THE replacement bus service for Aberystwyth’s park-and-ride is likely to be scrapped at the end of the year, after the company operating it said it is not commercially viable.

The 503 service was launched by Mid Wales Travel as a commercial alternative to the park-and-ride service, which was ended after Ceredigion County Council said it would not continue to subsidise it because of the imminent opening of the new multi-storey car park as part of the Mill Street development and improvements at Bronglais Hospital.

But a report that is due to go before a council scrutiny committee heard that there had been a significant drop in passenger numbers in the early period of the new service and Mel Evans, of Mid Wales Travel, says the service cannot continue if it is not subsidised.

Mr Evans said: “I’m meeting with the council and nothing has been finalised, but it is very likely to end at the end of the year.

“It’s unsustainable without subsidy. It’s a terrible shame. We’ve tried to change the route to get more people on it, we’ve really tried, but it can’t be done commercially.”

The council report, by highways director Huw Morgan, said that figures showed that passenger numbers in September 2016 showed 2,600 people had used the service compared to 6,200 in September 2015.

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