I believe this whole episode is very very suspicious. Before there was a perfectly adequate Bus Terminal that admittedly needed updating but was almost ideal as an interchange for both buses and coaches alike and next to the Station meant easy interchange between buses, coaches, trains and taxi's. And then for no apparent reason the site was sold off to private Company's and in doing so scattered Cardiff's bus services throughout the city so that any visitor wanting onward travel from the Station would have to wander around the city looking for their onward bus. Plus, National Express Coaches, you now need to get a taxi from the station to Sophia Gardens and for a visitor to Cardiff this would be quite daunting not to mention expensive. So my question is this WHY sell off a perfectly good Bus and Coach Interchange and in its place put in a confusing haphazard and in the case of National Express, an expensive transport system. Has anyone even asked Cardiff Council why the former site was sold off? And was the proceeds of the sale 100% audited correctly? Had this been somewhere like Switzerland with its perfectly organised and integrated transport and interchange system, the plan approved by Cardiff Council would never have got off the ground in fact even suggesting that plan would be met with howls of laughter and incredulity !
14 bays is too small and there are still stops scattered around the surrounding streets with the added annoyance that they then move whenever there are road works. Somebody completely screwed this up.
It's good to see new transport facilities being built, although it's a shame about the coaches not being able to access it. St Margaret's bus station in Leicester is similar as it was rebuilt a few years ago but it has National Express coaches stopping in coach bays on one side of the building.
I went down to Cardiff bay to film the progress in yet another big transport project. Cardiff bay is getting another platform and slightly (less than a quarter mile) up the road a brand new station is being built
Its a disgrace. Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government bleat on about active travel and integrated transport but the new bus station delivers on neither of those. if you want to go from train to coach journey you have at least a half mile walk with your luggage to get to Sophia Gardens to get a National Express coach. Many of the local buses will also not be stopping at this station but continuing at their present stops on Westgate Street which is a ten minute walk from the station. Someone has benefitted new bus station from this but its certainly not the public!!!
Yeah the offices seem like a vanity project to me. Same for the BBC thing. All we needed were the bus station and for coaches to go there. At least Westgate Street and St Mary's street are pretty close
The new bus station is nice but a lot of buses still use stops around the city most stagecoach services use grayfrairs road a 5 minute walk away Cardiff buses to Ely st mellons use stops near to the bus station on wood street
During the first few years of "planning" it was put forward that the "bus station" would have space for hundreds of bicycles that could be left all day at minimal cost to the riders. Waters and SusTrans were behind that.
Terrible position for a bus station. All the roads around it close when something is on in the stadium. Churchill way would have been a better spot for bus bays. Both sides of that could accommodate easily double the buses of the interchange at a fraction of the cost and it is far enough away from the stadium not to be effected by road closures
Nice video. It's true, Cardiff should've known their worth and not given so much of the old station's footprint to the BBC but hey ho, it's done now. Not sure what the people moaning wish to achieve to be honest. I believe they are looking into coach facilities in the train station car park to eventually move NX out of Sophia Gardens.
I don't think so as the south side has the only carpark in the vicinity of the station I wonder if coaches can stop along the bus stops along wood street
@@UKRailandTransportation The need is for space where the coaches can "stack" waiting for their departure slot, the south side doesn't have the space. The solution would have been to put a multi story car park on the new development for the station in addition to the one being built for the redevelopment next to the south side of the station.
I believe this whole episode is very very suspicious. Before there was a perfectly adequate Bus Terminal that admittedly needed updating but was almost ideal as an interchange for both buses and coaches alike and next to the Station meant easy interchange between buses, coaches, trains and taxi's. And then for no apparent reason the site was sold off to private Company's and in doing so scattered Cardiff's bus services throughout the city so that any visitor wanting onward travel from the Station would have to wander around the city looking for their onward bus. Plus, National Express Coaches, you now need to get a taxi from the station to Sophia Gardens and for a visitor to Cardiff this would be quite daunting not to mention expensive. So my question is this WHY sell off a perfectly good Bus and Coach Interchange and in its place put in a confusing haphazard and in the case of National Express, an expensive transport system. Has anyone even asked Cardiff Council why the former site was sold off? And was the proceeds of the sale 100% audited correctly? Had this been somewhere like Switzerland with its perfectly organised and integrated transport and interchange system, the plan approved by Cardiff Council would never have got off the ground in fact even suggesting that plan would be met with howls of laughter and incredulity !
