News
Council release bus survey results
EIGHT out of ten bus users surveyed say they are ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ with the reliability and punctuality of Pembrokeshire’s bus services, according to a recent consultation.
And while 64% of respondents are either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ with the county’s bus services overall, 23% are ‘very dissatisfied’ or ‘fairly dissatisfied’.
The survey was carried out by Pembrokeshire County Council last autumn in order to identify how it was performing in relation to bus services and to obtain suggestions on how those services could be improved.
A total of 436 questionnaires were completed and returned.
The two areas that scored lowest were the frequency of bus services and the provision of information about transport services and timetables, with which 66 per cent of respondents were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ with.
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Transportation and Major Events, Councillor Rob Lewis, said that while the feedback from the consultation was relatively positive, it was important to acknowledge that an emerging theme from a recent Well-being Assessment was the need for better public transport accessible to all.
“It should also be remembered that over the past five years local bus services had been operating against a background of funding reductions” he added.
A wide range of feedback and suggestions were received regarding what would help to improve bus services in Pembrokeshire.
The most common requests were: bus services on Sundays and evenings; more frequent buses and more bus shelters.
Councillor Lewis went on: “We understand these concerns but also have to recognise the limitations on available funding. The Council’s transport section is working hard to try and maintain current services and provision, despite on-going budget reductions.
He said the Authority had met with operators in order to identify which suggestions were feasible.
“As a result” he continued, “a total of 14 routes will be changed with the new timetables starting from the 1st April. Details of these changes can be found on the Council’s website.”
Both the County Timetable and the Coastal Bus Timetable booklets will be printed this year and will be available in April once the new timetables are in place.
In addition, the Welsh Government’s Bus Quality Standards are being implemented on all bus services in Wales from April 1.
They require operators to meet certain criteria, including a requirement for all drivers to wear a uniform, and information regarding the operator’s complaints procedure clearly displayed on the vehicle.
Business
Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services
PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.
In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.
The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.
Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.
Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.
Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”
“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”
“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”
“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”
Business
Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end
TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.
The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.
Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.
Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.
“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”
Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.
“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”
News
Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’
NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.
The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.
Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.
The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.
“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.
“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”
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