RESIDENTS have claimed a new bus lane has left them out in the cold.

A new expressway exclusively for buses has led to most of the buses heading down Swansea Vale for the city centre to bypass Hafod. Residents say the area used to see around eight busses per hour. Now this is down to just three, including a new service launched by First Cymru.

Residents say the cut has not only been due to the opening of the new expressway, but also the replacement of older services by the new bendy bus — which also bypasses Neath Road through Hafod.

A petition, signed by 402 residents, was handed to Swansea Council last month, calling for the authority to support residents in petitioning bus companies to increase the number of buses through the residential area.

Tommy Jackson, who presented the petition to councillors, said: "This is the worst bus service in living memory.

"They are supposed to be here every half an hour, but waiting for an hour is a regular occurrence.

"Before the bendy bus we had one every 10 minutes, but we also had a direct connection to Morriston Hospital and Morfa retail park.

"Now we either have to walk into High Street Station or up to Bowen Street, which for the elderly or disabled is very difficult." Mr Jackson, of Neath Road, said that the services that do cover his road often came within a short space of time of each other, or even at the same time. He added that, because the routes begin in Pontardawe, by the time they reach Hafod some were too full to stop and collect people.

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However, when Mr Jackson presented the petition to Swansea Council, the authority's cabinet member for environment, John Hague, said that First Cymru was introducing a service which would travel through Hafod.

He said: "First Cymru is increasing its services in February from Parcgwernfadog, which will operate through Lower Hafod."

No-one from First Cymru was available to comment.

alex.brown@swwmedia.co.uk