Greedy council cabinet, now no chance of expansion even if it were needed 🤦🏽♂️
14 bays is too small and there are still stops scattered around the surrounding streets with the added annoyance that they then move whenever there are road works. Somebody completely screwed this up.
It's good to see new transport facilities being built, although it's a shame about the coaches not being able to access it. St Margaret's bus station in Leicester is similar as it was rebuilt a few years ago but it has National Express coaches stopping in coach bays on one side of the building.
I went down to Cardiff bay to film the progress in yet another big transport project. Cardiff bay is getting another platform and slightly (less than a quarter mile) up the road a brand new station is being built
Leicester has TWO city centre bus stations.
Its a disgrace. Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government bleat on about active travel and integrated transport but the new bus station delivers on neither of those. if you want to go from train to coach journey you have at least a half mile walk with your luggage to get to Sophia Gardens to get a National Express coach. Many of the local buses will also not be stopping at this station but continuing at their present stops on Westgate Street which is a ten minute walk from the station. Someone has benefitted new bus station from this but its certainly not the public!!!
Totally agree
Its a whole further than half a mile from the Station to Sofia Gardens ! At least a mile.
that's a mile and a half too far in my opinion
Yeah the offices seem like a vanity project to me. Same for the BBC thing. All we needed were the bus station and for coaches to go there. At least Westgate Street and St Mary's street are pretty close
The new bus station is nice but a lot of buses still use stops around the city most stagecoach services use grayfrairs road a 5 minute walk away Cardiff buses to Ely st mellons use stops near to the bus station on wood street
These are all good points, just wish Cardiff council took these as feedback to improve the design during the planning
Good video, you have gained a new subscriber
During the first few years of "planning" it was put forward that the "bus station" would have space for hundreds of bicycles that could be left all day at minimal cost to the riders. Waters and SusTrans were behind that.
thanks for sharing
Swansea managed it OK. The ‘beeb’ building should never have been allowed there!
Couldn't agree more
Terrible position for a bus station. All the roads around it close when something is on in the stadium. Churchill way would have been a better spot for bus bays. Both sides of that could accommodate easily double the buses of the interchange at a fraction of the cost and it is far enough away from the stadium not to be effected by road closures
Nice video. It's true, Cardiff should've known their worth and not given so much of the old station's footprint to the BBC but hey ho, it's done now. Not sure what the people moaning wish to achieve to be honest.
I believe they are looking into coach facilities in the train station car park to eventually move NX out of Sophia Gardens.
How do you pay the transport? by credit card? buy the ticket at a machine?
The buses should have card readers on them
@@UKRailandTransportation Thanks!
Can a coach station be built on the south side of Central station?
I don't think so as the south side has the only carpark in the vicinity of the station I wonder if coaches can stop along the bus stops along wood street
I believe the south side is where new platforms will be developed for the tram trains going from central station to the bay running at road level.
@@UKRailandTransportation The need is for space where the coaches can "stack" waiting for their departure slot, the south side doesn't have the space. The solution would have been to put a multi story car park on the new development for the station in addition to the one being built for the redevelopment next to the south side of the station.
Bus station done on a shoestring budget way too small totally pointless.
Labour's Cardiff DISintegrated Transport System.
It's mostly Cardiff council's involvement, I do think it should have been planned a lot better though
@@UKRailandTransportation Cardiff's Labour leaders have never had a clue what they were doing. Ditto the mob in the Arsembly, backed by Plaid.