Cardiff Bus

While horse buses (and later horse trams) had run in the city since 1845, Cardiff Bus can trace its history back to May 1902, when Cardiff Council took over and electrified a tram line between Roath and the city centre. It had been previously run by the Cardiff Tramway Company. The resultant Cardiff Corporation Tramways spent the next three decades extending its electric tram network, and at its peak in 1927 ran 141 electric trams over 18 miles of line. On Christmas Eve 1920, the corporation introduced its first bus, although the first motor bus route was operated by the Tramway Company from 1907.[6]

Cardiff Trolleybus 259 rounding the Bute Monument roundabout, 1966

A line of preserved buses at Cardiff Bus' Open Day in September 2022

The first Cardiff trolleybuses were introduced in 1942, their introduction having been delayed by the outbreak of World War II. The intention was to convert the remaining tramway system to trolleybus operation, then to extend the network. While the first stage was completed in 1950, the only extension made to the system was to Ely which took place in 1955. Although powers had been obtained to considerably expand the network, a policy U-turn occurred in 1961 when the decision was made to replace all the trolleybuses with motor buses. This task was completed in 1970, bringing to an end 68 years of electric traction on the streets of Cardiff.[6]

The Transport Act of 1985 deregulated bus services outside London and required all Local Authorities to establish private "arm's length" bus companies. In October 1986 the council established a subsidiary company.[7] In 1992, the closure of the National Welsh bus company led Cardiff Bus to extend and intensify its network in the areas and towns surrounding Cardiff, including Barry, the Vale of Glamorgan and Caerphilly. The Caerphilly local network of services including links between Cardiff, Caerphilly, Blackwood and Tredegar were discontinued in 2001 and are now provided by Stagecoach in South Wales.

Some loss-making services have been withdrawn and are now operated under local authority tender by other operators, including Watts Coaches and NAT Group.

From September 2016, four of Cardiff Bus' services (routes 51/53, 86 and X91) were transferred to its new Capital Links sister brand,[8] with a further four services transferring over to Capital Links two months later.[9] Vehicles used on these services are in either an orange or green base livery, and as of July 2017, Capital Links operate seven routes.

In the crossover of the years 2018 and 2019, Capital Links collapsed, and many of the routes were then dropped, with the exemption of route 51 and 53, which still run, as of Christmas 2020. Many of the capital links wrapped buses, are still wearing that vinyl, just not in service, and across the road from Cardiff Buses main depot on Sloper Road.

The company made a purchase of several battery-electric buses in April 2021 in their effort to modernise their fleet and transform how their network is delivered. The purchase comes with a successful bid from the Department of Transport to the city's ultra low emission zone scheme.[10] These buses will have a range of 370 miles and were delivered at the end of 2021.[11]

Cardiff Bus has a turnover of £27million, employs around 705 people, on an average weekday carries around 100,000 passengers.[12] In 2009 the company started to operate the park and ride service from Cardiff City Stadium to the city centre.

Fleet

The modern day fleet at Cardiff Bus' Depot Open Day on 24 September 2022 to celebrate 120 years of service

• Scania N270UB OmniCity (x14 As of 09/06/23)
• Scania N230UD OmniCity (Open Top - x1 as of 09/06/23)
• Scania N230UB OmniCity (Double Decker - x6 as of 22/09/23)
• Scania L94UB Wright Solar (x3 as of 09/06/23)
• Scania K230UB Wright Solar (x7 as of 09/06/23)
• Scania K250UB Irizar i3 (x3 as of 09/06/23)
• Scania N230UD OmniDekka (x8 as of 09/06/23)
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 (x30 as of 09/06/23)
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC (x10 as of 09/06/23)
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC (x20 as of 09/06/23)
• Mercedes-Benz Citaro O295 (x21 as of 09/06/23)
• Mercedes-Benz Citaro O530 (x32 as of 09/06/23)
• Mercedes-Benz Citaro Hybrid (x1 as of 09/06/23)
• Yutong E12 (x36 as of 09/06/23)
• Mercedes-Benz eCitaro (Possible future vehicles)

Branding

Special bus branding

Livery with (l to r) Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff Devils and Cardiff Blues logos

Livery to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Cardiff Bus

Cardiff Bus' low emission "Electricity" bus.

The original branding in both the entire tram, trolley bus and early bus operations until the 1970s was crimson lake and cream livery. This then changed to orange with white lining, from August 1972 with "City of Cardiff" on the left hand side and "Dinas Caerdydd" on the right hand side. This changed in 1986 when the business became Cardiff Bus. However, since the 1990s the dominant colouring has been green, first with cream lining and since the introduction of modern wrapping, a return for orange in the adjustments/outline.

Just before the introduction of the Iff Card, the company started a "your bus service" campaign, fronted by a series of local people's faces being applied in large scale on the sides and rears of selected buses.

Bus 472 (CN57 FGD) a Scania N270UD Optare Olympus, had a grey vinyl wrapped livery advertising the IFF card following its launch in 2008. It was then repainted into a heritage orange and white livery to celebrate 30 years since the formation of Cardiff Bus (after the 1986 deregulation of buses) and it currently sports a vinyl wrap celebrating Cardiff's sporting success with Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff Blues, Cardiff Devils ice hockey team and Geraint Thomas winning the 2018 Tour de France. It is no longer in service.

Bus 436 (CE71 YXV) a Yutong E12 has a livery in crimson lake and cream to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Cardiff Bus in 2022[17]

• Route-branded buses
• 
  No. 6 service (Baycar)
  City centre – Cardiff Bay
• 
  No. 8/9 service
  Heath Hospital – Cardiff Bay
• 
  No. 27 service
  City centre – Thornhill
• 
  No. 44/45 service
  City centre – St Mellons
• 
  No. 49/50 service
  City centre – Llanrumney
• 
  No. 57/58 service
  City centre – Pontprennau
• 
  No. 61 service
  City centre – Pentrebane

Cardiff Bus's dominant position has sometimes come in for criticism and investigation. In 2004, 2Travel,[18] a company operating significant numbers of school contract services in South Wales, launched low-cost services in Cardiff and Swansea to utilise its fleet between the school runs. Low fares were achieved by omitting major bus stations avoiding hefty access fees. Cardiff Bus launched a basic service in competition with 2Travel, using white buses bearing no livery also stopping short of the bus station. The Office of Fair Trading launched an investigation in 2007 into claims of predatory behaviour 18 months after 2Travel had ceased trading and gone into liquidation.[19][20] The investigation found that Cardiff Bus had engaged in predatory behaviour.[21]

• The liveries used by Cardiff Corporation through to the present day Cardiff Bus.
• 
  A Leyland PD3A1 in crimson lake and cream livery used until 1972
• 
  A Bristol LH in orange livery used from 1972 until the 1980s
• 
  An Optare MetroRider in the Clipper livery used from 1987
• 
  A Dennis Dart in the EasyRider livery used from 1987 to 1999
• 
  A Dennis Dart in green and cream livery used from 1999 until 2007
• 
  An Alexander Dennis Enviro200 in green and orange livery used from 2007 until 2021
• 
  A Mercedes-Benz Citaro in orange and red livery from 2021 to present-day.

• Bus transport in Cardiff
• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom
• Municipal bus companies
• Transport in Wales
• Transport in Cardiff

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardiff Bus (company).

• Official website
• Cardiff Network Map PDF
• Barry and Penarth Network Map