More key bus routes in and out of Aberystwyth have been slashed amid a growing bus driver shortage across the UK causing “major problems” for passengers.

On Wednesday, Lloyds Coaches announced it will be withdrawing journeys on the TrawsCymru T2 service between Aberystwyth and Bangor, as well as journeys on the X28 service between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth.

The company said that the T2 services at 9am from Aberystwyth and 2.05pm from Bangor would be cut along with the 7.55am X28 service from Machynlleth and the 5.40pm service from Aberystwyth “due to driver shortages”.

The latest cuts follow cuts on other TrawsCymru routes into and out of Aberystwyth.

Six journeys on the TrawsCymru T1 service between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen were temporarily axed from Tuesday, 31 August after the company announced that a driver shortage had meant changes had to be made.

Four journeys on the T5, operated by Richard Bros, between Cardigan and Aberystwyth were also axed temporarily from Monday, 6 September.

Ceredigion MS Elin Jones said that a loss of services due to falling bus driver numbers will “seriously impact some people’s ability to get to work and essential services.”

The bus companies said that all route cuts will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis.

The cuts are causing major problems for bus passengers, the Ceredigion Green Party said, as they call for more to be done to solve the situation.

“Last week at the main bus stop in Aberystwyth, a fairly large number of passengers was waiting in anticipation of boarding the 2.40pm T1 service, which is currently non-existent, and were then joined by another set of hopeful passengers for the 3.10pm T5 service, both in a southerly direction,” party spokesperson Elly Foster said.

“One of our members happened to have travelled from Machynlleth and realised these people were all waiting in vain.

“The T5 hopefuls were tourists who had no idea that there was no 3.10pm.

“There shouldn’t be two service cuts in a row at one time of the day.

“One elderly lady from Llanfarian waiting in Aberystwyth, only knew about the T1 cuts thanks to the report in the Cambrian News.

“The cuts also disproportionately affect passengers in certain places such as Pencarreg, Cwmann and the east of Lampeter where residents are left without a bus for six hours.

“This is totally unacceptable.”