'Unviable' bus service scrapped by Arriva now booming in hands of local operator

A rural bus service which was axed by Arriva for not being ‘commercially viable’ has seen an increase in passenger numbers under a new operator.

Llanrwst -based Llew Jones Coaches appears to have made such a success of the Number 19 Llandudno to Betws y Coed service that it has also been able to splash out on new vehicles and livery.

Last April bus passengers in the Conwy Valley reacted angrily after Arriva Buses Wales announced they were dropping the vital service which connected a number of rural villages and major tourist attractions such as Surf Snowdonia and Trefriw Woollen Mill.

Arriva insisted at the time the service wasn’t “commercially viable”, despite it being partially subsidised by Conwy council .

Luckily Llew Jones stepped in to offer the service which included additional stops in Henryd and Rowen. These extra stops are being subsidised by the local authority.

Llew Jones managing director said of the No.19 Service: “This is our first commercial bus service and therefore we rely almost entirely on income from passenger fares.

“I’m very pleased to announce that due to an increase in passenger numbers the service has become viable which has enabled us to invest in new vehicles and new livery and revise the timetable in response to customer feedback.

“We’ve also reviewed our fares and introduced a family saver ticket and we

hope that our loyal passengers will see the benefits and support us in the future and would like to thank them for their custom.”

Former Trefriw councillor Hilary Rogers-Jones said: “So many people were worried when Arriva said they were going to cut the service, as it would have made their lives very difficult.

“Hearing that Llew Jones are making a success of it is great news, I’ve heard no complaints at all about the service.”