‘Transport links so poor I have to book B&B to get to work on time’

TRANSPORT links in Blaenau Ffestiniog are so dire on a Sunday that a care worker has to check herself into a B&B the night before to make sure she gets to work on time.

Mum of one Tanya Symons (pictured) is totally reliant on public transport to get to her job in Llandudno. The 31 yearold lives in Blaenau Ffestiniog with her partner and young daughter.

Every two weeks or so Tanya has to fork out between £25 to £40 to pay for a B&B in Llandudno or Kinmel Bay, to make sure she is in work by 9am the next morning.

On Sundays in Blaenau Ffestiniog there are no buses to Llandudno until 12pm, and in the winter there are no trains at all running to the resort on that day.

Tanya, who has a rare genetic physical disability called oculo palato digital syndrome as well as other medical conditions, said she feels she and other residents in Blaenau are being discriminated against by a poor transport infrastructure.

She said: “Poor transport links from and within Blaenau Ffestiniog has been an issue for years.

“Although I am disabled I’m determined to work, but it’s made so much harder by the lack of transport.

“We can’t afford a car like many people in our town. Like other people in the area I have to pay to stay in a bed and breakfast on a Saturday night if I have to work a Sunday, which I have to fund myself.

“Other people I know have to share taxis, or car shares.”

She added: “The transport links are so much better if you live on the coast, but why should we not have the same?

“This situation is causing distress amongst commuters, some of whom are thinking about relocating elsewhere where the rents are higher and unaffordable. How is this practical?”

Tanya describes the quarry town as an area of “great poverty” partly because jobs are hard to come by. She says it means people have to travel outside the area to work, so good transport links are crucial.

She said: “Many of us who have to work in Betws y Coed or Llandudno and so on have to travel for hours every day on public transport. A train from Llandudno to Blaenau takes nearly one and a half hours, which is ridiculous.

“We are talking 14 and 16 hour days every day and it’s expensive. The train is £8.60 for a return and the bus is around £5.

Tanya, who in 2013 was presented with the Chartered Institute of Housing’s ‘Student of the Year’ award at a ceremony in London, says there is also now the added worry that Express Motors, who operate the bus service in Blaenau for six days of the week, will not be replaced when they lose their license to operate on December 31.

“Nobody is saying anything so none of us in the town have any idea what is going to happen in the New Year,” said Tanya.

“I don’t want to move from here as we have a good community, and if people like me were to start moving away then Blaenau would die.”

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts said: “Our existing transport infrastructure has been a matter of great concern to many people in my constituency, especially those who rely on public transport to get to and from work.

“The assumption that everyone has the option to use a car is simply incorrect. It is deeply troubling that someone on carer’s wages has to pay an additional cost for accommodation simply because of the lack of public transport on winter Sundays.”

She added: “In rural areas such as parts Dwyfor Meirionnydd, public transport is an essential resource.

“People should be able” to readily access these services.

“I’ve been told by local tourism and leisure business that the lack of winter Sunday transport links also puts off potential weekend visitors to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

“I would call on Gwynedd Council and Welsh Government to grasp the opportunity provided by the new rail franchise to design a future timetable which joins up all aspects of public transport in such a way as to provide local bus and train service suitable to the needs of the rural economy and people such as Tanya.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess requirements for bus services in their areas and the Welsh Government has provided £25m for local authorities to provide contracted local bus services. This is funding we have again protected this year.

“We are working with local authorities across North Wales to explore how the local bus network can be further improved for passengers.”

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “As a Council, we fully appreciate the importance of accessible public transport – particularly in rural areas – however, ensuring sustainable services that deliver value for public money is a continuing challenge.

“In terms of this specific route, very low demand has meant there has not been a public bus service between Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Llandudno area on Sunday mornings for a number of years.

“As a council, we have not received any recent requests for us to consider the introduction of such a service.”