Bus services change today. Here's an article on those revisions from the Civic Association's March 2015 newsletter
"Bus services in rural Denbighshire are the best that they have ever been. If that sounds subjective, you can compare current timetables with those published from the 1950s onwards. Services offered result from a positive partnership between the county council and operators. Indeed, for about 45 years, the council and its predecessors have offered financial support to sustain bus services.
"Such support is discretionary, not mandatory. Everyone knows that the council needs to reduce its discretionary spend significantly. Buses are not exempt. Bus services are about to see the first significant reductions since the mid-1990s.
"Recent consultations show that passengers value buses highly. There is also a real social need. Consultees in rural areas also told the council they prefer real buses to taxi alternatives. Council officers and operators alike have both risen to the challenge of providing as good a service as possible with about 20% less funding. Many services therefore change on April 7th, 2015.
"First, the good news. As timetables are now being finalised, at the time of writing, half-hourly services such as between Ruthin and Denbigh (X5, X50) and hourly between Ruthin and Wrexham (X50) will remain largely intact. This is to the benefit of villagers along the way and townspeople alike. Over recent years, the Denbigh - Wrexham corridor has become successful. Remember that back in 1981 the Ruthin - Wrexham section reduced from half-a-dozen journeys to none at all and a year later to a return journey on Mondays and Saturdays only.
"Buses between Ruthin and Mold via Llanferres or Eryrys will see some deterioration. This was a very difficult corridor to consider, with many competing priorities. Inevitably, there are compromises in trying to link seven Denbighshire villages to their nearest town and doctors; cater for those travelling from town to town; and from Ruthin and A494 villages to Chester.
"Other than the withdrawal of the last return journeys between Denbigh, Llandyrnog and Ruthin, the Denbigh - Graigfechan service (76) is safe.
"Passengers who use buses between Ruthin, Pwllglas, Bryn SM, Gwyddelwern and Corwen see a mixed bag of changes. Morning buses remain hourly but not so in the afternoons (when fewer tend to travel). It is now impossible to maintain through buses between Ruthin, Corwen, Llangollen & Wrexham, introduced in 2009. Now, passengers from Ruthin and villages south on the A494 will need to change at Corwen to go east to Llangollen or beyond. This will prove unpopular. The key, though, is maintaining a useable link between Ruthin & Corwen for shopping, personal business and doctors at either of the two centres.
"This leaves deeper rural areas such as Clawddnewydd, Cyffylliog, Bontuchel, Llanelidan, Betws GG and Melin y Wig. These passengers already have least choice. For now, their services into Ruthin remain similar. I say 'for now' because they are costly to provide for the few who travel. Relentless financial pressures this & next year will inevitably mean that the council considers these and indeed all bus services again, in the future."
"Bus services in rural Denbighshire are the best that they have ever been. If that sounds subjective, you can compare current timetables with those published from the 1950s onwards. Services offered result from a positive partnership between the county council and operators. Indeed, for about 45 years, the council and its predecessors have offered financial support to sustain bus services.
"Recent consultations show that passengers value buses highly. There is also a real social need. Consultees in rural areas also told the council they prefer real buses to taxi alternatives. Council officers and operators alike have both risen to the challenge of providing as good a service as possible with about 20% less funding. Many services therefore change on April 7th, 2015.
"First, the good news. As timetables are now being finalised, at the time of writing, half-hourly services such as between Ruthin and Denbigh (X5, X50) and hourly between Ruthin and Wrexham (X50) will remain largely intact. This is to the benefit of villagers along the way and townspeople alike. Over recent years, the Denbigh - Wrexham corridor has become successful. Remember that back in 1981 the Ruthin - Wrexham section reduced from half-a-dozen journeys to none at all and a year later to a return journey on Mondays and Saturdays only.
"Buses between Ruthin and Mold via Llanferres or Eryrys will see some deterioration. This was a very difficult corridor to consider, with many competing priorities. Inevitably, there are compromises in trying to link seven Denbighshire villages to their nearest town and doctors; cater for those travelling from town to town; and from Ruthin and A494 villages to Chester.
"Other than the withdrawal of the last return journeys between Denbigh, Llandyrnog and Ruthin, the Denbigh - Graigfechan service (76) is safe.
"Passengers who use buses between Ruthin, Pwllglas, Bryn SM, Gwyddelwern and Corwen see a mixed bag of changes. Morning buses remain hourly but not so in the afternoons (when fewer tend to travel). It is now impossible to maintain through buses between Ruthin, Corwen, Llangollen & Wrexham, introduced in 2009. Now, passengers from Ruthin and villages south on the A494 will need to change at Corwen to go east to Llangollen or beyond. This will prove unpopular. The key, though, is maintaining a useable link between Ruthin & Corwen for shopping, personal business and doctors at either of the two centres.
"This leaves deeper rural areas such as Clawddnewydd, Cyffylliog, Bontuchel, Llanelidan, Betws GG and Melin y Wig. These passengers already have least choice. For now, their services into Ruthin remain similar. I say 'for now' because they are costly to provide for the few who travel. Relentless financial pressures this & next year will inevitably mean that the council considers these and indeed all bus services again, in the future."