Baycar
Encyclopedia
Baycar is a bus service in Cardiff
, serving the city centre
and Cardiff Bay
.
The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus
network, but is unique in that the entire Baycar bus system includes its own branded vehicles, bus shelters and boards.
In 2007, the service was used by 39,000 each month.
Under the 5 year contract, the bus service was subsidised £200,000 per year by Cardiff County Council, who own Cardiff Bus, and by the Welsh Assembly Government
.
The Baycar system came second to consumer watchdog Bus Users UK Cymru Wales, under the Best Example of Participation in Transport category, at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Wales' National Transport Awards in 2007.
The core service operates runs from the Wales Millenium Centre to the northern city centre. The route is extended during peak times (Mon-Fri 0645-1930 (to Civic Centre) / 0645-2010 (to Porth Teigr)) so that the north of the route runs through Cathays Park
(the Civic Centre) and the south of the route extends to Porth Teigr
.
Fares on the service are £1.50 for a single, or £2.00 for a return.
bulletins, hearing induction loop and next stop information.
, only the eastern and northern parts of the city centre are served due to road closures to vehicles. In this case, the baycar service terminates in the city centre at Greyfriars, not continuing down Kingsway and St. Mary Street.
Amongst the landmarks and attractions served are:
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff City Centre
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, serving the city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
and Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
.
The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
network, but is unique in that the entire Baycar bus system includes its own branded vehicles, bus shelters and boards.
History
The service was introduced in 2006 to connect the city centre to the old Cardiff docklands redeveloped to create Cardiff Bay, a primarily entertainment and retail area.In 2007, the service was used by 39,000 each month.
Under the 5 year contract, the bus service was subsidised £200,000 per year by Cardiff County Council, who own Cardiff Bus, and by the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
.
The Baycar system came second to consumer watchdog Bus Users UK Cymru Wales, under the Best Example of Participation in Transport category, at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Wales' National Transport Awards in 2007.
Service pattern
Services run from around 06:00 until 23:30 Monday to Saturdays (from 08:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays). Buses run every five minutes Mon-Fri daytimes, every 15 minutes Sat-Sun daytimes and every 20 minutes Mon-Fri late evenings.The core service operates runs from the Wales Millenium Centre to the northern city centre. The route is extended during peak times (Mon-Fri 0645-1930 (to Civic Centre) / 0645-2010 (to Porth Teigr)) so that the north of the route runs through Cathays Park
Cathays Park
In addition to the large lawn in front of the City Hall, Cathays Park includes three formal gardens. All of the spaces are within conservation areas and many of the surrounding buildings are listed. The open spaces are very important to the image of the city. Several important buildings overlook...
(the Civic Centre) and the south of the route extends to Porth Teigr
Porth Teigr
Porth Teigr is an area under development in Cardiff Bay, in the south of Cardiff, Wales.The multi-use area will host the BBC drama village, with plans to link this to a new digital centre. The work will cover the last piece of brownfield area, thus completing the inner harbour jigsaw of Cardiff Bay...
.
Fares on the service are £1.50 for a single, or £2.00 for a return.
Vehicles
The vehicles, which have their own livery, are equipped with seats with leather headrests, air-conditioning, reserved spaces for buggies and wheelchairs, CCTV, on-bus screens with local travel information and BBC News 24BBC News 24
BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
bulletins, hearing induction loop and next stop information.
Route
The route leaves Cardiff Bay and then circles the city centre anti-clockwise, returning south to towards Cardiff Bay. On Friday and Saturday nights and during events at the Millennium StadiumMillennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, only the eastern and northern parts of the city centre are served due to road closures to vehicles. In this case, the baycar service terminates in the city centre at Greyfriars, not continuing down Kingsway and St. Mary Street.
Amongst the landmarks and attractions served are:
Cardiff Bay
- Roath Lock
- Norwegian Church Arts CentreNorwegian Church, CardiffThe Norwegian Church in the Cardiff Bay area of the city of Cardiff, Wales, is a historic church building and formerly a place of worship for the Norwegian community in Cardiff....
- Wales Millennium CentreWales Millennium CentreWales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
- Mermaid QuayMermaid QuayMermaid Quay is a waterfront shopping and leisure district in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. The 14,000 sq m development was opened in 1999, and includes restaurants, bars, cafes and shops.- Eating & Drinking at Mermaid Quay :...
- Red Dragon CentreRed Dragon CentreThe Red Dragon Centre is an indoor entertainment complex in southern Cardiff, the capital of Wales.The complex features restaurants, cafés, an Old Orleans restaurant, a Hollywood Bowl with arcade amusements, an Odeon multiplex cinema, a Doctor Who visitor centre , a casino and an on-site car park...
- SeneddSeneddThe Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was £69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
- Pierhead BuildingPierhead BuildingThe Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay, Wales. It stands as one of the city of Cardiff's most familiar landmarks and was built in 1897 as the headquarters for the Bute Dock Company....
- Cardiff Waterbus stopsCardiff WaterbusThe Cardiff Waterbus celebrated its 10 year anniversary in April 2010. The fleet have clocked up 50,000 miles since operating on the routes, carrying an estimated 1,000,000 passengers.-External links:**...
- TechniquestTechniquestTechniquest is a Welsh science and discovery centre. It has locations in Cardiff Bay, Glyndŵr University in Wrexham, Llanberis in Gwynedd, and the Adventure Center in Narberth, Pembrokeshire....
- Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre
Cardiff City Centre
- St David's Centre
- Cardiff Central LibraryCardiff Central LibraryCardiff Central Library , is the main library in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. Four buildings have been named as such, with the newest building opening on 14 March 2009 and officially being opened a few months later on 18 June 2009 by the Manic Street Preachers...
- Cardiff International ArenaCardiff International ArenaThe Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
- Capitol CentreCapitol CentreCapitol Centre is an indoor shopping centre in the city of Cardiff, Wales. The building is built on the site of the former Capitol Cinema and theatre, and is situated at the eastern end of Queen Street near the Dumfries Place bus terminus and Cardiff Queen Street railway station.It advertises...
- Civic centreCathays ParkIn addition to the large lawn in front of the City Hall, Cathays Park includes three formal gardens. All of the spaces are within conservation areas and many of the surrounding buildings are listed. The open spaces are very important to the image of the city. Several important buildings overlook...
- Cardiff UniversityCardiff UniversityCardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
- Cardiff CastleCardiff CastleCardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
- Millennium StadiumMillennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
See also
- Capital City RedCapital City RedCapital City Red is the branding of bus services 17 and 18 in Cardiff. The route runs from the city centre to the west of the city, serving the Canton, Ely and Caerau districts....
- Bus transport in CardiffBus transport in CardiffBus transport in Cardiff, the capital and most populous city in Wales, forms the major part of the city's public transport network, which also includes water, air travel and an urban rail network...
- List of bus routes in Cardiff
- Transport in CardiffTransport in CardiffTransport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road, rail, bus, water and air. Several factors have influenced the development of its transport network...
- Articulated buses in the United KingdomArticulated buses in the United KingdomArticulated buses were rarely used in the United Kingdom compared to other countries, until the turn of the millennium. This was historically due to the UK preference for the double-decker bus for use on high capacity routes. As of June 2006, there were over 500 articulated buses in the UK,...