Call to improve bus services for blind people in Wales
The 'All Aboard' report highlights the importance of buses for accessing work, healthcare, education, and community activities.
Almost half (43 per cent) find familiar journeys difficult, and this rises to 87 per cent for unfamiliar routes.
The report identifies challenges at every stage of the journey, from planning to boarding.
Only two per cent can access bus stop timetables, and 27 per cent struggle to identify their local stop.
Audio announcements are often absent, and 71 per cent believe drivers lack suitable training.
Carole Morgan, 70, from Cardiff, said: "As someone living with sight loss, I would love to be able to rely on my local bus services to take me to my volunteering roles and medical appointments but unfortunately, I can't because there's not always a direct service to where I need to go."
RNIB Cymru is urging the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, and local operators to make services more inclusive.
Suggestions include accessible timetables, improved bus stop design, and consistent audio information.
Ansley Workman, RNIB Cymru country director, said: "Bus travel is absolutely vital for blind and partially sighted people.
"Unfortunately, bus services in Wales are failing their blind and partially sighted passengers by being shockingly inaccessible."
The Welsh Government has recently introduced a Bus Services Wales Bill, which RNIB Cymru hopes will improve accessibility.
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North Wales Live
6 hours ago
- North Wales Live
'Great Wall of West Shore' as height of new flood defences get mocked
Flood defence work at a Llandudno beach is nearing completion with one element of the scheme getting mocked online. Conwy council secured funding from Welsh Government - alongside its own capital funds - to carry out multi-million pound improvements to flood defences at the seaside resort. The town juts out on the Creuddyn peninsula and its position with the sea on two sides has seen the resort flood previously. This saw defence work get underway last year - starting on West Shore, following by commencement on the North Shore prom. The project on the West Shore is now almost finished and people are highlighting the underwhelming element of part the latest additions. A new wall extension has been built that has been dubbed 'The Great Wall of West Shore'. In parts this new wall is barely above the grass field that separates West Shore parade with the promenade and main seawall. It is not the only part of the defences so for the sake of residents hopefully not critical to protections, but its 'dwarf' size has been mocked by locals. David Williams wrote: "Great NEWS Everyone. The Great Wall of West Shore is nearing completion. Yes, this 18 month engineering marvel is now in it's final stages." He said he had informed the Chinese embassy of this rival to the Great Wall of China and told the International Space Station. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox David added: "The owners of property on West Shore will no doubt be onto their insurance providers for a swift reduction in flood risk insurance premiums." But he said there was a debate was going in health and safety over whether it is trip or 'fall-from-heights' hazard He said: "All hail CCBC and our new tourist attraction. Llandudno really is booming." It attracted a (presumably) sarcastic response from one resident. He said: "Brilliant, the amount of sleepless nights I have missed over this is now such a relief! Can't put in to words the excitement." Another person asked: "Has Hadrian been made aware of this? Have you got his email address." Continuing the wall theme, another said: "Took less time to build the Berlin Wall!" A spokesperson for Conwy council said: "The scheme is based on coastal flood modelling, to reduce the potential for coastal flooding and its impact. In both locations, the focus is on maintaining existing lines of defence and constructing new sections of defence where potential weaknesses were identified by coastal modelling carried out by specialists HR Wallingford. "Work at West Shore: Reinstate stop logs in 7 locations where they have been historically located. This will then create a continuous barrier in the secondary and tertiary walls during flood events. Extend the existing wall which runs along the rear of the pavement on West Parade for approximately 50m, with the same height and appearance as the existing wall. Raise the kerbing around the entrance to the Dale Road car park, along with localised ground raising to increase resilience during periods of overtopping. Construct a new access ramp from the end of the primary seawall at the bottom of the car park, to tie into the existing footpath. This will allow continuous access whilst also bolstering the defences in this location. There will also be some localised ground raising to the south of the pumping station on Abbey Road. "After a competitive tendering process, MWT was appointed principal contractor for this £2M (North & West Shore) work. This work is funded by Welsh Government's Coastal Risk Management Programme (85%) and Conwy County Borough Council (15%)."
