A change to a bus route through Tonyrefail has left people feeling “confined” and made it harder to reach their doctors' appointments. Dilwyn and Elizabeth Bishop, who live on the Capel Estate, have spoken about the impact that a change to the 124 service between Maerdy and Cardiff has had on them and others in the area.
The 124 bus, operated by Stagecoach and funded by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, previously took a route around Glyn/Capel estate and continued down Llantrisant Road and Pretoria Road. But because of access issues along Pretoria Road when cars are parked around the junction, the route is being changed and will now be sent down Collenna Road and will go nowhere near the estate – leaving many elderly people at a loss when it comes to making their GP appointments, according to local councillor Danny Grehan.
He said the Bishops will now be left to walk to the top of the estate, cross a busy road and another 200 yards to the nearest bus stop. The buses that stop there (the 122 and the 110) also don’t go down Mill Street to the GP surgery, so they would have another half a mile to walk to the surgery. He claimed it is now impossible for people to get from the estate to the surgery – a journey used a lot by the elderly people there who do not drive.
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Dilwyn said he is losing his eyesight and is unable to drive any more while Elizabeth uses a wheelchair, although she can’t use it in Tonyrefail due to the lack of dropped kerbs. They claimed there was no consultation with residents about the change in service and have asked why Stagecoach, who operated the route, can’t roll out the Saturday service into the week which would go around the estate.
Elizabeth said the 124 bus is also the only bus they can use to get to the hospital or to Porth from their estate. Dilwyn now has to pay for a taxi to his doctor’s appointments at the surgery whereas previously the bus would’ve taken him right outside.
Elizabeth said he can’t do that any more and said that they are “confined” as a result. She said the change had been made because of all the parking on Pretoria Road on double yellow lines and on Llantrisant Road. She added: “To stop it completely is ridiculous. We are not the only ones who are disabled. Now we’ve got no bus that will take us to Porth, Tonyrefail or even Talbot Green.”
Elizabeth acknowledged there is a fflecsi bus which they can book to Tonypandy but said it doesn’t go to Porth, Talbot Green or the hospital. To get to the nearest bus stop on Collenna Road, they would have to walk more than a mile. She said: “I can’t do it. Dilwyn can’t do it” – and added that they’re not the only ones.
She said the change is “all because of people’s selfishness” and “selfish parking” with cars parking right on the junction. Speaking about the decision to change the bus route, Elizabeth added: “It is terrible. They didn’t tell us. They didn’t put notices up.” She claimed they only found out when a driver told one of their neighbours about the changes a couple of weeks ago, adding that they want the 124 reinstated as it was before because people did catch that bus including children going to school.
She said: “My husband loved driving. He had to give up driving because he was losing his sight. The car then went. It was bad enough with his nerves knowing he was going blind as well and then this. He is in a hell of a state.”
Dilwyn said the 124 bus was his lifeline after he started losing sight four years ago. He said: “Mark Drakeford is saying get out of your cars, most people will have to use their cars. It costs me £10 to get to my surgery.”
He said he can’t understand if the buses can go through Trebanog why they can’t come through the estate. He said: “We’ve got no bus now”. Dilwyn added that they found out about the changes “by accident” and said there was “no consultation” and “no notification.” He said: “It seems like a ludicrous decision. Don’t they want paying passengers?”
In an email to the head of transport at RCT, Cllr Grehan said the change was “very bad news” for the elderly residents who live at the bottom end of the Glyn/Capel estate, and for elderly people living on Llantrisant Road and Pretoria Road. He asked why it was not possible to run the 124 service every day as a Saturday service, so that it loops around the estate and then continues along Heol Ty Llwyd.
The councillor claimed the worst thing about the decision was that there had been no consultation with local councillors or the public that use the service, and what he described as no thought as to the consequences of the decision, or any concessions possible, and pleaded with the company to reconsider and consider a compromise to continue with a service around the estate.
What Stagecoach had to say
A spokesperson for Stagecoach South Wales said: “There has been a long history of inconsiderate parking in the Pretoria Road and Llantrisant Road area, which has led to increasingly lengthy delays to the 124 bus service. Despite working with the council’s civil enforcement officers, supported by mobile camera enforcement vehicles, the problem has continued, therefore it is no longer possible to sustain a reliable service via this route and we are being forced to operate it via an alternative route. Customers will still be able to make local trips and connections by using the 152 Rhondda fflecsi bus service.
“Operated by Stagecoach and funded by the local authority, this service covers the communities between Hendreforgan, Tonyrefail and Tonypandy and serves Capel Estate and the GP surgery on Mill Street. The service is demand responsive and can be used for travel anywhere within this zone. Bookings can be made online at https://www.fflecsi.wales/locations/rhondda-152/, via the app or by calling 0300 234 0300.
“Customers can travel anywhere in the zone from 08:00 in the morning until 12:15 and then from 13:00 until 17:15 in the afternoon. The evening times runs from 19:00 until 23:30. All service changes have been agreed with the local authority and information on the changes can be found at Stagecoachbus.com and are being communicated through our social media channels and there are notices on buses and at bus stops.”
The council's response
A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “While the council sympathises with the concerns of residents and users of the Service 124, there has been a long history of parking issues at Pretoria Road and Llantrisant Road, resulting in disruption and lengthy delays to this service.
“Stagecoach has been considering changing this part of the service since 2014, while it was temporarily re-routed before the pandemic due to the parking issues blocking and slowing down buses at these locations.
“Despite the efforts of Council Civil Enforcement Officers, and mobile camera enforcement vehicles, the problem has continued, resulting in Stagecoach taking the decision to revise the service.
“On a wider scale, bus driver shortages have reached a critical level – with Stagecoach reporting that an increasing number are leaving, or affected by self-isolation. It is also proving very time consuming to get replacement drivers in post.
“The parking issues combined with driver shortages, has resulted in it being no longer possible for Stagecoach to sustain a reliable service through Pretoria Road and Llantrisant Road.
“Further feasibility work will be undertaken to improve bus journey times locally, with measures such as additional traffic orders at key locations to prevent or restrict loading. The council has also contacted local PCSOs to ask residents for their cooperation in parking reasonably, so the bus service can return to its original route.
“The council wishes to inform residents who rely on the bus service, that they will still be able to make local trips and connections via the 152 Rhondda Fflecsi service, which is operated by Stagecoach and funded by the council.
“This route covers the communities between Hendreforgan, Tonyrefail and Tonypandy, and the service is demand responsive for travel anywhere within this zone – with bookings able to be made online.”
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