Plaid Cymru are trying to reverse the decision by Cardiff City Council to transform Waungron Road Recycling Centre into a bus interchange.
The £2 million investment plan was scrutinised this week, and will return to the cabinet for review, before being discussed again.
Michael Deem prospective Plaid Cymru candidate for Radyr and Morganstown says there is lack of detail in the plans put forward and the figures do not stack up.
‘A huge concern of ours is the congestion it’s going to cause along local roads. St Fagans Road is already notoriously busy during rush hour traffic, to put an extra 50 buses onto that road every morning is completely unrealistic’.
Mr Deem says, ‘They spent a lot of money actually building the recycling centre, it wasn’t opened very long and was extremely popular. You’ve got to factor in that waste of money as well’.
‘We’ve seen recycling centres close across the city and as a result fly-tipping has increased. We’ve pledged if we’re elected in May to re-open the recycling centre’.
Cyclists in Cardiff say there needs to be investment in public transport, ‘Cars are over used in the city for short, local trips and as a result bus services suffer congestion’.
A Spokesperson for Cardiff City Council says, ‘To put this into context, there have been ten call ins over the last five years. It is an essential part of the Council’s governance process and we welcome the further assessment of this decision’.
Andrew Mabey, campaigner at Cardiff Cycle City says, ‘Increasing the provision for public transport is to be applauded’.
‘A transport hub might make things slightly better for people who already use the bus network, however, motorists won’t make the switch to public transport if there is no impact on their ability to drive their cars’.
Mr Mabey says the council should consider investing the £2 million into new bus lanes rather than a new interchange at Waungron Road.
