How 20mph speed limit will impact buses - transport expert explains

A joint statement from Welsh Government, councils and bus providers this February confirmed the intention to "transition away from emergency-style funding", some three years after the first Covid lockdown.

Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters MS confirmed another £46m in transitional funding in June, which he said would prevent a "mass cancellation of services", to replace the Bus Emergency Scheme which ended in July.

And now, in an opinion piece for Nation Cymru, Professor Stuart Cole CBE has explained how bus operators will suffer from the reduced speed limit which means they have no choice but to run services at slower speeds.

“Bus passengers will have to face longer journey times on urban routes. Companies will require additional vehicles and driver shifts if the current bus service frequency is to be maintained,” said the University of South Wales professor, who has also produced reports for the Welsh and UK governments.

“Imagine the delivery of fresh bread usually between five and six-thirty each morning. The route timing is based on vans travelling on near-empty roads at up to 30mph.

“The reduction to 20mph reduces van and driver productivity leading to increased distribution costs and possible increased bread prices to the customer."

20mph speed limit comes into force on September 17 (Image: PA) (Image: PA)

Newport Bus, the main operator in Newport and Chepstow, will be implementing new service times and routes from September 3, citing the switch to 20mph on September 17 as one reason for the changes.

Operations director Morgan Stevens said: “Like many other operators, in response to the changes in funding level and passengers travel habits, we had to make some essential alterations to our services.

“In addition, we need to adjust our timetables to take into account the upcoming implementation of the new 20mph speed limit regulation.”

One of the Welsh Government’s core aims with the speed limit reduction is to incentivise walking and cycling – but Professor Cole feels there has been a missed opportunity to boost the bus as a travel option.

“The alternative would be to introduce, at the same time as the new speed limit, a raft of bus priority schemes on all routes where other traffic congestion adversely affects their operating timetable,” he said, giving the examples of Castle Street in Cardiff and Kingsway in Swansea.

“Assuming this bus utopia could be achieved and demand increased, the many single deck vehicles currently in use could be replaced by double deckers so reducing the number of buses (and drivers) required in the peak.”

Newport Bus passengers will find altered routes and timetables on September 3

Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, has said the professor’s piece highlighted the “lack of thinking” the Welsh Government has done on the 20mph policy.

“The concerns raised by Professor Stuart Cole highlight even further the lack of thinking the Labour Government has done on this policy,” Ms Asghar said.

“For over a year I have been saying whether it’s our emergency services reaching incidents, people taking longer to get to work, delivery vans taking more time or cuts to bus routes to accommodate the longer time – this ludicrous policy is going to impact every part of everyone’s lives.”