South Wales Evening Post - 14 December 2006
A recent issue of the Swansea Council Daily Newsletter contained an article on the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Gower being declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This coincides with the news that the council plans to destroy the most beautiful view on Swansea Bay - that through the trees at West Cross to Mumbles Lighthouse - for the benefit of bendy buses.
The development of Swansea's one bendy bus route has caused utter chaos in the city centre, robbed the city of much-needed trade and driving at least one trader out of business, while the cost to public funds has been tremendous. I assumed that bendy buses were the only choice because double deckers were no longer manufactured - until I saw a whole fleet of new double deckers on service in London. Now we learn that the council intends embarking on a piece of utter vandalism along the Mayals/West Cross stretch of the bay.
Who will benefit from this act of wanton destruction? The bus company, of course, will need fewer buses and, possibly, fewer drivers. Their profits may increase but such profits will leave Swansea and Wales. The council will "keep up with the civic Joneses". Or will it?
A recent London free newspaper announced that the next step in that metropolis will be the introduction of new environmentally-friendly double deckers!
A group which looked a the city plan some months ago noticed that the area now intended for devastation had been left blank on the council's map and wondered why this was so.It would appear now that the public was not intended to know of this plan too soon.
Our last city administration was swept out of office because of public discontent over the leisure centre. The present city administration should remember that before it embarks on a scheme which may provoke more public discontent before the next city elections in 2008.
I Rees, Parkway, Sketty
