A NORTH Wales MS has labelled planned cuts to the region's bus services as 'disastrous'.

Llyr Gruffydd, who represents the region in the Senedd, was speaking after Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change previously stated that not all bus services currently running in Wales will be funded by the Welsh government in future.

The Bus Emergency Scheme was put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic when passenger numbers plummeted and funding was recently extended on a temporary basis until June 2023.

The Welsh Government has now confirmed plans to scrap the scheme.

Mr Gruffydd, of Plaid Cymru, has warned cuts will leave the poorest and most vulnerable people isolated.

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Mr Gruffydd claims the move by the Welsh Government would see £2.2m cut from Arriva’s bus services in North Wales and it has been estimated that it will put 330 jobs at risk. 

Plaid Cymru held a debate in the Senedd on the future of the Bus Emergency Scheme earlier this week which called on the Welsh Government to extend the scheme for at least 18 months.

A motion also called on the government to bring forward long-term secure funding options to maintain bus services.

Both calls were rejected by the Welsh Government.

Mr Gruffydd said that pulling this “essential” funding would be “catastrophic” for people in North Wales who rely on bus services. 

During a debate in the Senedd, Mr Waters defended the decision to axe the scheme, claiming that austerity “has really put the kibosh on the whole thing”.

He also suggested that “the list of challenges is clear” but that “the list of solutions is less clear”.

Speaking after the debate, Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “I am disappointed that the Welsh Government is refusing to reverse its decision to do away with the Bus Emergency Scheme.

“This move is bad for the environment, bad for jobs and disastrous for public transport.

“These catastrophic cuts to bus services will decimate what is, for many people, in North Wales, the only form of public transport they have.

“Three quarters of all public transport journeys in Wales are made by bus, but buses get a fraction of the investment currently earmarked by the Government for rail.

“Cutting that funding further at a time of falling passenger numbers and rising costs will decimate the bus network.

“It will disproportionately disadvantage women, children and young people, the elderly, the disabled, workers on low incomes, and rural communities."

Arriva says it has no comment to make on the matter at this moment in time.