Termination of T19 Bus Service
Despite our concerted efforts to find a workable solution which would ensure the continued operation of the T19 bus service, we have been unable to raise any support from Conwy Borough Council, Trawscymru, Welsh Government, or Gwynedd Council.
It is with the deepest regret that this means we have no option but to confirm that the T19 service connecting Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno will cease operation 11th February 2023 as previously advised.
Llew Jones International, as a family owned and run business, has served the people of the Conwy valley for 50 years and counting. Our commitment to the public in the area is the main reason why we have invested heavily in developing the T19 service to support local people and visitors alike. We feel that it is important that people understand the efforts we have made to maintain services for them.
For many years the business has sought ways to improve the exposure of the T19 service and to generate support from local councils and government - given their responsibility to ensure availability of accessible local public transport and commitment to sustainability.
We realise that there is a considerable effort in local government to increase the number of passengers on local trains, but they are of limited use unless you happen to live near a station or have pockets deep enough to pay for tickets which are often double the cost of bus journeys.
Traws Cymru had provided a vehicle in their livery to use on the route (free of cost to Llew Jones) which, whilst worthwhile in theory, was end of life when we received it, required significant investment on our part to make it usable, requires costly regular maintenance (at our cost) and uses huge amounts of fuel. The situation is so poor that we have resorted to running a bus of our own on the route; however, we do not get paid for doing so.
Furthermore, a project between Gwynedd Council and Transport for Wales saw the investment of over £1 million of taxpayer’s money in three electric buses which were promised to Llew Jones to support the development of a multi vehicle zero emission T19 service.
Disappointingly, the project collapsed when Gwynedd Council were unable to secure planning for an electric terminus on their own land in Tan Y Grisiau. Despite Llew Jones efforts to provide alternative sites for the charging station, the electric buses were never delivered to us and thus far remain unused despite their enormous cost to the public purse.
Gwynedd Council have not engaged with Llew Jones in any form since we announced the termination of the T19 service despite many students using the bus daily. It is our understanding that this is because they would rather the young people in Blaenau be educated locally, however, this misses the obvious need of the wider public to move around and that there is now no way for tourists to travel up the valley to the area.
Conwy Borough Council integrated some school transport onto the T19 service, and this commenced around four years ago. However, despite repeated requests, they have been unwilling to increase the rate paid since the service started – despite our operating costs increasing by over 45% over the same time.
When we were compelled to terminate the T19, Conwy Borough Council issued two “closed door school transport” contracts to support the movement of the pupils. Llew Jones submitted bids for the contracts and had planned to use the revenues, if successful, to secure the T19 service in some format. Unfortunately, we were not successful though we have yet to be told formally who did win.
We provided an alternative to the “closed door school transport” contracts directly to Conwy Borough Council and whilst we do not have the exact figures that have been agreed for the new student transport, we highlighted that our option would provide significant savings over the agreements they had made.
The solution we suggested, is that by CBC simply increasing the amount per pupil they were paying Llew Jones by the same amount as our operating costs have risen, that would provide sufficient subsidy to continue to operate the T19 service, albeit in a slightly modified timetable. The reduced timetable and increased pupil subsidy offsetting the reduction in fares.
Our solution would have been significantly more cost effective than the “closed door school transport” that had been tendered. In fact, we believe the savings could be in the region of £33,426 annually to CBC – with the added benefit of maintaining a much-needed T19 public service.
There is also a requirement under the transport Act 1958 which states that where a commercial service is operated, and educational pupils can be transported at a lower cost by using that service, then the obligation to the local authority is to use that already available resource and by doing this improving the viability of the commercial service and providing much better transport options for the public.
Despite our solution providing the potential for real savings, and our commitment to continue the T19 service without interruption should the council agree, we have been informed that they will continue with the award of the “closed door school transport” contracts and so we have no choice but to continue with the termination of the T19 service.
It is shocking that in the face of the considerable public support, and efforts by a Welsh Assembly Member, Conwy Borough Council made no attempt to meet, discuss or otherwise engage with Llew Jones beyond a single, minutes long telephone conversation, with one councillor - despite being offered a workable solution to reduce school transport costs and maintain the T19 service.
For the benefit of the public, and now that the fate of the T19 is sealed, Llew Jones has chosen to create a number of additional express routes as per the attached timetable. These will operate as 19X service and operate around the current 19 service. It is not a replacement for the T19 and, unfortunately, it is significantly less than was offered to CBC as part of our solution.
Llew Jones would like to thank the people of the Conwy valley and surrounding area for their continued support, our drivers for their hard work in providing the service day to day, and the many visitors to the area who have rung from every end of the country to enquire and offer their thoughts
traws.cymru
