Incorrect Statements by Ceredigion Council on Changes to the Trawscymru T2 Bangor to Aberystwyth service on 15/01/2018

copies     Welsh Assembly Members , Ceredigion Council members,

Aberystwyth Council

 

Dear Alun Williams,

 

I have received information on 28/03/2018 from Gwynedd Council regarding the T2 timetable changes of 15/01/2018,  which were detrimental to the connectivity of the T2 with T1 and T5 services in Aberystwyth.  The information provided by Gwynedd Council indicates that replies provided by Ceredigion Council ,on the same subject, were incorrect and

inaccurate.   Ceredigion Council are obviously not interested in

improvements to connectivity of Trawscymru services in Aberystwyth.   In

view of the incorrect and inaccurate replies,  I therefore request that Ceredigion Council carry out an internal review of my requests of

22/02/2018 and 21/03/2018.   I would also request that I receive an

explanation on why I have been given incorrect, misleading information and request that I receive an apology for being misled in this way.

 

Four of the questions to Gwyned Council are shown below with their response shown in bold text.

 

(1) Are Powys and Ceredigion Councils partners along with the bus service provider to the T2 contract managed by Gwyned Council?  YES.

 

(9) Were Gwynedd Council involved in discussions/consultations with Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire Councils regarding the T2 timetable changes of 15/01/2018 and the influence of the T2 changes on connections

with the T1 and T5 services in Aberystwyth ?    YES, BUT ONLY CEREDIGION

 

 

(10) Are Gwynedd Council aware of the detrimental impact of the T2 timetable changes of 15/01/2018 on connections with T1 and T5 services

in Aberystwyth ?    NO WE HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE. ALL PARTIES AGREED.

 

(13) Did Gwynedd Council propose a change to the T2 departure time in

Aberystwyth from 10.05 to 10.00am and if so why ?   NO BUT IT IS

EFFECTIVE TO HAVE A CLOCKFACE TIMETABLE. BUS IS TO WAIT UP TO 5 MINUTES FOR ARRIVAL OF SERVICE T1/T5.

 

Gwyned Council manage the T2 contract on behalf of the Welsh Government and to summarise their replies they state that _:-  “”CEREDIGION COUNCIL ARE PARTNERS IN THE T2 CONTRACT AND GWYNED COUNCIL WERE INVOLVED IN CONSULTATIONS WITH CEREDIGION COUNCIL ON __THE INFLUENCE OF THE T2 CHANGES ON CONNECTIONS WITH THE T1 AND T5 SERVICES IN ABERYSTWYTH__.__ GWYNEDD COUNCIL WERE NOT MADE AWARE BY __CEREDIGION COUNCIL__ OF THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACT OF THE T2 TIMETABLE CHANGES OF 15/01/2018 ON CONNECTIONS WITH T1 AND T5 SERVICES IN ABERYSTWYTH AND ALL PARTIES

AGREED TO THE CHANGES TO THE T2 TIMETABLE ON 15/01/2018.   GWYNEDD

COUNCIL CONFIRM T2 DEPARTURES IN ABERYSTWYTH WILL WAIT UP TO 5 MINUTES FOR T1/T5 SERVICES ,  THE CHANGE TO THE T2 DEPARTURE TIME IN ABERYSTWYTH FROM 10.05 TO 10.00AM WAS INTRODUCED IN ORDER TO HAVE A CLOCKFACE

TIMETABLE “”.   _NB  The change on 15/01/2018 to the T2 departure

time in Aberystwyth from 10.05 to 10.00am reversed a change introduced by the previous Transport Minister Edwina Hart in 2016, after complaints that the Northbound T5 was not connecting with this T2 service.  I cannot believe that Ceredigion Council refuse to complain about this change when the change has been done in order to _“HAVE A CLOCKFACE TIMETABLE”_.

 

The above statements by Gwyned Council indicate that the information shown below , supplied on 22/02/2018 and 21/03/2018 by Ceredigion Council (reply in bold text), is incorrect or inaccurate.  The above statements  also indicate that Ceredigion Council have not raised, (with the other partners in the T2 contract) , the detrimental effects of the changes to the T2 timetable of 15/01/2018 on connectivity with other Trawscymru services in Aberystwyth.

