Dozen bus services axed to save money

The council will put an end to some services in Welshpool, Newtown, Llanfair Caereinion and Llanrhaeadr as it bids to save up to £500,000 from its transport budget.

Despite the proposed cuts, a report to the council's cabinet says the £500,000 target will not be met and is forecast to be £464,000.

Companies such as Celtic Travel and Owens of Oswestry which provide services in the area have been informed and reacted with "an appreciation of the current financial situation but also obvious disappointment", according to Councillor Barry Thomas, the authority's portfolio holder for environment.

In his report, Councillor Thomas says: "In January, the cabinet approved the council's medium term financial plan which identified a saving of £500,000 to be taken from the public transport budget.

"However, it has become evident that the full saving cannot be achieved due to the way that nearly all public transport services are used to convey entitled learners on home to school transport services, a statutory function.

"The crux of the issue which was not highlighted in the financial plan is that by terminating public transport services and contracts it will impact on the home to school transport service because the council still has a statutory duty to convey entitled learners, that were being carried on the public service bus, to school.

"Effectively, if the bus the entitled learners travel on is a public transport bus and the contract is terminated, the council will then have to 'buy in' a dedicated school bus which would have to be paid for from the local education authority home to school transport budget.

"It is acknowledged that the proposals set out in this report will receive very negative feedback and objections from the service users, contractors, local Members, Assembly Members and Members of Parliament.

"However we have to bear in mind that Powys County Council has been on the receiving end, and looks to continue to be at the end of very poor settlements from the Welsh Government, so these measures are being applied to ensure that essential statutory services can be maintained."

The number of bus services to be withdrawn total 12 out of the 30 that Powys County Council currently supports.

The cabinet will meet at County Hall, Llandrindod Wells at 10am on Tuesday, September 17.