South Wales Evening Post - 5 March 2007
Long-awaited plans to revamp Swansea's ugly Quadrant bus station (pictured) could be delayed again.
The £5.75 million scheme is set to win Swansea Council approval tomorrow but it could still not get off the drawing board because of a lack of cash.
Swansea Council had asked for £15.5 million from the Assembly for transport schemes, but has only received £8.23 million.
That money will be used to pay for schemes such as the controversial bendy bus project, safe routes to school schemes and park and ride improvements.
Of the total, £3.8 million has been given specifically for projects such as the Landore express bus route, improvements to High Street station and the new Quadrant bus station.
This figure was less than half the £8.2 million the council was hoping for.
It is not yet clear exactly how the cash will be shared out among the various projects.
But the Quadrant scheme could be in jeopardy.
It includes a new 23-bay bus station, a new road layout on to Westway, a taxi rank, a travel and information centre, improved office and toilet facilities, a covered walkway and three food and drink shops.
Shoppers and bus travellers have been complaining for more than a decade about the state of the station, and many plans to overhaul the facility, varying in cost from £75,000 to £3.1 million, have had to be shelved.
The application has been recommended for approval when councillors meet to discuss it in the council chamber at county hall tomorrow at 2pm.
A council spokesman said: "The council's number one priority for future projects is the redevelopment of the Quadrant Bus Station
"Major improvement schemes that have commenced using transport grant funding are the main priority the following year when the grant application process is finalised.
"Existing projects in progress include Fforestfach park and ride, the Sidings bridge over Fabian Way, Swansea Metro and improvements to junction 45 of the M4."
Swansea West AM and Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies said the cash should allow Swansea Council to push forward with the Quadrant bus station scheme.
He said: "I have made it clear to Swansea Council that I expect there to be a significant private sector investment in the bus station redevelopment.
"I raised this in my recent meeting with Moir Lockhead, chief executive of the First Group, which runs the local bus company, First Bus, and following my suggestion the company is now looking at investing in this development."
Bus user Wendy Evans of Gorseinon said: "The bus station desperately needs a revamp. It's dirty and smelly and I hate being there after dark."
Your Views
Yet again the revamp of this disgraceful Quardrant Bus Station has been pushed under the carpet. You want to get visitors into Swansea then do something about the bus station has many people arrive by coach Ifor one will not come to Swansea on a bus or bring my visitors there either until its revamped I will stay away.
Welsh Dragon, Port Talbot
Replacement of our third world bus station should be this administration's number one priority. No more money should be wasted on the ludicrous and costly bendy bus scheme. Swansea's long suffering public transport users deserve better.
Ruth James, Treboeth
As I said before, if the people making the decisions had to spend twenty minutes every working day sitting or standing in the Quadrant station then they would soon put its refurbishment at the top of their list.
Jonathan, Uplands
we dont have a decent bus service and nobody cares. I cant get into Swansea or get home without having a taxi. andnow they want to cut down on those as well. it is much easier to go to Neath.
Marion, Birchgrove
How many times does it need to be said before council bosses listen to the people BENDY BUSES ARE NOT OUR PRIORITY. We never asked for them or voted for them. We want a decent bus station.
Tamsin, Swansea
What is the point of supposedly spending millions on a new retail centre for Swansea if public transport is not a priority. All Swansea Council ever seems to produce is artist's impressions.
Malcom, Morriston