 

21/03/2018 (8)      Are Ceredigion Council partners in the T2 contract

which is managed by Gwynedd Council ?.       I CONFIRM THAT CEREDIGION

COUNTY COUNCIL ARE NOT PARTNERS IN THE T2 CONTRACT.      (INCORRECT).

 

22/02/2018  (3)   If Ceredigion Council were consulted on T2 timetable

changes could you indicate whether Ceredigion Council agreed to the T2 timetable changes, particularly those changes (a) to (d) outlined above.

? – NOT APPLICABLE – THE TIMETABLE WAS NOT SUBJECT TO CEREDIGION

COUNTY COUNCIL’S AGREEMENT.      (INCORRECT).

 

22/02/2018  (5)  The new T2 timetable contains a quote _“”__Connections with Services T1/T5/T3. Buses will wait up to 5 minutes for late running connections””_.  Could you therefore say whether Ceredigion Council have been involved in discussions regarding a

Quality Partnership scheme to delay departure of T2,T1 and T5 services in Aberystwyth by 5 minutes to wait for late running services in

Aberystwyth ? – NOT SPECIFICALLY      (INACCURATE )

 

22/02/2018  (6)   If  Ceredigion Council have been involved in

discussions regarding a Quality Partnership scheme in Aberystwyth could you provide a list of the T2, T1 and T5 arrival/departure times  in Aberystwyth that the 5 minute delayed departure will apply to? – NOT

APPLICABLE     (INCORRECT After the changes of 15/01/2018,  5 minute

delays to T2 departures are being employed in Aberystwyth and if they are being employed on the T2 service I would want this question to be answered by Ceredigion Council with respect to T1 and T5 service departures in Aberystwyth and also with respect to the T2 service departures)..

 

To summarise Ceredigion Council state that _“”CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL ARE NOT PARTNERS IN THE T2 CONTRACT AND THE __T2 TIMETABLE CHANGES,__ OF 15/01/2018,  __WERE NOT SUBJECT TO CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL’S AGREEMENT.__  A QUALITY PARTNERSHIP SCHEME TO DELAY DEPARTURE OF T2,T1 AND T5 SERVICES IN ABERYSTWYTH BY 5 MINUTES TO WAIT FOR LATE RUNNING SERVICES IN ABERYSTWYTH WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED AND CEREDIGION COUNCIL__ CANNOT PROVIDE A LIST OF THE T2, T1 AND T5 ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIMES  IN ABERYSTWYTH THAT THE 5 MINUTE DELAYED

DEPARTURE WILL APPLY TO. “”._      This is a crude attempt to deny

responsibility for Ceredigion Council involvement in the T2 changes by providing incorrect statements that _“”Ceredigion Council were not Partners in the T2 contract and the changes were not subject to

__Ceredigion Council agreement””_.   It is obvious that Ceredigion

Council could not complain about the T2 timetable changes of 15/01/2018 because they had agreed to the changes and not informed Gwynedd Council of the detrimental impact of the 15/01/2018 T2 timetable changes on connections with T1 and T5 services in Aberystwyth. The residents of Ceredigion are not being adequately represented by Ceredigion Council on this and other Trawscymru issues (T3 route from Wrexham to Aberystwyth).

 

 

Ceredigion Council should be proactive in asking for better connectivity of Trawscymru services in Aberystwyth.  This would involve Ceredigion

Council in   (1) Making Gwyned Council aware of the detrimental impact

of the 15/01/2018 T2 timetable changes on connections with T1 and T5

services in Aberystwyth   (2) fulfilling their role as Contract Manager

for the T5 service in negotiating arrangements for any delayed T5

departures in Aberystwyth and   (3)  in negotiating arrangements for any

delayed T1 departures in Aberystwyth with Carmarthenshire Council (who manage the T1 Contract).  Ceredigion residents no longer have a functional, connecting T2/T1 Bangor to Carmarthen route through Aberystwyth , which also therefore affects residents of Powys and Carmarthenshire,  and this is largely due to the inactivity and compliant behaviour of Ceredigion Council, who ARE PARTNERS TO THE T2 CONTRACT and who should be addressing lack of connectivity in Aberystwyth.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Dr John McTighe