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
'No trees to pee behind' The most baffling Tripadvisor reviews of Wales' best attractions
'No trees to pee behind' The most baffling Tripadvisor reviews of Wales' best attractions Turns out, not everyone is as enchanted by Wales as we are..... One unimpressed TripAdvisor reviewer moaned that Yr Wyddfa didn't come equipped with 'handrails' (Image: Tony Harnett ) Wales may have jaw-dropping mountains, golden sandy beaches and a ludicrous amount of castles, but apparently, not everyone is as enamoured with Cymru as we are. While some visitors are left speechless by the sunrise at Yr Wyddfa, or impressed with our dreamy coastlines and top attractions, others find the experience lacking in very specific ways. One unimpressed TripAdvisor reviewer moaned that Yr Wyddfa didn't come equipped with 'handrails,' as if the highest peak in Wales were a leisure centre stairwell. Over in Burry Port, a visitor declared the lighthouse was 'not worth the trouble to come and view', presumably having hoped for something more Vegas and less Victorian. And at a perfectly innocent Welsh café, a disgruntled diner wrote: 'I've tasted better food in prison.' Yes, Wales might be heaven for hikers and a gift to photographers, but to the online reviewing masses... we're gonna have to do better. Here are some of the funniest and most unhinged reviews of Wales we've spotted on TripAdvisor. Article continues below "There are no trees or bushes to pee behind" - Yr Wyddfa Describing it as "an athlete-only" walk, one unenthusiastic reviewer struggled to get to the summit and said: "I wished there were handrails." (Image: Getty Images ) A trip to the summit of Wales' highest mountain is on the bucket list for many across the world. Its epic panorama of Eryri National Park has garnered mostly positive reviews on TripAdvisor; however, not everyone was impressed. Describing it as "an athlete-only" walk, one unenthusiastic reviewer struggled to get to the summit and said: "I wished there were handrails." One reviewer was clearly traumatised by their ascent to the summit: "You will fear for your life many many times." Yikes. Another annoyed hiker rated the mountain as poor because it wasn't quite what they expected, and there was nowhere to hide behind if nature calls. They wrote: "Don't expect what they tell you in the brochures and take your own life into your own hands; it's not for the faint-hearted. Also, don't expect to be able to use the loo, there are no trees, bushes, or rocks to hide behind." Perhaps the Welsh Government could consider installing an escalator, a few privacy screens, and a Pret halfway up, just to keep the TripAdvisor crowd happy. "I have better plants in my own greenhouse.' - National Botanic Garden of Wales Another reviewer simply titled their review the 'Poor Man's Eden Project.' (Image: Media Wales ) For many TripAdvisor reviewers, a trip to Wales' National Botanical Gardens in Llanarthney has been described as colourful, informative, and a tranquil setting to reconnect with nature. But for one reviewer, a trip to her back garden is far more exciting, as they said: 'The main dome was very boring and nothing special in there at all. I have better plants in my own greenhouse.' Clearly, the National Botanic gardeners should visit this reviewer's greenhouse and take notes, if they can handle that level of horticultural excellence, of course. Another reviewer simply titled their review the 'Poor Man's Eden Project.' They were the most unimpressed with the café offerings, though, writing: "I've tasted better food in prison." "Very steep for no reason" - Moel Famau 'Very steep for no reason,' (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live ) 'Very steep for no reason,' complained one reviewer of Moel Famau, seemingly shocked to discover that mountains aren't flat. 'Maybe they can level it off at some point,' they helpfully added. No doubt the Welsh Government will prioritise that just as soon as they've finished making Yr Wyddfa less "windy". "Too much coastline for my liking" - Millennium Coastal Path "Too much coastline for my liking" (Image: Llanelli Star ) Apparently, the 13 miles of scenic coastlines found at the Millennium Coastal Path were a "bit too much coastline" for one nervous TripAdvisor reviewer who added: "Too much coastline for my liking, afraid of water so found I couldn't appreciate the natural beauty of the place." Another review said that it was comprised of "just a few sand dunes, and there did not seem to be anything there." Too much coastline, water and sand dunes? You could swear these people have never clapped eyes on a beach before. Back to the city with you! "Guarded by cows" - Paxton Tower "Guarded by cows" (Image: ©National Trust Images ) Built in honour of Lord Nelson, Paxton Tower in Llanarthney is a Grade II listed building overlooking much of the Tywi Valley. However, one TripAdvisor reviewer found that the 300-year-old neo-Gothic tower had one significant and unexpected drawback... cows. The nervous visitor found this out the hard way and entitled their review: "Guarded by cows." They went