Trouble ahead for Crosville?
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The Transport and General Worker's Union has warned it will resist any severe cuts in National Bus Company services in Cardiganshire and reject any attempts to transfer services to bus operators employing part-time or non-union drivers.
Mr J. Llewellyn Cooke, mid-Wales district officer, told CM that rumours had been circulating which suggested that more than 12 drivers employed by Crosville Motor Services Ltd were to be made redundant because of proposed service restrictions.
"We have accepted that the travelling public have deserted some of these services completely," said Mr Cooke. "Being reasonable, we have to accept these cut-backs. What we will not allow is services now run by NBC — many of which have to run as a community social need — being transferred to local operators just because they are able to operate at lower cost.
"These operators employ part-time drivers some of whom already drive up to the limit of hours allowed under the Road Traffic Act for their full-time employer," he added.
Mr Cooke went on: "I have assured drivers of the full support of the union in safeguarding their livelihood. This could involve the support of all North Wales depots of Crosville Motor Services."
Mr R. J. Elliott, Crosville's assistant traffic manager for Wales, said Cardigan County Council, which subsidize a number of Crosville services, would be reviewing proposals for economy measures on September 2.
This would almost certainly include some service cuts. However, it was not intended as far as he sees, to transfer any of these services to independent companies.
Mr Elliott added that any service cuts to be made would most probably be due to withdrawal of subsidies and that it would be unlikely that even independent operators would be able to make these run at a profit.