Central Square

Even more complaints, this time about the bus station: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... al-9132133

I really do wish these people would just bugger off. Cardiff is progressing. These plans are exciting along with the rest of the plans for the city. God only knows what they will make of GWML electrification and all the chaos that will entail

I really do wish these people would just bugger off. Cardiff is progressing. These plans are exciting along with the rest of the plans for the city. God only knows what they will make of GWML electrification and all the chaos that will entail

What I don't understand is that they're acting like the current bus station is functional
Honestly I never see many people using it at all.
The public don't get a new bus station: "We need a new bus station! The one we have now is atrocious!"
Public finally get a new bus station: " Don't close down the bus station!"
The hypocrisy is amazing.

I really do wish these people would just bugger off. Cardiff is progressing. These plans are exciting along with the rest of the plans for the city. God only knows what they will make of GWML electrification and all the chaos that will entail

They'll no doubt whinge about the overhead cables or even the new trains !

It would be interesting to know how many passengers actualy start/end their journies at the Bus Station. I use the Cowbridge Rd services fairly often and the buses are pretty empty by the time they reach Central Square.

That's not an argument against having a modern bus station - just a reflection on how horrible and run-down the current one is.

One other thought on Central Square. Rightacres have given 'provisional' names for the streets in the new development. They're pretty uninspired - Marland, Millenium and so on. Surely it would be better to revive some of the original street names from the old Temperance Town - Gough St., Eisteddfod St. etc?

just a bit of whimsy to pass the time, in homage to the Councillor who started it all we could have Russellgood Way

Who cares if there's no bus station?

Why will it matter that, when a new bus station is eventually built, no one will be able to catch buses to anywhere in Cardiff, or arrive at Cardiff Central on a bus from destinations within Cardiff?

Should we moan if we can't drop passengers off or pick them up from Cardiff Central, except if we take a very circuitous detour to the rear of the station? The south side, that is, which is the "wrong" side for 80% of Cardiff residents.

If people want seamless travel, with luggage, using public transport from their new homes in Plas Dŵr or Churchlands, what right do they have to be upset about the fact that they will be dropped off several hundred metres from Cardiff Central or the bus station?

And those fools who want to catch a taxi to their hotel to the north of the station, why do they think that they can moan about not being able to do that any more?

I mean, having a bus station where you can catch a bus or a train station where you can easily access taxis or pick up/drop off passengers is such a bloody stupid idea.

Cardiff council - now Labour-run - shouldn't have to deal with these morons. Even though seamless public transport journeys are a central rationale for them wanting to build 20000 homes on green fields - otherwise the roads will be choked by cars -who needs bus stations or transport interchanges anyway?

Good to see so many brainiacs on CWM forum slavishly following their intellectual leader, Cllr Ramesh Patel. Anyone who's met him will recognise his razor-sharp thinking all over this new masterplan.

The guy is an absolute genius. The whole station area should be renamed Pateltown in his honour.

Mr Blue Sky. Lets discuss your incessant politicking.

1) "no-one will be able to catch buses".

As I understand it, that was what the consultants recommended. A station for long-distance travel, and turnaround for local travel. Local buses would instead pick up nearby (on Wood St, say). Must say it doesn't seem completely ridiculous to me.

But following the stories, this was ruled out by the council, who confirmed the bus station would be a place of embarkation and disembarkation for local routes too. Did you forget this?

2) The route to the rear of the station is not "very circuitous" for most people from outside the city centre. It is easier if one is approaching from the South, West, or East. If approaching from the North, its somewhat more difficult, but not hugely - just go down Lower Cathedral Road and Penarth Road rather than Westgate Street and Wood Street.

3) Taxis can access the city centre quite easily from the alternative taxi ranks - even from that on the South Side of the station. Just go under the railway bridges.

As far as I'm aware, people on this forum support a range of political parties (or none), and certainly don't slavishly follow the thinking of the current council or any of its councillors.

What a number of us have done is:
a) point out that Network Rail's objections seem more about getting money than real objections. Their own plans for the station would require the same closure of the existing taxi rank. They're just trying to get someone other than themselves to pay for the replacement.
b) show a bit of exasperation at the Civic Society's posturing, and failure to realise that big redevelopments will entail some short-term costs.

Are they seriously suggesting that development cannot start until the replacement bus station is built? That pushes back the BBCs move in-date, and the development of 2 Central Square by around 2-3 years. Will they still go ahead with that delay?

A bus station is also something that could never be secured via S106. S106 is about contributions based on the demands created by a development, not replacing infrastructure lost for a development. That replacement necessarily needs to be negotiated in separate commercial agreements. The article suggests the council is out of pocket. But I'm not sure it is given (a) its ownership of the land, for which it will have signed a long-leasehold with the developers. It would therefore have been "paid" for the land. (b) its desire to rebuild the bus station anyway, to make it fit-for-purpose. The existing one was poorly laid out and dingy. If it would have had to spend the money anyway, how has it lost out?

Now I agree we probably should have more information published. Too much of the City and Welsh Government's office and land dealings are shrouded in the secrecy of "commercial confidentiality" - the same was true of the previous administration in County Hall too though. This information would let us see if those who think taxpayers are getting a bad deal are right - or if the council is getting a suitable return on its landholdings.

I don't understand the big issue of the bus station being closed for a period of time at all, especially for people living in Cardiff. I can't remember the last time the 57 or 58 has stopped at the current bus station. For the last 4 years, when i have got my weekly train back from London Paddington, i have had to walk up to Customhouse Street to get my bus home!

From your comments it is apparent that you know very little about travelling around Cardiff, Randy Cambo, by car or public transport.

Look at a map of Cardiff and you will see that, on the Y-axis, 80% of Cardiff is north of the city centre, so having pick up/drop off points at the southern entrance will be very inconvenient for most people. Driving down Lower Cathedral Rd and Penarth Road can be very congested and a lot of people will miss their connections.

There are no firm plans to replace the bus station.

Why not make a transport interchange the centrepiece of this area? Why are offices taking precedent?

A new bus station adjacent to the redeveloped Cardiff Central, with easy access for people no matter how they get there should have been the priority. Y'know, master planning like wot they does where you pontificate - in London.

Can you imagine the outcry if they presented such ill-conceived ideas to the people of the English capital?

The rest of your blather betrays your utter unworldliness, something I've come to expect from you over the many years you've been holding forth.

Tell me, when can we expect another recession or housing crash?

In fact, don't bother. I wouldn't ask you when a bus was due - and if it were up to you, no one would be able to predict that anyway.