Despite living in Cardiff, I have never used Cardiff Bus until only recently. Due to where I need to be, I normally have only ever dealt with Newport Bus (refer to my 5-star review of them, they're amazing!). Seeing as how I much prefer city of Cardiff over Newport in about every other way, I thought it'd be the same when it comes to public transportation - but nope! Although Cardiff Bus has not managed to trump my love for the Newport service, they still do get a lot of praise from me at the end of the day.
~ The Drivers:
From my experience, the drivers are very patient and friendly though I'm hesitant to ask for directions. The first time I did, I told the driver where I needed to go (it's a major destination, so you'd think they'd know) and the response was "Don't really know. I just know how to drive the route I'm taking." How helpful. Thankfully, the buses come equipped with a clear-to-understand automated announcer that tells you the name of the next stop. However, if you're a newbie like I was, I would open up GPS on your phone just to double check.
~ The Buses:
Unlike other people, I haven't actually experienced any instance of overcrowding and I take the bus during work rush hours. I'm guessing that it definitely depends on the route and possibly if you're using the buses on weekends or half-term when the kids are out. From my experience, the buses themselves seem to be relatively clean too and like I said, come with the announcer that helps you navigate where you need to be. If there's too much chatter or you're hard of hearing, they also have a monitor at the front of the bus that displays the next stop as well.
~ Prices:
The standard prices on Cardiff Bus (for adult) is cheaper than Newport Bus. However, I think that the regular customer deals with Newport are cheaper. If you're a regular, you can get a regular recurring monthly ticket through direct debit or 4 weeks with their new Iff app that I reluctantly downloaded as it's a tad bit fiddly (just look at the poor app reviews).
---
All in all, I do appreciate Cardiff Bus's attempt at modernity with their e-tickets you can get on an app and show the driver, the monitors and announcers telling you the next stop, and so on. There's certainly nothing bad about Cardiff Bus that I've experienced - the buses come frequently and can get you just about anywhere you want to get to around the city! read more