Changes to bus timetables

Bus users in Bridgend County Borough should take note of a revised bus timetable that has been introduced by First Cymru for local services.

The revised timetable has been introduced to take account of bus services that will no longer be subsidised by the council, which is seeking to cover multi-million pound shortfalls in the amount of funding that it receives.

The council originally intended to lower the amount it pays to private bus companies for providing services that wouldn’t otherwise be commercially viable from £699,193 in 2017-18 to £516,800 in 2018-19. However, following public consultation, this was revised to £566,800 for 2018-19 after the authority agreed to fully subsidise three of the most popular bus routes.

The council has worked closely with public transport providers to protect as many services as possible while ensuring that the authority can still find the savings that it needs to make.

I’m really pleased that we have been able to work with local transport providers to protect as many services as possible for the foreseeable future.

However, people need to understand that the services may be lost entirely if they are not used. If passenger numbers are low along certain routes, bus companies won’t run a service unless the council provides them with a subsidy payment to do so. The ‘use it or lose it’ message here is very strong, so I hope that local people will take particular note of this.

Like all local councils, we are quickly approaching a situation where we may soon be forced to focus on statutory services that have to be provided by law. The only thing that will change this is if the UK Government eases its current austerity measures, and gives councils the money that local authorities must depend upon in order to provide services within the community.

Councillor Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities

Timetable changes started on Monday 13 August and affect the following services:

62 Pencoed to Bridgend:

• The 1753 and 1901 journeys from Bridgend has been replaced by a single service at 1835.
• The 1820 from Pencoed (Kennedy Way) will no longer run.

63 Bridgend to Porthcawl

• The service now runs every 20 minutes from Bridgend to Porthcawl instead of every 15 minutes.

63B Bridgend to Porthcawl (via Maudlam and Kenfig Pool):

• The operator has cancelled this service and has returned the subsidy to the council. An alternative operator is currently being sought.

68 and 69 Bridgend to Cefn Glas:

• The last departure from Bridgend for the 68 will now be at 1900.
• The last departure from Bridgend for the 69 will now be at 1930.
• The 69 will now run along Heol Y Nant to St Illtyd’s Road instead of along West Road, Westfield Avenue, Ystrad Fawr and Glannant Road.

Other changes to bus timetables will include the following:

81 Bridgend to Pen-y-Fai

• A revised timetable and route will be introduced from Monday 3 September 2018 which will no longer feature the 0813 and 1515 journeys from Pen-y-Fai to Bridgend.

52 Bridgend to Broadlands

• The operator has registered a non-subsidised service to provide six journeys between Monday to Friday, reducing to five on a Saturday.

73 Pyle to Bridgend

• The operator will no longer be running this service and has applied for its cancellation with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner.

51 Bridgend to Oaklands

803 Danygraig to Porthcawl

61 Nottage to Porthcawl

• All of the above services will continue to be subsidised by the council for at least the next year.