Welsh valleys pool will save two companies £155,000 a year
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TSouth Wales Traffic Com-nEissioners in Cardiff last week granted applications for 62 and 66 new licences to the Red and White and Western Welsh bus companies respectively.
The licences were in respect of new joint services in the Monmouthshire mining valleys of Wales which, it is estimated, will save the companies £155,000 a year.
At the same hearing 21 Red and White licences were varied and 23 surrendered and 27 Western Welsh licences varied and 31 surrendered.
Objections to the applications were all withdrawn after meetings between representatives of the companies and the various authorities. The new Monmouthshire scheme is scheduled to become operational on June 4.
The scheme has been designed so that both operators will participate in a traffic pool on the basis of a 50/50 share of revenue and mileage. The total annual vehicle mileage will be reduced by about 10 per cent and a reduction in fleet strengths of 33 single-deckers for Western Welsh and 25 single-deckers for Red and White will be made.
Advantages claimed for the new pooling scheme include the introduction of new through services resulting in faster journeys and reduced fares: the provision of even-interval frequencies and the co-ordination of routes over common sections; the introduction of limited stop express services between major centres of population; and increased frequencies and new services to developing areas.
Two Red and White and one Western Welsh depots will be closed and the Western Welsh outstation at Abergavenny will be reduced from five single-deckers to one single-decker.
Other operators in the area have been consulted and as a result Jones Omnibus Services Ltd., Aberbeeg, will be brought into the pool immediately and various municipalities within the very near future. Bedwas and Machen Urban District Council Transport will also form part of the pool immediately and will operate through to Bargocd from Newport.