Further Investment Announced For Bus Stops

A further £220,000 is is being invested in bus stop improvements, to improve facilities for passengers in Rhondda Cynon Taf bringing total investment in this area to £500,000. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Refurbishment of local bus stops is continuing in Rhondda Cynon Taf thanks to the Council securing a further £136,200 grant on top of the £264,800 it secured last year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council secured this important funding from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund. It is being used to enhance the passenger waiting facilities at 73 bus stops along the Rhondda Fawr Strategic Bus Corridor in Trealaw, Dinas, Penygraig, Tonypandy, Llwynypia, Gelli and Pentre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In addition to this, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is set to invest around £80,000 from the multi-million-pound (£23m) Highways, Transportation, Infrastructures and Strategic Projects (HTISP) Investment Programme – which forms part of the wider £200m, three year, RCTinvest programme – to upgrade Tonypandy Bus Station. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Thanks to the investment, Tonypandy Bus Station will see a full upgrade later this year with new drainage, bus stop poles, flags, shelters and timetable displays being installed. Raised kerbs will also be put in place to provide step free entry onto the new low floor buses. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

These latest investments build upon the £80,000, which the Council has spent since 2015 from its own funds, renewing bus shelters and upgrading facilities at 18 sites across the County Borough. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Local Transport Fund award will now enable the second phase of the project in the Rhondda Fawr to continue and will see – ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• New bus stop poles and flags
• Raised kerbs that provide step free entry onto the new low floor buses
• Resurfaced waiting areas
• Renewal of the bus stop road markings
• 24 new shelters

It is hoped that funding for a third phase can be secured later this year and enable the final 22 bus stops in Rhondda Fawr corridor – Treorchy, Treherbert, Blaencwm and Blaenrhondda – to be upgraded, providing a further 9 new bus shelters. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of the Council, who is also responsible for Highways and Transport Services, said: “We were pleased to have secured this funding on behalf of our communities and it is great to see the plans become a reality. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf some of the newest vehicles in south Wales are running and it is important that the Council continues to work with its operating partners by similarly investing in the renewal of its public transport facilities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As a Council we are investing heavily in our transport and highways infrastructure, with £23m allocated over the next three years. This is on top of the £53m we have already invested since 2011, meaning that by 2018/19 we will have invested over £76m in these key areas. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“In the current financial climate we continue to show ambition to improve the infrastructure that sustains our communities and businesses and attracts new investment. We will continue to seek to maximise available grants and funding streams and add further value with our own capital investments. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This investment, which forms part of the Council’s £200m three-year RCTinvest scheme, will clearly help with this and will also help to reduce congestion on the roads by virtue of it being made easier to travel by public transport to Pontypridd and beyond.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​