Ponthenri residents Janet Totterdale, Cindy Thomas, Eileen Longman, Zoe Davies, Daphne Williams & Janet Bowen are worried about the future of their bus services.
Local residents turned out in force at a recent surgery held by Nia Griffith MP to voice their concerns about the possible loss of bus services from Ponthenri. They are concerned that some bus services may by pass Ponthenri, leaving them with a much reduced service. Residents of the senior citizens’ complex Llys y Dderwen are particularly concerned that the service which stops outside the complex may be withdrawn, and that some residents will not be able to walk to the bus stop in the village. Even worse, as other residents pointed out, if a service does not even come into the village at all, they could be forced to climb a steep hill with no pavement to access the bus coming from Pontyberem on the main road.
After listening to their concerns, Nia Griffith said,
“The first that I am going to do is to find out exactly what is being proposed, and the reasoning behind it. Ponthenri is a village without a shop and without a doctor’s surgery, so it is absolutely vital that people who rely on buses – which include some of the older residents and mums with young children – have a good regular bus service. It makes no sense for buses which are running anyway to bypass the village – that not only deprives residents of a bus service but also means fewer passengers for the bus company. If there are local difficulties about the bus turning, then these need to be sorted out. This is village with very limited facilities and a significant number of residents who rely on the bus for basic shopping and doctors’ appointments, and it should be a priority to keep a regular bus service, so people can travel at the times that they need to in order to fit in with their responsibilities such as taking the children to school.”