Public meeting held over bus service cuts to Swansea communities

Bus users in one area of Swansea have said they were left waiting an hour for a bus then were crammed onto old buses as cutbacks to city bus services were discussed at a public meeting.

Townhill residents met with a city MP at the Phoenix Centre to discuss the impact of changes to services in the city.

Swansea West MP Geraint Davies said cuts by First Cymru to services in Townhill and Mayhill are a blow to people who rely on public transport.

First Cymru reduced bus services in South West Wales at the end of October last year, saying passenger numbers had dropped and that Welsh Government financial support was being reduced. It then made alterations in December which it said would result in improvements.

Some bus routes are operated on a commercial basis by private companies, while others require taxpayer subsidy.

In February, Swansea Council announced it was subsidising 34 bus routes in Swansea for the next five years.

For this year it means all 26 contracts previously subsidised are being maintained, along with a further seven new contracts for services which were at risk of being stopped by transport operators.

The Welsh Government has proposed legislation which would enable councils to set up and run their own bus services.

Despite the efforts being made, Mr Davies argues there is real concern about the bus service in his constituency and said: "First Cymru has cut the bus services and are raising the fares to make more money. In particular they have cut the number 12 and 13 buses for Townhill and Mayhill from half-hourly to hourly services and withdrawn the number 11 and number 16 buses completely."

Mr Davies said the feedback from residents was that they were losing a vital lifeline with the reduction in buses serving their neighbourhoods.

He added: "Buses are cancelled and unreliable and with people regularly waiting an hour for a bus then being crammed unsafely onto old buses that then take ages going up the hill often breaking down. It’s sometimes cheaper for two people to get an Uber which is bad for the environment and underlines that the prices are extortionate.

"The unreliability of the buses has lost people their jobs, made them miss hospital appointments and university lectures. The tap on tap off system means you don’t know what you’re paying and is charged by distance so the number 12 and number 13 buses are different prices to get to the same place."

He said issues with information about bus schedules at the city centre bus station was causing confusion also, adding: "The information centre at the central bus station isn’t helpful and buses often go to the wrong bay meaning people waiting with mobility problems end up at the back of the queue and miss the bus.

"There’s more priority given to the student Bay Campus buses and free service in school holidays, than providing a decent service for those in greatest need, those people reliant on buses living 'on the hill'."

Mr Davies added: “I’ll be putting together a full account of what was said and meeting up with First Cymru and Swansea Council to make these points and to invite them to a future meeting. Neath Port Talbot spent £3m reinstating 42 lost bus services, that's £70,000 per route and we need the number 11 reinstated in Swansea, and more frequent number 12 and 13 buses. The Bus Network grant for Wales is £39m for Wales and a small part of Swansea’s share of £3m would get the services back and cheaper."

A spokesperson for First Cymru said: "We are in contact with Mr Davies’s office to set up a meeting to discuss the concerns in more detail."

A Swansea Council spokesperson said: "Swansea Council has been in regular discussions with First Cymru since the announced service reductions last autumn.

"Since then the council, through its own budgets and Welsh Government funding, has committed over £4m to protect routes across Swansea and have worked with First Cymru to reinstate a number of services and we are anticipating further routes restarting in the next few months.

"For 2024, all 26 contracts previously subsidised in Swansea are being maintained, along with a further seven new contracts for services which were at risk of being stopped by transport operators.

“This includes the service that operates along Gors Avenue (Service 16) seven days a week, plus the Sunday evening service (Service 12) that covers Mayhill and Townhill.

"We are committed to funding those services for at least five years to ensure that they continue for residents who rely on buses for travelling to work, hospital visits or for visiting family.

"In addition Swansea Council is providing over £400,000 to support free bus rides for everyone on selected dates throughout the year, something not available in any other area of Wales.  

"We do not run bus services, but we will continue to work with First Cymru and the Welsh Government to support bus services across Swansea."