Amid mounting pressure from local people, Cardiff Council has announced this week that the controversial free “b” bus service which operates in the city centre will be axed.
We reported last week how a group of young people from the city were planning a demonstration to protest against the service which they say is a drain on public expenses. The decision was made to stage a protest after it emerged that the cost to transport each passenger on the free “b” bus stood at £9, which many argued was a waste of taxpayers’ money.
An alternative means of transport is being lined up. The council is looking to introduce an electric powered 7-seater people carrier to take-over from the two single-decker buses which were used to run continuous circuits around the city. The main issue with the buses was that the service wasn’t taken up by many passengers, which resulted in the bus often travelling around the city half empty.
The new people carrier will have full wheelchair access, and will experiment with a range of new routes around the city centre, including possibly, some pedestrianised streets.
Cardiff Council is also considering running trials on a dial-a-ride minibus service for people with mobility issues to allow them to have access to shops in Cardiff’s city centre.