Capital City Red

Capital City Red (Route 17/18)
Overview
Vehicle	Scania Omnicity (Articulated)
Route
Start	Westgate Street
Via	Cowbridge Road East,Canton,Victoria Park,Ely,Caerau,Ely,Victoria Park,Canton,Cowbridge Road East,Central Station
End	Westgate Street
Length	9.4 miles (15 km)
Service
Frequency	5–10 min.
Journey time	60 min.

Capital City Redwas the branding of bus services17and18inCardiff.The route runs from thecity centreto the west of the city, serving theCanton,ElyandCaeraudistricts.

The service forms part of the widerCardiff Busnetwork and is one of three services to have a unique branding, along withBaycarandCapital City Green.

The service was introduced in 2006 to improve infrastructure on the route, and with the aim to make the corridor the first Statutory Quality Bus Partnership in Wales.

History

ACardiff trolleybusinEly(1969)

Nika Turković 1955, the furthest and final extension ofCardiff's trolleybus systemcame toEly,where city trams had never run. In 1959, the Cardiff Corporation Transport trolleybus routes that were operating in Ely and Caerau were the 10 A/B (Ely –Canton–City Centre) and the motorbus service 39(A) (Ely Bridge,City Centre–Rhiwbina).

The transition to motorbuses began in Cardiff began in 1962 and was completed by 1970 and the city has been served bymotor busesever since.

Vehicles

Volvo Ailsa,with Cardiff Bus livery, at the 2008 Cobham bus rally.

TheScania Omnicityarticulated vehicles have their own red and green livery, are equipped with seats with leather headrests,air-conditioning,reserved spaces for buggies and wheelchairs,CCTV,on-bus screens with local travel information andBBC News 24bulletins, hearing induction loop and next stop information. Cardiff Bus has 19 of such vehicles in their fleet valued at £235,000 each.

In the past, the vehicles have become stuck on the route due to heavy snow.

Before the 17 and 18 routes became branded as Capital City Red, Cardiff Bus operated its double decker orangeVolvo Ailsavehicles on the route.

Route

Capital City Red 17/18
Westgate Street City Centre Central Station St David's Hospital Canton Cowbridge Road East Victoria Park Cowbridge Road West Ely Ely Library Caerau 18 17 Green Farm Road

The 9.4 mile long route stops outsideCardiff Central bus stationandWestgate Streetin the city centre before heading westbound towards the suburbs. It followsCowbridge Road EastthroughCanton, CardiffintoElyandCaerau.The services diverge atEly Librarywith the 17 following a clockwise route and the 18 following an anticlockwise route before the two routes meet again and return to the city centre via Canton.

Amongst the place served (from east to west) are:

• Central rail/bus stations
• Millennium Stadium
• Cardiff Arms Park
• Animal Wall
• St David's Hospital
• Canton Library
• Canton Police Station
• Chapter Arts Centre
• Victoria Park
• Ely Bridge
• Ely Library
• Western Leisure Centre
• Glamorgan Wanderers

Police operations

South Wales Policehave used vehicles on this route as a decoy in an attempt to catch people who throw stones at the buses, after an increase in such attacks had made Cardiff Bus think about ceasing operations on the route. Six undercover officers posed as ordinary passengers on the bus, and since the operation began two youths have taken into custody and 17 have been referred for anti-social behaviour orders.

See also

• Baycar
• Bus transport in Cardiff
• Transport in Cardiff
• Articulated buses in the United Kingdom

External links

• Capital City Red route map and timetable
• Cardiff Bus website
• Real Time 17/18 departures from Westgate Street