A vital bus service which offers a 'lifeline' to pensioners has temporarily been saved thanks to 'people power'.

The 333 Silcox bus which runs from Pembroke Dock to Carmarthen, via Tenby and Kilgetty, was due to be axed on November 8, after the coach company revealed it was struggling to get funding from the Welsh Assembly Government to make the journey financially viable.

However, thanks to 'people power' shown at a well-attended public meeting held at New Hedges Village Hall last Thursday evening, Silcox has agreed to keep the service running on a Wednesday and Friday only from November 12 until Christmas after which a reduced timetable will be operated.

Keith Silcox and Bert Dix, of Silcox, told the meeting how the service was running in deficit, while representatives from Pembrokeshire County Council explained that the way in which bus subsidies were allocated worked against the longer journeys like the Pembroke Dock-Carmarthen run which meant Silcox could not recoup their losses.

"Tenby resident Mrs. Mollie Neate pointed out that the problem was that the subsidy for the over 60s was insufficient and that the funding for this very successful scheme be looked at again," meeting organiser, Audrey Bull, of Saundersfoot, told us this week.

She continued: "Directing her comments to Angela Burns AM, Mrs. Neate suggested that the Welsh Assembly Government should review the funding of free bus passes.

"Judging by the enthusiastic response of the audience, Mrs. Neate's ideas echoed most people's opinions."

Mrs. Bull said it was "most gratifying" to see around 150 people at the meeting, including several community councillors, mainly from Saundersfoot, among whom, Mr. Ron Brabon, spoke out strongly in support of the bus users campaign for the restoration of the 333 service.

"The reason for holding the meeting was to bring together the various parties involved in running the bus services to try and see a way through the problem so that this very valuable and popular service could be retained," explained Mrs. Bull.

"I am pleased to report that the enthusiasm of those attending and the strong expression of their concerns have led to a re-think by the powers that be.

"The morning after the meeting, I was informed by Mr. Dix that Silcox, in consultation with the county council's transport division, had found a way of retaining the service for two days a week.

"I am also reliably informed that the county council has contacted the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport, Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, and that his officers are investigating the possibility of the county council enhancing the subsidy for this route.

"A spokesperson at the Welsh Assembly has confirmed that a response should be given next week," continued Mrs. Bull, who has strongly urged all those interested in retaining the 333 service to keep up the pressure and write to Ieuan Wyn Jones AM at the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, SF99 1NA, explaining the importance of retaining the daily service to Carmarthen.

One campaigner who will be encouraged by the positive outcome was Anne Price, of Lydstep, who along with the help of her friend Betty Button collected a petition of more than a 1,000 signatures over three days in Tenby which she handed to South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns prior to the meeting.

"The Government seems very concerned about elderly people living on their own so they need to realise that this one bus service to Carmarthen is a lifeline to them as not everybody owns a car," said Anne.

"They get on the bus and see a lot of friends that they haven't seen for a week, they socialise and do their shopping and then its back to the bus.

"For some people this is their highlight of the week so to withdraw this particular service would be absolutely scandalous," she added.

AM Angela Burns welcomed the reprieve and will now present the petition to the Welsh Assembly's petitions committee.

"There has been huge public demand for this service to stay and I am delighted that Silcox Coaches is willing to keep the service running two days a week," said Mrs. Burns.

"The sheer number of people who signed the petition and who were willing to come to the meeting at short notice reveals the depth of need for this bus route."

"This is a real case of people power winning the day," she continued.

"However, a reduced service is not ideal and I have already spoken to Carmarthenshire County Council chief executive Mark James about the situation and to Pembrokeshire County Council's transport department.

"I am also keen to try to tap into alternatives sources of funding to try to reinstate the daily service and have written to Health Minister Edwina Hart as many people use the bus to get to hospital appointments, to transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and to local government minister Brian Gibbons," concluded Mrs. Burns.