Campaigners calling for better access for public transport for patients using the Port Talbot Health Resource Centre in Baglan Moors have given a cautious welcome to news that agreement has now been reached to locate a bus stop closer to the recently opened facility.
At the moment, bus passengers face a lengthy walk from the nearest stop outside Morrisons Supermarket to the Centre itself of around 400 metres. Plans have now been put forward to allow buses to drop off at the rear of the centre, drastically reducing the distance that patients will have to cover to get to appointments.
The Centre has been open for a year or so now and it was clear right from the start that the needs of those people who use public transport to get to the centre had been ignored in the original design. It is wrong that elderly, disabled and ill patients have been forced to walk such a long distance when they have already faced difficulty in getting there in the first place. With Winter fast approaching, the adverse weather conditions will only make things worse.
It has been a long time coming, but the fact that there is now a concrete proposal on the table to tackle this problem is very positive certainly a step in the right direction. Many constituents who have complained to me about this situation will see it as a workable way forward.
However, it is only the start of the process. The priority now is to make sure that access into the centre from the new stop is made suitable for disabled and elderly people. Full consideration also has to given to the appointment of a responsible bus service operator and the agreement of appropriate routes connecting the areas of the town where patients will be travelling from.
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