Back in 2010, when the Guardian gave Rhuthun/Ruthin a terrific write-up as a desirable place to live, it said,
In the Liquet household, we have as many cars as people. If you include the motorcycle, vehicles outnumber humans. Yet, from time to time I take a bus—to Wrecsam, to Caer/Chester, to Yr Wyddgrug/Mold and to Dinbych.
And I cannot be the only one. According to the 2011 census, 432 of Rhuthun's 2,406 households had no car at all. That’s 18 per cent or nearly a fifth (in 2001, this was 21 per cent).
In 2011, 1,103 households (46 per cent or nearly a half) had only one car and that means from time to time someone in this category will be without a car.
Also in 2011, of the usual 3,826 residents in Rhuthun aged between 16 and 74, 1,707 commuted to their work by car (or van); and 134 were passengers in a car (or van). Other than the 109 who worked from home, that left 1,876 who travelled other than by car (or van). 461 walked, although this might be a choice rather than a necessity. Dedcuting walkers, the number reduces to 1,415. Take off those who stated that they regularly used a tram or the underground (two—sic) and other means (e.g. cycling), the number who might reasonably be said not to use a car for work was 1,327 or 35 per cent.
Bus—an Option for Work?
The April 2015 timetable shows that it's possible to get to work from Rhuthun to Wrecsam, Yr Wyddgrug/Mold, Y Rhyl, Dinbych and Corwen. You can get to Dinbych for about 7.30 a.m. and to Corwen as early as 7.23 a.m. Elsewhere, there’s one arrival time before 9 a.m. So, it’s doable up to a point. Early starters in Yr Wyddgrug, Y Rhyl and Wrecsam will be disappointed there's nothing beforehand but you can still reach such places in time for a 9.00 a.m. start.
If you work on Wrexham industrial estate, Deeside industrial park, in Caer/Chester or in Lerpwl/Liverpool and wish to use the bus you'd be disappointed. It can't be done, directly or by changing.
Then again, is it reasonable to expect the bus network to cater for demand as disparate and as distant as these? As a bus user, I understand that you have to know your limits. Even were a bus to be available to get you to out-of-centre Wrexham or Deeside employment zones, it's likely to be a long and off-putting journey. Buses are better at shorter distances to and from main hubs. And if someone, say, relocates from urban England to improve their quality of life, can or should they expect the bus service to take them back and forth to their (presumably) better-paid jobs.
An Option for Shopping?
With the arrival of Tesco, it's even easier to purchase general groceries without leaving Rhuthun. Alas! there are products and services you simply cannot find in Rhuthun.
Here, though, buses seem to come into their own, for shopping and for personal business. There's a good suite of services between Rhuthun and Yr Wyddgrug. There are half-hourly buses to Dinbych and to Y Rhyl. Nothing to Prestatyn, though. There are hourly buses to and from Wrecsam. I’ve used them and some journeys are busy or full. I’ve even known standing passengers.
Although from April it's changed a little, there is also one return bus a day between Rhuthun and Chester. This takes an hour and although this is about 20 minutes longer than going by car, you are let out in the heart of the city rather than a distance car park or park & ride site. I’ve used this and numbers are encouraging. The bus also serves Broughton retail park.
An Option for Hospitals?
The downgrading of Rhuthun community hospital means increasingly we have to travel to one of Ysbytai Glan Clwyd or Maelor. Opportunities are surprisingly good. You can get to both by about 8.30 a.m. Services to Glan Clwyd operate every half-an-hour and to Wrecsam Maelor every hour. There are weekday evening services to and from both, allowing visiting after dark. It's actually possible to travel on the same bus from Glan Clwyd to the Maelor via Rhuthun.
An Option for Education?
Most in Rhuthun will walk to Ysgol Brynhyfryd but if your children have chosen Denbigh High, Mold Alun or Ysgol Maes Garmon, Yr Wyddgrug, there are direct services available. There are service buses to & from Wrecsam at times convenient for both Glyndŵr University (a walk is required) and Coleg Iâl/Yale. There are also buses to Coleg Llandrillo but these are only available to students and not the general public.
An Option for Weekday Evenings & Sundays?
It's often the case that Sunday services in rural areas are poorer and this is the case in Rhuthun. If you have to travel on a Sunday, it's certainly easier by car and it might mean that you buy a car because of Sunday services rather than those on weekdays but then you use the car on Mondays to Saturdays as well.
You can nevertheless get to Wrecsam on both Sundays (daytime) and in weekday evenings (the last bus leaves at 11 p.m.). Likewise, the last buses leave Y Rhyl via Dinbych seven days a week at 11 p.m. Nothing to Yr Wyddgrug or Corwen, though, either on Sundays or in the evening.
In Conclusion: are Buses an Option?
In spite of cuts, bus services from Rhuthun are good. Indeed, services are much better than you might expect, better indeed than 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. Then, buses to Wrecsam were twice a *week* increasing to twice a day. Services to Dinbych were hourly. Those to Corwen were every two hours.
If you may want the freedom to live in Rhuthun but work elsewhere—some distance away—then you have to accept you need a car. Otherwise, you will make your decision to buy a car or not for reasons other than the availability of a bus service. Buying will be dependent on your aspirations, the utility a car gives you (e.g. convenience, comfort, prestige) and your ability to purchase and then run one. Car ownership isn't cheap, even with well-advertised personal leasing options. Neither is fuel. In the three years to date, I've spent over £5,600 fuelling one car alone (and no one mention insurance or maintenance or breakdown cover).
