Last week, Dr Altaf Hussain AM met with Justin Davies, Managing Director of First Cymru.
It was a very informative and productive meeeting, where Justin gave Altaf a fascinating and very insightful overview of the issues affecting bus services in Wales today.
A big concern for First Cymru is the decision by Bridgend County Borough Council to charge £30,000 for use of the local bus depot. Combined with reductions in concessionary fare subsidies by the Welsh Government, this is a move that could jeopardise a number of bus routes.
Altaf said "It is clear that a lot of policy decisions at the moment, by both Bridgend Council and the Welsh Government, are being made with scant regard for bus services and their users. The need to cut costs forces councils to prioritise - and it looks as though they view bus users as an easy target. I am writing to Bridgend County Borough Council and demanding that this situation be looked at again, as some of the most vulnerable in society are being asked to pay the price for their mismanagement of the budget. I struggle to see how this decision can be fairly justified".