First Cymru has blamed a reduction in funding from the Welsh Government after revealing cuts to nine of its services in south and south Wales and frequency reductions for others.
The move is in response to the announcement on 23 May for £46 million funding for the sector to the end of the financial year, which was later confirmed to take the form of the Bus Transition Fund as a replacement for the Bus Emergency Fund.
In detailing the changes set for 29 October, the operator says most of the cancelled routes are in Swansea, with two in Carmarthenshire. Further services will be hit at weekends or operate less frequently through the week.
Calling the changes inevitable when also considering a drop in passenger volume, First Cymru’s Managing Director, Doug Claringbold, says: “The majority of services are unaffected, but despite our efforts to protect our customers from the impact of this reduced funding, we have no option but to reduce or stop operating some services.
“We recognise the Welsh Government has had some tough decisions to make as it changes the way it funds bus services. At the same time, we share the disappointment customers will feel from the knock-on impact that will have on some routes. We are committed to getting more people to use the bus, and adequate levels of funding are essential where passenger numbers are below the cost of operating services.”
Wales’ Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters admitted in May that the £46 funding level would not support every service and that the £7-9 million needed to do so was not available.
First Cymru’s service cuts follow several other such announcements from operators in Wales this summer, with many citing the 20mph default speed limit on urban roads, which was introduced by the Senedd on 17 September.
Aaron Hill, Confederation of Passenger Transport Cymru Director, said on 27 September that the new limit was already causing delays and was likely to continue to do so.
