South Wales Evening Post - 30 January 2009
There was a time when the shopping and leisure hub of Swansea was to be found at The Kingsway and High Street.
It was the middle of the swinging sixties, and both hemlines and traffic queues were short.
It was a time when out-of-town shopping centres didn't exist, Land Rovers were consigned to farms, and the only kind of people carriers on the roads were the omnibuses.
"The Kingsway was built in the 60s, hopefully to create a massive main road through Swansea, but it never really worked," said Swansea Council leader Chris Holley.
The death knell was finally sounded for the area when the Quadrant shopping centre was built in the 1970s and the shoppers flocked to the brand new shops which inhabited it.
"Over the years it's all changed," said Councillor Holley.
Between then and now, The Kingsway has become home to the clothes boutique Moda, a clutch of recruitment consultants, banks, and charity shops.
The two-way road system has become a one-way road for cars with a new metro system for the bendy bus.
The roundabouts at both ends of the road have been turned into elaborate junctions, and there seems to be little reason for shoppers to flock there.
But will the arrival of the bendy bus change all that?
Councillor Holley said: "It would put more people in The Kingsway, that's for sure. Over the next couple of months when we close the bus station we'll be using it as a linear bus stop.
"There will be more footfall but whether that will put more people there with enough money to rejuvenate it, we just don't know, what with the job situation at the moment."
He said the council is working with the Assembly Government to try and help fill the empty shop spaces in the area.
"Realistically our objective is putting more people in jobs," he said.
Traders on the road say they are not convinced the bendy bus will make much of a difference to their trade.
Jackie Allen, of Shaws the drapers, said the only benefit their shop will have is from the new metro bus stop being positioned close to the store.
She said: "Customers who normally come here, now have to walk the length of The Kingsway, whereas before they could get off at the roundabout.
"We're doing really well here at the moment. With Linden Ponds and Roseby's closing down, more people shop here now."
And Maudie Cippett, manager of the PDSA store, said: "Will it ever go back to the way it was? Quite frankly, no. I think retailing values have changed, and the independent retailer selling only one thing. People now want everything in one shop, or under one roof.
"And I think the parking situation in Swansea is not helping.
"I hope the bendy bus does increase the footfall on The Kingsway, because that might encourage more shops to open."
Comments (11)
The Kingsway was vibrant in the days when it had simple diagonal parking zones half the length of it. You could park for 20 minutes free of charge allowing people to dive into town, pop into shops quickly, spend some money making the shop-keepers happy and then you drove away again. It was as simple as that and traffic wardens kept an eye on who was abusing the free parking. They have a similar scheme in Edinburgh which is one of the most vibrant economic cities in the UK. Alas, Councillors down here have no business understanding and just see car-parking as a money spinner ignoring the bigger financial picture.
Bob, Sketty
commented on 30-Jan-2009 15:13
Can Cllr Holley or one of his Lib/dem councillors,please explain what has happened to their election manifesto,Which stated. "We are the party for the people and we will listen to people's views--- On this Bendy Bus situation they may have listen,but they certainly have not taken any notice of the majority of Swansea people's views.
dai evans, swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:59
Beathe life into Swansea city centre!! Come on, don't make me laugh.
