Dozen bus routes at risk as firm faces £1.9m loss
RESIDENTS are campaigning to save their bus service, which could be cut by Cardiff Bus.
Cardiff Bus is set to cut 12 routes across the city amid financial trouble – having last year made a £1.9m loss.
Among the services to be cut is the 86, which serves Heath and Lisvane.
People in the area have gathered a petition of more than 500 signatures against the loss of the service, which they say will leave elderly and vulnerable people isolated.
It comes as Cardiff Council’s latest budget proposals include a £750,000 fund for non-profitable but essential bus routes, and two new directors have this week been appointed to Cardiff Bus’ board.
Mike Strutt, chairman of the Heath Residents Association, said: “The vast majority of people who live in this area are probably over 50, and a lot are even older, including myself.
“We need the buses – we’re being encouraged to leave our cars at home. That’s what we want to do – we want to use the buses.
“It’s a lifeline for so many people.
“If we lose more buses, we’re going to put more people out of work.”
Council-owned Cardiff Bus plans to cut eight daytime bus routes and four night bus routes from March 31.
Six of the routes are currently serviced by Cardiff Bus’ sister company Capital Links.
Councillor Graham Hinchey, who represents Heath, said: “The campaign to save the 86 bus is really about trying to keep the provision for elderly and disabled people. “It’s a loss-making route, but it’s obviously a vital route for people for their everyday lives. “We’ve got an ageing, growing population and isolation is one of the greatest things that are affecting us. Bus services are absolutely vital to those people to get out and about.”
Two new non-executive directors have been appointed to the board of Cardiff Bus and will take up their roles this week.
They are Sian Davis, who worked as managing director of Vale of Glamorgan Council until her retirement in 2015, and Linda Philips, who worked as a senior executive at Shell International Petroleum until her retirement in 2016.
They were appointed after Cardiff Council party leaders agreed in November to reduce the number of councillors appointed as directors of Cardiff Bus from seven to five, so two new independent directors could be appointed.
A motion by the Conservatives to reduce the number of councillors on the board further – from five to one – was defeated at an extraordinary full council meeting on Friday.
It’s a loss-making route, but it’s obviously a vital route for people for their everyday lives Councillor Graham Hinchey