A BUS company has been slammed after cutting a pick-up point from its regular route due to the 20-mph speed limit rule.
Arriva has admitted it will no longer pick up residents in the village of Penrhynside, leaving passengers, many of them elderly, stranded.
A public meeting has now been organised, but Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders has criticised the bus company.
“Arriva has withdrawn the bus service in Penrhynside, and that’s causing an awful lot of hardship for people,” said Mrs Finch-Saunders.
“People can’t walk down from there to Llandudno. We need a bus replacement. We definitely need a better bus service than what we’ve got. We are all annoyed at Arriva for pulling it without consultation with residents and members (Conwy councillors).
“This is a company that operates locally. They’ve got a lot of skin in the game when it comes to providing the bus services here. To just withdraw this service and expect the elderly to walk to town is disgraceful.”
She added: “It’s a hilly area, a village. It should be on the main bus route. There are lots of people up there that don’t have cars. It is a ‘no-no’ to take this bus away. I’m disappointed in them.
“I’ve written to Arriva. I’m calling on Arriva to put the bus back until they’ve made further provision. I want to see the bus reinstated.”
The cancelled Penrynside stop means the nearest bus stop is now listed on the Arriva site as in Craigside and Craig y Don.
A spokeswoman for Arriva Wales blamed the new 20-mph speed limit introduced in September.
“Due to the 20mph restrictions that were put in place, we were forced to review all our services in order to keep them as punctual as possible,” she said.
“In the case of services 14 and 15, we had to make the decision to give the route more time and change the route to quicker roads in order to maintain overall punctuality.
“Since these changes were implemented, punctuality has increased significantly; however, we take all passenger comments onboard and will review these services regularly.”
A public meeting takes place at the Penrhynside Village Hall, on Pendre Road, at 5.30-7pm on Friday 2 February.
