in Bristol. By getting people to use this park and ride site it would reduce traffic congestion in Bristol.

Millions of pounds have been spent on showcase buses and bus lanes. For all this there has not been much increase in passengers using the buses. Compare this with the successful increase in people using the railways, up between 35 to 45 per cent and still climbing. Our local railways are crying out for investment, but they are being ignored because our decision makers prefer buses that cannot attract passengers like the railways. It is quite obvious the Bristol public want railway investment.

Forget the bendy bus and invest in successful Bristol railways.

Dave Wood is a member of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union, Bristol. The above is written in a personal capacity.