A PILOT scheme which offers free bus travel on the TrawsCymru network at weekends has led to a 77 per cent increase in passengers on one Aberystwyth service, the town council heard.

Cllr Alun Williams, who is Ceredigion County Council Cabinet member for transport, told fellow town councillors that the Welsh Government initiative, which allows all passengers free travel on the TrawsCymru network, has been very popular.

Cllr Williams said the T5 service between Aberystwyth and Haverfordwest had seen a 39 per cent increase in passengers, and that passenger numbers on the T1 service between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen had risen by 52 per cent.

But the biggest increase — 77 per cent — was seen on the Aberystwyth to Bangor T2 service, which is bigger than the 73 per cent seen across the network as a whole.

“At last week’s TraCC [Trafnidiaeth Canolbarth Cymru/Regional Transport Consortium for the Mid Wales Region] meeting, we heard about the success of the free weekend tickets on the TrawsCymru network,” Cllr Williams said.

The pilot began in July and will last until at least May 2018.