Cardiff bus station: 'Impatience growing' over delays

Impatience is growing over delays to opening a new bus interchange in the Cardiff, a councillor has said.

It had originally been planned to open in 2017, but after setbacks a new master plan was approved last November.

Councillor Emma Sandrey said the lack of a bus station was impacting passengers, as the completion date was pushed back until the end of 2022.

But construction company ISG, said works were "progressing well" despite challenges posed by Covid-19.

The city has been without an official bus station since the old one was demolished in 2015, as part of the Central Square plans.

Building work at the bus interchange, which includes offices, shops and apartments, began at the end of 2019, after new plans were approved.

It had been hoped that construction of the building would be finished by mid-2022, before being handed over to Transport for Wales.

While building work has continued during the coronavirus pandemic, developers have hit more delays, and now it will not be handed over until the end of 2022.

The building would then take six to eight months to get ready for passengers.

A spokesman for ISG told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We are progressing well on site, despite the clear challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and we hope to maintain this momentum through to completion.

"Planning permission has also been granted to add a further two floors to the office element of the scheme, so we now anticipate completion will be in the fourth quarter of 2022."

Ms Sandrey, the Liberal Democrat lead for transport on Cardiff council, said while "another delay isn't good", it was understandable due to Covid-19.

"But I think people are growing impatient. The lack of a bus station is having an impact on how buses move around the city," she said.The Welsh Government spent £15 million buying land for the bus station and will pay £15 million to fit out the building, after taking over the project from Cardiff council.