Early proposals around a road user payment scheme in Cardiff have added weight to the argument for ongoing financial support for the Welsh bus industry, one operator active in the city has said.
Adventure Travel Managing Director Adam Keen adds that if the current round of the Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) – recently extended to 24 July – expires without replacement, the period between then and the Welsh Government’s planned introduction of franchising at an unknown date “looks rather bleak” for the industry.
That contrasts with the narrative around road user payment proposals in Cardiff. Monies raised would go towards sustainable transport options, but bus improvements along with a £1 fare on “key routes” would be introduced ahead of any such charging, which could happen in 2027/28 according to a set of draft target dates published by Cardiff Council.
“I would urge local and regional politicians to carefully consider the effect of removing subsidy from public bus services at a time when also trying to persuade the public to leave their cars at home and travel by greener, more sustainable methods,” Mr Keen continues.
“Bus travel is part of the solution to traffic congestion, but it needs onward financial support in the absence of pre-pandemic passenger numbers if it is to meet the needs of the congestion charging scheme.”
While all work around the road user payment proposal is currently at a hypothetical stage, Cardiff Council Leader Cllr Huw Thomas says that congestion is “strangling the city’s economy.”
Cllr Thomas adds that a cleaner and greener transport system is imperative for the Welsh capital. “Funding for this will likely only be possible by the introduction of some form of low-cost road user payment.”
Mr Keen notes that a reliable and comprehensive bus service “needs to be a priority” before any road user charges are implemented. Earlier in 2023, Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters raised the spectre of what he described as “a skeleton service” between the end of BES and the start of franchising. That drew a robust response from the Coach and Bus Association Cymru.
“If congestion charging is to work, there must be a viable alternative method of transport for people travelling through Cardiff city centre,” adds Mr Keen. “Sadly, there looks likely to be a significant reduction in the number of bus services and frequency of journeys being operated, which will do little to persuade people to leave their cars at home.”
Modelling commissioned by the Confederation of Passenger Transport and published in early 2023 showed that with sustained long-term investment, bus use in Wales could greatly increase, including a significant proportion via modal shift from car.
