South Wales bus operator Adventure Travel cited the impact of the introduction of the 20mph default speed limit as it announced several route and schedule changes to 14 of its services.
Adventure Travel, which operates 81 services – mainly in Cardiff, Swansea and the Valleys in between – also referred to an increase in traffic for the anticipated comprehensive amendments.
Ahead of the Welsh Government changing the speed limit on most urban roads from 30mph to 20mph in September, Managing Director Adam Keen hinted to routeone in September that timetable adjustments may be necessary.
Making the announcement yesterday, he says via press release: “The advent of 20mph limits has contributed to the late running of buses which was already a brewing problem, as traffic levels continue to rise post-Covid.
“For Adventure Travel, this has the potential to result in dissatisfied passengers not arriving to their destination at the scheduled time. We want to move swiftly to combat this and ensure that every service has the best possible chance of realistically running smoothly and punctually, and so, we have been rigorously analysing our current services to see where alterations can be made.
“The resulting changes are mainly designed to improve route reliability and punctuality, with a couple of changes designed to enhance the number of stops served.”
Stagecoach South Wales announced numerous timetable changes last month, while other operators made adjustments in the months leading up to the 17 September speed limit introduction.
News of the Adventure Travel changes follows publication of a report by Centre for Cities which urged the Welsh Government to “exempt bus lanes from the new 20mph speed limit where this would be safe and appropriate”.
Fare outcomes: Understanding Transport in Wales’s Cities says this move would make public transport competitive against the car.
