South Wales Evening Post - 25 October 2006
Widespread confusion is being caused by the roadworks and one-way system resulting from the decision to introduce bendy buses.
Predictably this has seriously damaged everyday business in the city.
Swansea still does not have a long-term strategy for traffic management.Correspondents and your own editorials continually plead for an end to the insanity of incessant roadworks and traffic jams.
The new City Centre Strategic Framework fails to address the need for an integrated public transport system.
Bus services to and from Swansea from local and outlying areas are actually quite good; albeit many evening services are poor.
However, it was once said that all roads lead to Rome! In Swansea, all bus services end up at the Quadrant, which was built as a city centre terminus for shoppers.
If you want to travel by rail, it is difficult. The Quadrant is roughly 1km from the railway station in High Street.
You have to be young, fit and fearless to risk the walk, particularly at night. In practice, those wanting to travel by rail have no option but to use their cars, get dropped off or get a taxi.
Apparently, about 1.25 million passengers pass through High Street Station each year. This must be a business opportunity.
A coherent public transport infrastructure is vital for economic and social development and seamless direct bus-train connections are essential in modern cities. Locating a bus terminus at a railway station has obvious advantages in saved car journeys and in reducing environmental pollution.
It is urgent that a clear strategy be developed and this will require a major rethink of how people are transported to, from and around Swansea by public transport.
The strategic plan has nothing to offer on public bus services and the bus-rail link.
The Quadrant Bus Station is a grotty relic of the 1970s and its condition is a public disgrace.Swansea needs to follow the example of other cities and build a new bus terminus at High Street Station where all bus services would start and finish.
The much delayed plan to modernise the Quadrant Bus Station should be abandoned completely.
A smaller drop-off and pick-up satellite bus station should be built instead from which all bus services would link to High Street Station.
The projected bus terminus with its promised airport lounge experience should be built at High Street Station on the existing car park at New Orchard Street.
That really would make a public statement to the world outside about the ambitions of Swansea.
Connection between bus and rail would then be painless. Also we wouldn't have to fight over taxis after returning from rugby matches at Cardiff.The bus terminus at Cardiff was relocated to the railway station a long time ago. Is it beyond Swansea to catch up?
No doubt, our local AM Andrew Davies has his office in High Street so that he can easily commute to Cardiff.
Moving the bus terminus to High Street Station would be a fundamental but logical change in the public transport system.Planning of road networks within the city should be facilitated in future.
Could we then envisage an inner city ring road with one-way traffic along Oystermouth as part of the regenerated distinctive European waterfront city?
Alcwyn T Price,Manselfield Road, Murton
