Carmarthen Park and Ride to be axed in June due to council budget cuts

The service will come to an end on 16 June 2023.

The park and ride buses, currently operated by local transport firm Morris Travel, run on weekdays between 7.30am and 6.25pm.

It is funded by Carmarthenshire Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board.

The council says its cutting the service as part of budget savings due to low usage, with a current average of only 4.3 passengers per trip. This includes people living in the surrounding area who walk to the site to catch one of the half hourly service. 

Carmarthenshire Council say this reduces the viability of alternative bus services which run nearby but on a less frequent basis.

People wishing to travel by bus between Nant y Ci and the Town Centre are being told to do so on the B11 service between Llanllwch and Parcyffordd, along with the 222, 224 and 322 services between St Clears and Carmarthen, which stop at Travellers Rest on the A40.

Bus Service 322 will also continue between Nant-y-ci and Glangwili Hospital.

There are also a number of services that run between Carmarthen Town Centre and Glangwili Hospital including numbers 205, 206, 280, 281, 282, 322, 460, T1, T1A, T1C, T1X.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, Cllr. Edward Thomas said: “Whilst the PR1 will come to an end on June 16, there are several bus routes available for the public to use and travel with ease between Nant-y-ci, Carmarthen Town Centre and Glangwili Hospital.

“The cessation of the PR1 service was amongst a wide range of budget saving proposals put forward to our residents in January and we have also consulted with Hywel Dda University Health Board who part fund the service.

“A 12-week notice has been issued on the PR1 bus service. The decision to bring this service to an end is due to the significant financial pressures placed upon our Council, and indeed all local authorities, the low number of passengers that utilise the service and the significant number of alternative bus services that will keep Nant-y-ci, Town Centre and the Hospital well connected.”

Andrew Carruthers, Executive Director of Operations for Hywel Dda UHB, said: “Parking at Glangwili hospital continues to be a challenge for our patients, visitors, and staff due to insufficient space on our site for the number of vehicles visiting the site. While the park and ride facilities have been in place for some time, we are aware that the passenger numbers are very low number and understand the Council’s need to make these changes.

“We would like to reassure members of our community that improving parking facilities and access to the hospital continues to be a priority for the health board. We are working with Gwili Railway to finalise plans for their site that will enable staff to access 144 parking spaces, relieving the significant pressure on the hospital site during peak visitor times. 

“We are also working on plans that will provide an additional 50 parking bays at Glangwili as part of the women and children’s centre development that will be completed during the summer.”

(Lead image: Google Maps)