Taxi-style services could replace little-used rural bus routes next year
COUNCIL REVIEWS VITAL BUT LITTLE-USED PUBLIC TRANSPORT ROUTES
COUNCIL-FUNDED taxis could replace bus services in some parts of rural Gwynedd
The idea has been floated after a review of public transport in the county.
Up to 2,000 people took part, with the majority saying they were heavily dependent on buses.
But there are concerns some buses are carrying only a handful of passengers, and are not cost-effective or environmentally friendly.
In a meeting to discuss the feedback, councillors said public transport was the backbone of isolated communities.
Cllr Gruff Williams, who represents Nefyn, said: “In the past we have worked hard to maintain bus services because, as members, we can see cutting the service as a way of clearing more people from the countryside, a kind of Highland Clearances if you will.”
“People on low wages and the unemployed are heavily reliant on public transport, and I’d say it was essential this council made no further cuts.
“As soon as you cross a certain threshold then the schools, shops and pubs start closing and all you have left is a big holiday village, forcing everyone into Porthmadog, Dolgellau and Pwllheli.”
Among the consultation’s findings were that 88% felt access to buses offered them “greater independence and freedom”, with one respondent noting that if the buses didn’t run, “You may as well put me in a box, my life would not be worth living”.
The portfolio holder for the environment, Cllr Gareth Griffith, conceded that the respondents’ high dependency on public transport had been “an eye opener.”
But members generally welcomed the authority’s approach to the future of the service, with officers saying they would look at a service where residents could request spaces when needed.
This, members were told, could be taxi-style minibuses or people carriers, rather than traditional buses, but sticking to timetables.
For passengers, the cost of any bus replacement service would not be more than that of a bus, with those eligible for free transport continuing to be so.
Cllr Simon Glyn said: “I’m particularly pleased consideration is being given to alternative forms of transport as on some routes the buses are almost empty.”
The tender process is set to commence in November, while any changes to the county’s transport arrangements are not expected to be implemented until at leasr April.