PROPOSED BY:
Councillor Emma Reid-Jones
SECONDED BY:
Councillor Oliver Owen
The
Council notes:
- The Welsh
Government Bus Emergency Scheme, introduced to bridge the gap
between bus operators income and expenditure, is due to expire on
24th July 2023.
- Cardiff’s share of the £46m of funding to help bus
services for the rest of this financial year is insufficient to
maintain existing services across the city, in particular those
much needed services in the suburbs.
- Bus
services across Cardiff are already being cut with many others
currently under review.
- Cardiff
Bus, which is owned by Cardiff Council received £5.6m from
the Bus Emergency Scheme and £1.6m Bus Service Support Grant
in 2021/22 (the latest published accounts)
The
council believes:
- Frequent
and reliable bus services are a key characteristic of a capital
city and are essential to reducing car use, carbon emissions and
road congestion and will help the City centre to
thrive.
- Bus
services should be prioritised over other modes of active
travel. Other than trains which are outside of our control,
buses are the only accessible, affordable, and safe, mode of
transport available to ALL Cardiff
residents.
- The
potential removal of bus services in the suburbs will lead to
communities, especially the elderly, being isolated from essential
services.
We call on the Cabinet to:
- Given resource constraints, ensure priority is given to bus
services as the only low-cost, accessible mode of transport around
our City.
- Review the role of cycle lanes in increased road congestion and
consult with bus companies in Cardiff about the impact of proposed
new cycle lanes on bus services.
- Lobby the
Welsh Government to maintain and improve existing levels of bus
funding until it’s to-be-legislated franchising model is in
place.
- To stop all work on proposals for
congestion/road user charging and to focus efforts on
creating viable, inclusive, efficient and effective transport
services for the people of Cardiff and to save the struggling City
Centre. It must be accessible, affordable and safe for all its
citizens, in support of the Councils own 15 minute City
strategy.
- Include Cardiff Bus’s finances and operational
ability in its policy impact assessments.