Some buses stop (From Penarth Times)

Some buses stop

VALE councillors met recently to discuss the controversial proposed bus service revisions for Penarth and Sully, which are due to come into effect at the beginning of November.

Managing director of Cardiff Bus, Alan Kreppell, sought to alleviate fears of problematical changes and likely abolition of existing routes, while highlighting the benefits of the revised routes.

All services will be renumbered in the 9x range, and Penarth and Sully services will only follow the central bus station - Penarth Road - Penarth Town Centre route, to help make time-keeping more reliable. Commercially operated routes would then follow either the Stanwell Road or 'Gardens' route to Redlands Road, and continue to Dinas Powys or Sully and Barry.

A separate service would run from Cardiff bus station to Llandough, Dinas Powys and Barry Island.

The current 344 evening service, via Cardiff Bay, would be scrapped.

Much of southern Penarth, the marina, Headlands, the Esplanade and Plymouth Road areas, would be left without a commercially run service. However, there is potential for the Vale council to subsidise any service which it feels should be provided.

Currently, this is costing the council around £600,000 per year, through the Vale area. Cllr Anthony Ernest stressed the importance of regular services to all parts of the area, but recognised the costs involved.

At the meeting, he called for the restoration of the link to Cardiff Bay (Atlantic Wharf and Mermaid Quay), and for a decent evening and weekend service.

The proposals are likely to be finalised within days, and a huge mail drop will carry details to individual households.

It is almost certain that additional services will continue to be subsidised by the council, but details have to be agreed with operators prior to publication.