CAMPAIGNERS are demanding that the Vale Council reverses its decision to cut out a section of the 93 bus route that means people have to walk a considerable distance to catch the service.
Changes introduced mean the amended route no longer encompasses the streets around Wordsworth Avenue in Penarth, known as Poets Corner, except between 10am and 4pm on weekdays. Passengers in the area must now walk to the Redlands Road or Dingle bus stop if they wish to travel on the 93 service.
The walk to the Dingle bus stop requires people to make their way through a poorly lit lane and navigate the steps across Dingle Road railway bridge.
When the changes were implemented, local resident Paul Fenton organised a protest and a petition that gained more than 500 signatures.
The issue was raised at a meeting of the Vale Council’s Place Committee last week. Addressing the meeting, Mr Fenton said: “For the last 40 years, we’ve lived in Wordsworth Avenue, and during this time, we’ve seen what was a reliable seven-day bus service gradually reduced to the very limited service residents have today.
“It now operates mainly between 10am and 4pm on weekdays only, with no evening or weekend service. It no longer provides direct links to Dinas Powys and Barry, and now takes almost an hour to reach Cardiff.
“This is why I began my campaign over the last 18 months, I have knocked virtually every door in Poets Corner, spoken to people, got their feelings. Mainly, the residents have signed my petition supporting this bus service to be restored.
“I was particularly struck by how many elderly and vulnerable residents in Shakespeare Avenue and Tennyson Road have been affected, especially for those with mobility issues, and who now face much longer walks to alternative bus stops.
“I also propose a new bus stop outside the Tennyson shops. This would provide a much-needed focal point for the local residents, particularly older and less mobile passengers, while complementing the restoration of the number 93 service. This is no longer my campaign. It’s become the campaign of the entire local community.”
Kyle Phillips, operational manager for Transport Services, addressed the meeting and said that restoring the route would cost at least £400,000 a year and available buses struggle to negotiate the narrow roads.
Vale Council leader Lis Burnett (Labour, Stanwell) described the problem as a “really difficult situation” and went on to say that the council would: “…continue to work with our bus operators to see how we can improve services, but at the moment the services in Penarth are equal if not better than most areas in the Vale.”
Following the meeting, Mr Fenton expressed his frustration at the stalemate. He said: “One point that particularly struck me was the statement in the officer’s report that it takes between five and seven minutes to walk to an alternative bus stop.
“For many people that may sound perfectly reasonable. However, I would ask anyone reading the report to consider the reality for elderly residents such as Hazel, aged 83, and Hazel, aged [nearly] 91, both of whom live in Milton Road and have given up driving.
“While both are able to walk to their nearest bus stops on Milton Road/Wordsworth Avenue, the issue arises when they need to access services that require travelling further afield. This is precisely where the loss of the 93 bus service has had the greatest impact, removing a direct and accessible link that many residents relied upon for everyday journeys.
“Can anyone seriously suggest that they can comfortably walk from Milton Road to the Stanwell Road Health Centre bus stop, or further still to the Dingle Road/Windsor Road stops, particularly in poor weather or when carrying shopping?
“The issue has never been whether a healthy person can complete that walk. It’s whether elderly residents, many with mobility problems, can realistically do so safely and confidently. Their experiences suggest otherwise, and this reflects the wider concerns raised throughout the campaign, that the current arrangements do not adequately meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
A Vale Council spokesperson said: “As part of a request to consider a bus stop at the junction of Tennyson Road and Wordsworth Avenue in Penarth, a subsequent assessment of the existing public transport provision has shown that the ‘Poets Corner’ area is already within reasonable walking distance of several bus stops served by multiple bus routes.
“The nearest bus stop is on Redlands Road, which is approximately nine minutes’ walk from the junction of Tennyson Road and Wordsworth Avenue, and provides access to bus services 7, 93 and 305.
“In the opposite direction, the bus stop on Windsor Road, accessed via the Dingle footbridge, is also nine minutes’ walk away. This stop is served by routes 92, 93 and 94.
“A slightly longer walk of approximately 11 minutes to Stanwell Road also provides access to services 7, 92, 93 and 94 and would be considered more accessible due to the gentler gradient uphill.
“The ‘Poets Corner’ area also still benefits from a daytime hourly bus service from Monday to Friday.”
By Marcus Stead – News Reporter
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