Bus journey times 'will be shorter' (From Penarth Times)

Bus journey times 'will be shorter'

PENARTH bus users will soon benefit from two traffic prioritisation schemes at Windsor Road - the first of their kind in the Vale.

The measures will give buses priority over other vehicles, reducing journey times into Cardiff and encouraging increased use of public transport.

The improvement work, set to begin in the next few weeks, will take place at bus stops outside Dingle Road Station and Cogan Leisure Centre and will include a range of cost effective solutions designed to ease the passage of buses in busy traffic.

Although a new initiative for the Vale, the measures have been used elsewhere in the UK and include built-out pavements, raised kerbs, tactile pavers and coloured tarmac.

The scheme will be financed by a transport grant from the National Assembly, and there will soon be consultation with Cardiff Bus.

According to the authority, after consideration of other options including a bus only lane along sections of Windsor Road and a one-way system centred on Plassey Street and Arcot Street, the chosen improvements present the most cost effective method of reducing bus journey times.

Cllr Tony Williams, the Vale's cabinet member for planning and transportation, said: "The council considers that bus prioritisation measures, like those planned for Windsor Road, can make an important contribution to improving the people's perception of public transport.

"By giving buses priority over other vehicles on congested roads, journey times can be reduced and buses become a more viable option. Small scale schemes like these can, therefore, make a major contribution to reducing traffic congestion on our roads."