Bus services are needed to connect with Caersws station

A regular bus service is needed to connect communities to services at Caersws Railway Station. That's the message from a group of residents.

Following the scrapping of two local road-widening schemes on the A470, Zero Carbon Llanidloes is asking the Welsh Government to reinvest the money saved into for bus services.

Patrick Adams, spokesperson for Zero Carbon Llanidloes, said: "We are pleased these two damaging road schemes were scrapped [3]. We are now calling for the £10m saved to be reinvested into local bus services.

“We welcome the Welsh Government’s ambition to make public transport in Wales among the best in Europe. For that to happen rural Powys needs much better services. Where else in Europe would a village of over 400 people have nothing at all, and a town of 4,000 not even have a bus linking with its nearest train service?

"As a result, people around here are almost totally dependent on cars. Most of us have to drive to the nearest station and some nearby villages, such as Trefeglwys, have no bus at all.

“This is particularly affecting young people, families and older residents. Transport poverty is a major reason why young people leave rural areas for big towns, which puts added strain on health and education services [4]. 
“While public transport provision in rural areas is never simple, having better services would transform many people’s lives. It would also cut our carbon emissions and greatly improve our local communities."