Integration plan for South Wales services
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C0-OPERATION between a Tilling group company and a BET company is likely to lead to complete integration of overlapping bus services in an area of South Wales. The companies concerned are Red and White Services Ltd. of Chepstow and Western Welsh Omnibus Co. Ltd., Cardiff; among other things the integration will save about 57 buses, 27 operated by Red and White and 30 by Western Welsh.
About 70 routes in the Sirhowey, Eastern and Western valleys will be affected by the major reorganization proposed, routes on which 10-11 m. bus-miles are run annually. There is already some co-ordination in the area, and the new proposals will not affect schools and works services.
Main aims include the introduction of regular headway services instead of irregular intervals, new limited-stop services down the valleys to Cardiff and Newport, more through services giving new facilities and more through bookings. The two companies are this week acquainting local authorities with the proposed new timetables, to give them an opportunity to comment.
If the proposals go through, a saving of about 10 per cent in mileage will accrue and Red and White garages at Abertillery and Blackwood will be closed, together with the Western Welsh garage at Pontnewyndd.
The two operators have received persistent opposition in the past from local authorities whenever fares applications have been made and see in the new proposals the answer to criticism that their services are run inefficiently. Introduction of the integration scheme, which will involve a complete change of operator on some routes and more one-man operation, will be made as soon as possible.