A MID and West Wales MS has accused the Welsh Government of “allowing bus services to fail” following a meeting with residents in Borth.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales Jane Dodds, along with former Member of Parliament and prospective General Election candidate for Ceredigion Mark Williams, met with residents of Borth who have coordinated a petition opposing the cuts services across Ceredigion, including in Borth.

Since the start of the year, a large number of cuts to bus services have been introduced by Ceredigion County Council and independent operators.

Since the end of December three subsidised services have stopped: the Tregaron circular service, the Penrhyncoch to Pontrhydybeddau, and Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge routes.

On three other routes, buses now run less often from Aberystwyth to Ponterwyd, to Penrhyncoch, and to Lampeter via Tregaron.

The Welsh Government has also announced that the Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) introduced during the pandemic to keep bus services afloat, is due to end in June having been extended for three months.

The Cambrian News has reported on the significant changes to bus services in Ceredigion over the past year, with tenders for some routes receiving no bids, and timetables being slashed in a bid to cut costs.

Protests have been held in the county, with Ceredigion County Council warning more cuts to bus routes in rural Ceredigion are ‘highly likely in the short term’ because of crippling cost increases.

A White Paper developed by the Welsh Government last year plans for an overhaul of bus services in Wales in a bid to keep buses running.

Ms Dodds said: “For months, Welsh Government have strung communities and bus operators along with last-minute and short-term announcements around the funding of bus services.

“What’s more, the long-awaited reforms to bus services still look no closer to being delivered.

“The months and months of uncertainty bus operators and communities have faced amount to allowing bus services to fail.”

Mr Williams added: “Rural communities like Borth are being forgotten by the Labour and Plaid Cymru coalition in Cardiff Bay.

“It is abundantly clear that there needs to be a fundamental change in the way bus services are funded and delivered so they focus on meeting the needs of communities.

“It’s time the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay stopped dragging its feet and brings forward long-term plans to create a reliable, affordable, and accessible public transport system for every community across Wales.”