Jo, Swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:45
in a word - madness.what swansea needs is cheap parking and plenty of it. why on earth are these out of town shopping centres thriving - no parking charges and ease of access. there is ample land available within easy access to the city centre if imagination were used.if s/c/c were a business it would now be out of business big time.this one way system is a joke the same as the downfall of high st is pityful.if i were a stranger and entered swansea from high st station at present - i would never return - having to pass the area of high st.how can the local authority allow what is such a beautiful area fall to such depths.replace the slip bridge or cut it up for scrapput in place parking along swansea bay so that visitors can enjoy the fabulous views.spend money on high street by bring back the old buildings to their former glory (the elysium and palace)making it inviting to exit the railway station and walk into the city centre.come on wake up s/c/c and make the city a pleasure to visit by all - not just by the wealthy who park their boats in the yacht havens and those who want night time entertainment in wind st.s/c/c spend money on projects and then fail to maintain them to a good standard - in effect wasting money - broken lights wherever you walk - badly maintained pavements - unfinnished areas wher there are no safety barriers around the waterways etc. flaking paint where there was once paint etc.living outside the city where i was born - my only enjoyment on now entering the city is to visit the beach - wonderful whether hail or shine - but such a wasted asset.PG
PG, cwmgwili/cross hands
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:32
For anything to improve there needs to be something on the Kingsway worth going for. So many of the units are boarded up and need a load of work doing to them. Maybe the Council should be giving some incentives to businesses to get the units occupied. I know some traders who have withdrawn due to massive rent hikes - there seems to be no foresight. Hike the rent so high that it isnt feasible means empty units so you get no rent at all. They need to get the town busy and people actually wanting to go there before they can start charging the earth. The city centre has died before our eyes. The new "David Evans" store is barely occupied - not inspiring. The Council need to be making attractive offers to stores to open in Swansea. I have no confidence that the bendy bus is going to encourage people to visit the city centre. Park and Ride is already available for people who want to get into town.
J, Swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:15
The Kingsway is like a motorway with so many lanes, should have saved money and left it to the boy racers..... it was safer then!
Jon, Mumbles
commented on 30-Jan-2009 12:55
In a word... No..!! Total waste of time and money. Why these councillors don't head the opinions of the vast majority of Swansea residence and traders is beyond me. They must have been on some lovely jollies courtesy of the bendy bus company that's all I can say..!!
HR.Jones, swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 12:20
The best thing the Council could do is firstly encourage people to use the Park and Ride for shopping in the town centre. Secondly have a bus that does a circuit from Parc Tawe to the Kingsway to the Quadrant free for the people who use the Park and Ride and a small fee for those who dont. It could be a hop on hop off service. This would work because who wants to shop in Parc Tawe then walk to the Quadrant to do some more shopping? It would be a handy link to get around town. Not only that, not everyone works in the immediate town centre. The Council needs a poll of the Park and Ride passengers to find out exactly where they need or want to go. Surely these measures would keep a substantial amout of traffic out of the town centre?
Gaynor, Swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 12:04
Bendy busses were the major cause of accidents in South London, to be honest I can't see them working here.
Jodi, Llanelli
commented on 30-Jan-2009 11:47
Just another example of the sort of thinking that makes Swansea city centre such a dump. Bendy buses won't revive the Kingsway. Swansea Council need to get rid of their ridiculous one-way road systems and go back to basics. The Kingsway should be a two-way system with plenty of crossing places for pedestrians. And get rid of the bendy buses. There is no reason whatsover for a town as small as Swansea to have bendy buses. Swansea Council have been taken in my the bendy bus sales team and consultants. They have sold them a product that they don't need, and that will actually make matters worse. How is it that most people can see what needs to be done to enhance the city centre, but the council can't? Instead of trying to think up grand schemes that never happen, why can't the council just spend some time concentrating on some of the simple things that could be put right quite quickly? I know I keep saying this, but Swansea Council is an absolute disgrace. They have just let the city centre descend into a shabby dump that no-one can be proud of, and are implementing policies that help this trend continue and accelerate. Please go and visit yout councillor and ask him/her to explain why they won't listen to what the people from Swansea want. After all, they are supposed to be representing us.
Steve Jones, Uplands
commented on 30-Jan-2009 10:13
What I want to know is whose idea is it to put cyclists in the same lanes as the bendy bus. This is a disaster waiting to happen!! As for trade .. how is having a slightly longer buse probably with the same number of occupants on board going to have any impact on trade at all? How about investing in an integrated transport system linking the train station and bus station for a start. For one euro you can travel by tram all day in many European cities. Is that ever going to happen here? Paying around £2 for a single journey from sketty to town is hardly going to get people out of their cars.
daveinuplands, uplands
commented on 30-Jan-2009 09:
