Gateways to car-free tourism planned
A RADICAL overhaul of transport services in Snowdonia is being considered as the national park looks to introduce car-free tourism.
Bethesda is one of four towns earmarked as “gateway” hubs that will offer new park-and-ride facilities for visitors.
Over the next decade, the goal is to expand the national park’s Sherpa Bus service so that all of Snowdon’s paths can be accessed from these hubs by public transport.
The Snowdon Partnership hopes its plan will take the pressure off “honeypot” sites and avoid a repeat of the parking chaos seen last summer. Communities within the transport cordon should benefit by seeing less traffic, better transport and higher visitor spending, it believes.
A consultation was launched on Monday, and online community workshops have been arranged for the four “gateway communities” identified in the plan – Llanberis, Betws-y-Coed, Beddgelert and Bethesda. These are the places visitors tend to gravitate towards before heading to Snowdon and the Ogwen Valley, said the Partnership.
Also under discussion will be ways in which more sustainable modes of transport can be developed, such as walking, cycling and public transport.
Partnership officer Catrin Glyn said the aim was not just about visitors using buses when within the National Park.
Tourists will also be encouraged to use public transport when travelling to North Wales.
Local businesses, including taxi firms, will be asked to get involved.
“Current over-reliance on cars to access popular sites, and chronic parking problems at busy times of year, is hampering the National Park’s core purposes of protecting the landscape, promoting enjoyment of the area, and supporting the economic and social wellbeing of local communities,” she said.
By 2030, the Partnership envisages a fleet of zero carbon buses operating, combined with seasonal parking management in the Park’s “inner area”.
This could include pre-booking of parking spaces: last summer a hastily arranged pilot was trailed at Pen-y-Pass car park with some success. Park-and-ride services from Llanberis to Pen-y-Pass were also expanded, with future improvements likely to focus on the Nantgwynant and the Rhyd Ddu side of Snowdon, where only a handful of buses operate each day.
Last year it was estimated that, in August, Snowdon’s car parks were over capacity on 27 days out of 31. Even in April the region’s car parks were full almost a quarter of the time. Often this results in on-street parking, enraging local residents and fuelling safety concerns.
The sheer number of visitors is having an effect on flora and footpaths, and on Snowdon’s 26 farms, where livestock are at risk from dog attacks. Rising visitor numbers is also fuelling tensions on the mountains: in the past two years Snowdon Mountain Railway has reported a significant rise in “violent and aggressive behaviour” towards staff at the summit building.
Snowdon Partnership hopes its transport review will address some of these issues by creating an “exemplar” of sustainable tourism.
A transport review carried out by consultants last year suggested parking permits for gateway villages, and even “visitor passes” for the entire region.
Improvements to the region’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure are envisaged, along with better rail and coach links.
Although the review warned a “substantial amount of capital investment” will be needed, Transport for Wales (TfW) is backing the vision.
Lee Robinson, TfW’s North Wales development director, said integrated transport was “essential” so that people can explore the area by foot, bike, bus or train.
The transport consultation runs until March 7, 2021. Information, a questionnaire and booking for the workshops, is on the Snowdon Partnership website. Workshop dates: (All 6.30-8.30pm) Llanberis: Wednesday, February 24; Betws-yCoed: Thursday, February 25; Beddgelert: Tuesday, March 2; Bethesda: Wednesday, March 3.