on to say: "To get to the tower, you have to walk through a field of cows. I've never liked walking through a field of one standing right next to the swing gate. "So that was it, I took a photo of the tower from across the field." We're so sorry to disappoint our snap-happy tourists with inconvenient livestock. We'll do better. "Is that it?" - Buryport Lighthouse "Is that it?" (Image: Mirrorpix ) Built in the mid-1800s when Burry Port was one of the main coal-exporting ports in the area, the lighthouse has remained a focal point for the town for the past 200 years. But it didn't impress one visitor who rated it with two stars on TripAdvisor and said: "Theres a plaque on the wall of this lighthouse, circa 1996, which gives information about what they did 23 years ago. I haven't ever seen a lighthouse this small or this insignificant, not worth the trouble to come and view." Harsh? Maybe. But if you were expecting a towering beacon visible from space, this is not the lighthouse for you, friend. "Left with a very sad toddler" - Zip World Penrhyn Quarry "Left with a very sad toddler" (Image: Zip World ) The world's fastest zip line was not impressive enough for one disappointed child as a reviewer read that they had left the top attraction with a "very sad toddler". Presumably that was after being informed that, no, you can't strap a three-year-old to a 100mph zip line. Very "I would like to speak to the manager vibes" going on here. "You c an see it all from the car" - Aberystwyth Castle "You can see it all from the car" (Image: Bristol Post ) We're not sure what people expect from a 13th-century ruin, but one reviewer was less than impressed with the Grade I listed Edwardian fortress, proclaiming, "There's nothing there. In fact, Aberystwyth was a depressing dump." Another seemed surprised that "the walls are all blimming broken!" Shocking for an ancient castle, perhaps we could get Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen to come and take a look at this obvious fixer-upper. "Seen one duck seen them all" - Llanelli Wetland Centre "Seen one duck seen them all" (Image: Wales Online ) A school trip to Penclawydd was a rite of passage for many who've grown up in the area, and the wetland centre boasts around 450 acres of land, but it still wasn't enough to impress one visitor who has grown tired of repetitive wildfowl. "Seen one duck seen them all - I can't believe they have the nerve to charge £8.70 per adult to look at ducks." Heaps of scenic wetlands, conservation work, and rare bird species and yet not a single tap-dancing mallard to justify the cost. Honestly, what were they expecting at a wetland centre? Flamingos in tophats? A drive-through safari? Another TripAdvisor user was also enraged by the bird offering: "We saw only one bird which was a very friendly, impressive swan. We should have gone to Folly Farm." Yes, there are many friendly, impressive swans at Folly Farm. Definitely go and befriend them; swans typically love that. "Pure nonsense" - Cardiff Castle "Pure nonsense" (Image: Matthew Horwood ) It seems the crowning glory in the Welsh Castle doesn't always live up to the public's exacting standards. "Pure nonsense", moaned one reviewer, claiming that the nearby McDonald's was the highlight. Ouch. Another was most unimpressed with scaling the perimeter, grumbling, "All you get at the top is a view." Yes, nothing like a castle grounds vista to ruin a perfectly good day out. I hope they were issued a refund. Article continues below
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
New train stations for South Wales after major funding boost
Monmouthshire County Council has welcomed a £445 million allocation from the UK Government for rail infrastructure upgrades across Wales. The investment will support recommendations from the South East Wales Transport Commission, including upgrades to the South Wales Mainline and the creation of five new stations. Among the new stations is Magor Walkway, a project championed by the Magor Action Group on Rail (MAGOR), with support from Monmouthshire County Council and councillors John Crook, Angela Sandles, and Frances Taylor. Mary Ann Brocklesby, leader of Monmouthshire County Council, said: "This is a hugely welcome investment that recognises the urgent need to upgrade our transport network here in Wales. "Magor Walkway Station is a project with strong community backing from local councillors, residents, and campaign groups. "I'll continue working with all partners to make sure Monmouthshire sees the benefit of this long-overdue rail project." The new stations are expected to improve connectivity between Cardiff and Bristol for both commuters and leisure travellers. The council said it will continue working with the Welsh Government and neighbouring authorities to deliver other recommendations from the Lord Burns Commission. These include a proposed link road between the M48 and B4245 to enable a park and ride facility at Severn Tunnel Junction railway station. Monmouthshire County Council said it is awaiting further details from the UK Government's Infrastructure Strategy, due to be published next week.
