Tonypandy New Bus Station Complete!

Tonypandy is the latest area that has benefitted from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s multi-million-pound (£26.5m) Highways, Transportation, Infrastructures and Strategic Projects (HTISP) Investment Programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Thanks to the investment programme bus users in Tonypandy can now start to enjoy a new bus station which has seen over £80,000 being invested to replace all five bus shelters and provide new flags, poles and timetable displays. The works have also replaced the existing kerbs with raised accessible kerbs that assist those elderly and less mobile bus users to alight and board buses easily and safely. The new bus station is now substantially complete, with only minor works left to be carried out. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Almost £500,000 has been invested in refurbishing and improving facilities for bus users right across Rhondda Cynon Taf as part of the wider bus stop enhancement scheme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Earlier this year the Council announced that it had secured a further £136,200 to carry out bus stop improvements on top of the £264,800 it received last year. This has been further enhanced by the addition of the £80,000 allocated for Tonypandy Bus Station as part of the Council’s RCTinvest programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of the Council, who is also responsible for Highways and Transport Services, said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As a Council we are investing heavily in our transport and highways infrastructure, with £26.5m as part of the wider, three year £200m RCTinvest programme. This is on top of the £53m we have already invested since 2011, meaning that by 2018/19 we will have invested over £79.5m 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 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.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​