A fleet of electric buses travelling the T1 line between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen have been in operation for a month.
Cambrian News reporter Alex Bowen caught the bus to find out what passengers think of the new flagship service, from the silence of electric, to uncomfortable seats.
The ‘state of the art’ buses cost £5 million and launched on 26 March as part of the route’s new hourly service, which aims to attract commuters by offering tickets at a reduced price, and save 14 kilograms of CO2 compared to driving a fossil fuelled vehicle.
Lisa Farrar rides the bus to get to work a couple of times a week. Before the timetable changed she would have to plan her arrival in Aberystwyth and would often wait around in the town for over an hour before she started work.
She said: “I find it much more convenient since the change, I used to rely mainly on the T5, and only caught the T1 if I had to, knowing I’d be hanging around Aberystwyth waiting to start work. Now the service runs hourly, it’s much more accessible.”
She added the change in ticket prices has made a ‘huge difference’ to her daughter, a regular user of the bus route.
Christopher and Pamela Buckley own a caravan near Aberystwyth, and spend about eight months each year holidaying there. They called the service ‘brilliant’ and said the electric buses were ‘ever so quiet.’
Mr and Mrs Buckley said: “We used the bus for the first time since the change and found it brilliant, you get to see so many things that you wouldn’t see in a car.
“The electric buses are ever so quiet, and as long as they get us from A to B, we’re happy.”
The couple were surprised that they couldn’t use their bus passes on the service because they are English passes. The decision is one the couple called ‘ludicrous.’
Jindra Squire rides the bus regularly to get to work in Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth, and Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. Riding the bus most days of the week has made her aware of some ‘ridiculous’ aspects to the buses.
Ms Squire said: “The buses seem to be quite busy, but they always were. Generally the buses are more full since the change.
“The problem I have with them is on the physical side, the seats are ridiculously shaped – there’s no lumbar support and it pushes your head forward so you can’t sit comfortably.
“My neighbour is a little woman in her 80s, her head gets pushed forward even more and the seats hurt her back. They’re nicer looking but they’re not actually designed for people with backs and heads.
“My big issue right now is that I can’t buy a proper monthly ticket for it. I used to buy First Cymru monthly tickets, but you can’t get them through TrawsCymru.
“The bus is tendered by First Cymru, but it’s run by TrawsCymru, so I can’t use First Cymru tickets on the bus. It used to be £67 for me as a member of the NHS commute club, now I’m buying weekly tickets costing £20.
“The other thing is that these tickets don’t cover the whole route, sometimes I need to go to Aberystwyth, and other times to Carmarthen, so if I buy a ticket it will only cover my travel to one of the hospitals.”
The Cambrian News contacted FirstCymru for a comment and is waiting for their response
Ms Squire also pointed out a beeping noise which happened frequently along her journeys.
She said: “There are these beeps as well that I don’t know what they mean. If you happen to sit under the speaker, they’re very loud.”
A driver said the beeping is tied to the bus’s lane control system, and also happens when the bus is indicating.