Labour Councillor for Caerau Peter Bradbury says Cardiff Bus didn’t warn locals before changing a route that’s popular with older people.
Capital Links, part of Cardiff Bus, has changed the route of the number 15 bus from the city centre to University Hospital of Wales and it no longer stops at Heol Yr Odyn and Cwrt-Yr-Ala. Capital Links says its buses are too big to go down these roads but Cllr Bradbury says this is not true. “We see no reason why it can go down Caerau Lane which is a narrow road, and it can’t go down these other roads.”
Locals are unhappy because this means they will have to walk nearly a mile further to get to their nearest bus stop.
Cllr Bradbury says,
“The route is non-profitable because it’s mostly used by over sixty-fives, who are the most badly affected by the change. They’re usually people on their way to appointments at Heath Hospital or returning from the city centre carrying heavy shopping bags.”
He says more than a hundred people have now signed a petition to restore the original bus route. Several petitioners attended a meeting last week with Cardiff Bus and were told they will trial the original route but if they reinstate it, it will take 56 days.
Cardiff Bus has been unavailable for comment.
