Mid Wales to Shrewsbury X75 bus will miss out stops over funding row

The X75 bus, which runs from Rhayader in Mid Wales, through Llanidloes, Newtown, and Welshpool, before reaching its Shrewsbury destination, will stop picking up passengers at Ford, Wattlesborough, and Halfway House from December.

The stops are being removed from the timetable after Powys County Council and Shropshire Council were unable to reach an agreement over the funding for the route.

A decision taken by the Powys authority, which has traditionally paid for the route, meant that it would no longer be subsidising routes for passengers outside the county.

For the last year Shropshire Council says it agreed a 'one-off payment towards concessionary travel' but that it has never subsidised the route.

With no agreement in place for future funding, the stops will be removed from the route as of December, unless the authorities can decide on a new package to pay for the service.

They are due to meet next week for discussions.

The impasse throws up what a councillor has said is the ridiculous situation of the bus driving past stops where it had previously picked passengers up, leaving them to find alternative transport to Shrewsbury.

Councillor Roger Evans, who represents Longden, said the move risks abandoning residents who are without alternative travel.

He said: "They will be completely cut off without the main public bus service between them and Shrewsbury.

"I am trying to see if Shropshire Council will come to its senses and realise that people living along the Welshpool road need a public bus service to get into Shrewsbury.

"Many of those do not have cars so the only way they can travel is by taxi or asking neighbours for a lift. That to me is not how a caring council should treat local residents."

Peter Gilbert, chairman of Bus Users Shropshire, said that the move would have a significant effect on passengers.

He said: "It will be galling for people on the route to see these buses pass by without stopping."