The annual cost of weekly tickets on the bus comes out at less than £800. So, in terms of cost, the bus is an obvious choice. Though there are times and destinations where using a bus is limiting, in Rhuthun you can manage without one, but that doesn't mean people will or want to.
"Well connected? You'll need a car..."With council cuts to the bus network coming in force this week we wonder how necessary the car is to living in Rhuthun.
And I cannot be the only one. According to the 2011 census, 432 of Rhuthun's 2,406 households had no car at all. That’s 18 per cent or nearly a fifth (in 2001, this was 21 per cent).
In 2011, 1,103 households (46 per cent or nearly a half) had only one car and that means from time to time someone in this category will be without a car.
Also in 2011, of the usual 3,826 residents in Rhuthun aged between 16 and 74, 1,707 commuted to their work by car (or van); and 134 were passengers in a car (or van). Other than the 109 who worked from home, that left 1,876 who travelled other than by car (or van). 461 walked, although this might be a choice rather than a necessity. Dedcuting walkers, the number reduces to 1,415. Take off those who stated that they regularly used a tram or the underground (two—sic) and other means (e.g. cycling), the number who might reasonably be said not to use a car for work was 1,327 or 35 per cent.
The April 2015 timetable shows that it's possible to get to work from Rhuthun to Wrecsam, Yr Wyddgrug/Mold, Y Rhyl, Dinbych and Corwen. You can get to Dinbych for about 7.30 a.m. and to Corwen as early as 7.23 a.m. Elsewhere, there’s one arrival time before 9 a.m. So, it’s doable up to a point. Early starters in Yr Wyddgrug, Y Rhyl and Wrecsam will be disappointed there's nothing beforehand but you can still reach such places in time for a 9.00 a.m. start.
If you work on Wrexham industrial estate, Deeside industrial park, in Caer/Chester or in Lerpwl/Liverpool and wish to use the bus you'd be disappointed. It can't be done, directly or by changing.
Then again, is it reasonable to expect the bus network to cater for demand as disparate and as distant as these? As a bus user, I understand that you have to know your limits. Even were a bus to be available to get you to out-of-centre Wrexham or Deeside employment zones, it's likely to be a long and off-putting journey. Buses are better at shorter distances to and from main hubs. And if someone, say, relocates from urban England to improve their quality of life, can or should they expect the bus service to take them back and forth to their (presumably) better-paid jobs.
An Option for Shopping?
With the arrival of Tesco, it's even easier to purchase general groceries without leaving Rhuthun. Alas! there are products and services you simply cannot find in Rhuthun.
Here, though, buses seem to come into their own, for shopping and for personal business. There's a good suite of services between Rhuthun and Yr Wyddgrug. There are half-hourly buses to Dinbych and to Y Rhyl. Nothing to Prestatyn, though. There are hourly buses to and from Wrecsam. I’ve used them and some journeys are busy or full. I’ve even known standing passengers.
An Option for Hospitals?
The downgrading of Rhuthun community hospital means increasingly we have to travel to one of Ysbytai Glan Clwyd or Maelor. Opportunities are surprisingly good. You can get to both by about 8.30 a.m. Services to Glan Clwyd operate every half-an-hour and to Wrecsam Maelor every hour. There are weekday evening services to and from both, allowing visiting after dark. It's actually possible to travel on the same bus from Glan Clwyd to the Maelor via Rhuthun.
An Option for Education?
Most in Rhuthun will walk to Ysgol Brynhyfryd but if your children have chosen Denbigh High, Mold Alun or Ysgol Maes Garmon, Yr Wyddgrug, there are direct services available. There are service buses to & from Wrecsam at times convenient for both Glyndŵr University (a walk is required) and Coleg Iâl/Yale. There are also buses to Coleg Llandrillo but these are only available to students and not the general public.
An Option for Weekday Evenings & Sundays?
It's often the case that Sunday services in rural areas are poorer and this is the case in Rhuthun. If you have to travel on a Sunday, it's certainly easier by car and it might mean that you buy a car because of Sunday services rather than those on weekdays but then you use the car on Mondays to Saturdays as well.
You can nevertheless get to Wrecsam on both Sundays (daytime) and in weekday evenings (the last bus leaves at 11 p.m.). Likewise, the last buses leave Y Rhyl via Dinbych seven days a week at 11 p.m. Nothing to Yr Wyddgrug or Corwen, though, either on Sundays or in the evening.
In Conclusion: are Buses an Option?
In spite of cuts, bus services from Rhuthun are good. Indeed, services are much better than you might expect, better indeed than 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. Then, buses to Wrecsam were twice a *week* increasing to twice a day. Services to Dinbych were hourly. Those to Corwen were every two hours.
If you may want the freedom to live in Rhuthun but work elsewhere—some distance away—then you have to accept you need a car. Otherwise, you will make your decision to buy a car or not for reasons other than the availability of a bus service. Buying will be dependent on your aspirations, the utility a car gives you (e.g. convenience, comfort, prestige) and your ability to purchase and then run one. Car ownership isn't cheap, even with well-advertised personal leasing options. Neither is fuel. In the three years to date, I've spent over £5,600 fuelling one car alone (and no one mention insurance or maintenance or breakdown cover).
The annual cost of weekly tickets on the bus comes out at less than £800. So, in terms of cost, the bus is an obvious choice. Though there are times and destinations where using a bus is limiting, in Rhuthun you can manage without one, but that doesn't mean people will or want to.
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