Lack of signal priority is holding back Swansea’s flagship new Metro bus service, despite the city council’s £11m investment in Metro infrastructure.
The cross-city service will be officially launched next week, after gradual phasing in over the summer. It is operated by First Cymru, using nine tram-style ‘ftr’ vehicles.
The route includes a mile-long bus-only road avoiding a busy junction. However, Metro must wait its turn at other traffic lights, including those encountered during its detour through the Civic Centre complex.
A First Cymru spokesman said: ‘While the preview service is running, we have been able to identify areas where adjustment of traffic light phasing will be necessary, such as near the Civic Centre, and we are working closely with Swansea CC to fine-tune such situations.
‘This was the intention of the preview service at the outset, as well as giving our staff and engineers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new vehicles.’
First Cymru has seen a ‘definite uplift’ in passenger numbers on the route over the summer, and expects further increases when the full ‘ftr’ fleet comes into operation and when the academic year begins at Swansea University, Metro’s western terminus. Customer hosts on each Metro vehicle sell tickets, and have received tourism training to help answer passengers’ queries.
Space constraints at city-centre West Way resulted in a Metro stop in the centre of the two-way bus road, similar to a rail station’s island platform. Buses cross each other’s paths there, having doors only on the left.
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