A PORTHMADOG councillor was left in tears after missing a funeral due to a lack of buses.

Cllr Carol Hayes had hoped to attend the funeral of a close family friend in Rachub, Bethesda on 29 January but was unable to pay her respects as normal bus services were disrupted.

Cllr Hayes does not drive and so is “100 per cent reliant on public transport” and has been severely affected by the reduction in services after Express Motors lost their licence at the start of the year.

Cllr Hayes said: “I waited for an hour in the morning for a bus but none showed up. I called Traveline but they gave me no information.

"I then called Lloyd’s Coaches but they said a bus had been cancelled due to a fire in Dolgellau.

“Long story short, I could not pay my last respect to my friend. I cannot tell you how upset I am.”

The deceased had attended the funerals of several of Cllr Hayes’ immediate family, causing the town councillor even more grief.

“I’m very emotionally distressed I didn’t make it,” she added.

“My organisation was perfect, it’s just the lack of buses that let me down.

“Since Express Motors stopped their service I was left with absolutely no alternative, it’s absolutely shocking.

“The solution seems simple to me. There’s a perfectly good service between Porthmadog and Beddgelert, why not extend the service to Caernarfon, even if it’s just temporarily?

“Same with the service between Pwllheli and Porthmadog, it’s brilliant - why not extend it to include Borth-y-Gest and maybe reach Morfa Bychan? It would take an extra 10 minutes but would help hundreds of people.

“I’m up in arms, how simple can Gwynedd Council be?”

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, due to a mechanical problem with one of the buses, the 11.10am service from Porthmadog was running approximately 20 minutes later than scheduled on 29 January. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“In terms of current bus services, council officers have been doing everything to ensure that as many public services as possible are available following the Traffic Commissioner’s decision to revoke Express Motors (Penygroes)’s licences.

“We have been working closely with other local bus providers to ensure that as many bus services as possible are available to residents.

“However, due to a shortage of suitable vehicles available to bus companies in the area, there have been changes to services in some areas of the county.

“We appreciate that any change can cause inconvenience, but the decision to revoke Express Motors’ licences was beyond our control.

“We are also awaiting a decision from the Traffic Commissioner regarding operating licenses for the new Express Motors (Caernarfon) company.

“When this decision is made, we will be in a better position to plan bus services for the future.

“In the meantime, officers are continuing to gauge the demand for services and to monitor the current level of use of the services that have been available since the beginning of January.

“This work will help us as we plan public bus services for the future.”