Following the addition of a further fourteen services in September bus numbers using the interchange have increased from 1,830 to 3,476 a week, bringing with it between 8,000 and 9,000 passengers a day.
The new services have doubled the number of destinations helping to provide passengers with connections across Cardiff as well as nearby Newport. And with First Cymru Bus service jumping onboard from 5 January 2025, services to the Vale of Glamorgan and Porthcawl will soon be operating from the new bus interchange taking the total number of services to thirty-one.
The Welsh Government funded Cardiff Bus Interchange is part of a wider ambition to improve integrated public transport infrastructure across the southeast Metro region.
Speaking on a visit to the interchange, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates said:
“I am delighted that the new bus interchange is helping to deliver a better bus network across southeast Wales, connecting communities across the capital city and providing people with a real sustainable travel alternative.
“We know that buses are a lifeline for many people to get to work, visit friends and family and gain access to services and that is why we are taking radical action to improve local bus services across Wales.
“Early next year we will be introducing a bill that will allow us to design a network that will deliver a more customer-focused, integrated network of services.”
Accessibility was a key factor in the design of the new interchange. As well as ambassadors on hand to help passengers where needed, the concourse also has a tactile flooring to assist blind and partially sighted customers and an accessibility map for information on where to locate bays and facilities.
Commenting on the new facility, Dr Robert Gravelle, TfW Multi Modal Access & Inclusion Manager
“We were pleased to undertake a tour of the Cardiff Bus Interchange with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates. It was encouraging to see how the early involvement of the Panel has helped to make the Interchange an accessible and welcoming environment for disabled people. We also held a roundtable discussion on the barriers faced by disabled travellers using Public Transport, and, with the leadership and support of TfW’s Access and Inclusion team, we will continue to work for accessible and integrated transport for all our communities.”