Sir,
I wonder how many Tenby Observer readers know that we are to lose the one-bus-a-day service from Pembroke Dock to Carmarthen via Tenby, Saundersfoot etc, as from next month?
Silcox is to withdraw this service, as it is losing money. It follows the loss of the two-days-a-week service to Cardigan, but unlike the Cardigan run, this bus to Carmarthen is heavily subscribed. The problem for Silcox is that most of us who use it are free-bus-pass carrying pensioners.
My (imperfect) understanding, was that the Welsh Assembly Government subsidises the free bus travel of pensioners, but according to Silcox's traffic manager, only a 'tiny proportion' of the cost is covered by WAG.
From Pembrokeshire County Council's spokesman, Simon Rees, I learn that whilst Silcox and any other bus operator, may make money on short, town services, they lose money on longer runs and Pembrokeshire County Council refuse to subsidise a service which takes shoppers from Pembrokeshire into Carmarthenshire to shop! PCC have tried to negotitate with Carmarthenshire County Council, but they refuse to subsidise a bus used by Pembrokeshire people.
According to Simon, in the latest budgetary allocation for subsidised local transport services, WAG allocated hugely increased subsidies to Cardiff and Swansea (upwards of 14 per cent), but gave Pembrokeshire only one per cent and 'gave' Carmarthen, four per cent less. And this is supposed to be for rural transport!
There is a group called 'SWITCH' who are purportedly fighting for more subsidy for cross-boundary routes, but even if they know of our problem, they'll not be able to save our Carmarthen bus before November. I would urge all free bus pass holders to take action now, before it is too late. Write to your local AM Angela Burns to put pressure on WAG. She should have been ahead of the game here!
Free bus passes have been a hugely successful move by WAG - which is being followed by other national governments/local authorities, but it is no good having a free bus pass if there are no buses.
Mollie Neate,
Tenby.