Residents in Cardiff have said they are concerned for their safety after bus services were diverted two nights in a row. Cardiff Bus diverted their number 17,18 and 13 services through Ely on Tuesday and Wednesday night due to anti-social behaviour.
Multiple reports of anti-social behaviour were made to the South Wales Police on Tuesday, February 21 including damage to a bus, leading Cardiff Bus to change some of their scheduled bus routes. Following a further incident of anti-social behaviour on Grand Avenue on Wednesday, February 22, Cardiff Bus issued another statement informing their passengers of bus route diversions.
A statement from the transport operator on Wednesday said:
Read more: Police responded to reports of anti-social behaviour in Ely
One Cardiff Bus passenger claims she witnessed an attack on a Cardiff Bus at around 9pm on Wednesday evening near the Resurrection Church on Grand Avenue. She claims she saw a group of youths on the corner who she said "threw stones (it sounded like) and hit window, causing it to shatter." She said shattered glass was visible along Grand Avenue after the alleged incident, with residents having to clear it themselves.
With the incidents taking place during the school half-term, one resident on the street - who did not want to be named - said some in the area were concerned for their well-being but were "unsure on what [they] can do to help the issue." Another resident who didn't want to be named said anti-social behaviour "isn't new" to the area but that some locals had fitted cameras to deter any damage being done to their property.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Reverend Canon Jan Gould of the Resurrection Church on Grand Avenue said members of the community have to "brace themselves" during the summer, when longer days and school holidays often result in increased anti-social behaviour. She added that older members of the congregation of the Resurrection Church "don't feel safe coming out" to attend night time services due to the anti-social behaviour happening around Ely.
But Reverend Gould, who has been the reverend in Ely for over 16 years, said this was not a true reflection of the community in Ely. She said the area was an "amazing community with warm people who are generous-hearted" but that incidents of anti-social behaviour "give the whole community a bad name."
South Wales Police said it had no record of attending an incident in Ely on Wednesday, February 22. Cardiff Bus declined to comment on the incidents.
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