Is Your Journey Really Necessary?

We're chatting in the pub about public transport in general, and I was reminded of a news story from some years ago. It stuck in my mind because Shamrock Travel were notorious in South Wales even before this. The court case made the local newspapers and the TV news, unsurprisingly: Bus driver drank cider while at the wheel

This is the first of a series of similar entries examining the various bus routes which criss-cross the South Wales Valleys. I've already written a general preamble called The Last Bus to Everywhere . For the next few posts (barring accident or incident, of course) I want to look more closely at specific areas in turn. I've started with the Cynon Valley for a couple of reasons: mainly because it's where I live, and so I've experienced the problems at first hand on many occasions; but also because its topography makes it rather different from some of the neighbouring valleys. As well as the classic north-south ribbon development centred on the four main towns (Hirwaun, Aberdare, Mountain Ash and Abercynon), there are a couple of smaller branching valleys with distinct communities, and some sizeable villages scattered around the hillsides. It's also possible to drive out of the Cynon Valley in a northerly direction, which isn't true of some of the other valleys in...

I'm indebted to today's Independent for this piece of news. The French national railway operator, SNCF, has ordered 341 trains which are too wide to fit some 1,300 platforms across the country. At least Arriva Trains Wales could never make this mistake, as we get second-hand rolling stock at best! 'French rail operator orders hundreds of new trains too big for platforms' , Independent , May 21, 2014

About a month ago, Stagecoach in South Wales – part of the UK's largest bus operator – announced that they would be closing their depot at Brynmawr in Gwent. 77 jobs are at risk following this decision, which Stagecoach have attributed to the cut in Welsh Government subsidies. The company are also dropping fourteen services and reducing the frequency of another eight. In a statement on the BBC Wales News website, the company's managing director John Gould said: Make no mistake, ultimate responsibility for the loss of bus services and jobs lies firmly at the door of the Welsh government following years of cuts to bus investment. We deeply regret the impact this will have on our customers and local communities. Instead of protecting and supporting bus travel, ministers' misguided decisions have dealt a body blow to the country's public transport network and wider economy. People across Wales have repeatedly warned the government about the consequences of their actions, bu...