20mph: Llandegla anger as new limit sees bus route cut

Villagers say they feel "isolated" and "disconnected" after the cutting of their bus route due to Wales' new 20mph speed limit.

Arriva Wales' X51 bus from Rhyl to Wrexham will no longer stop in the village of Llandegla, Denbighshire.

The firm said the change, which begins on 14 January, was necessary because of "reduced speeds across the network".

"This is unsustainable for village life, we'll feel so disconnected and isolated," said resident Wendy Spiers .

Passengers will now have to make their way to the next nearest stop on the A525, which is half a mile away from the village centre, with much of the route unlit and without pavements.

Residents will hold a public meeting about the withdrawal at the village Memorial Hall on Friday about their next steps, and say there was no consultation about the change.

Ms Spiers said the reason Arriva gave did not make sense, because turning off to pick up and drop off in Llandegla only took five minutes out of the entire journey.

"We think this is a knee-jerk reaction by Arriva," she added.

Sandra Ellis Rogers, from Llandegla community council, said she only heard about the change when she was getting off the bus on her way home from work last week.

"The driver said, do you know you can't get off here next week? He couldn't tell me anything else. There are not even any notices about it in the bus shelters," she said.

"This will have a detrimental effect on the village. We'll be cut off, there are people going to work, students, people who are elderly or with disabilities who can't drive," added Ms Rogers.

"The bus passes right by the Wrexham Maelor hospital, people catch it if they have appointments. Many people use the GP in Ruthin. How will they get there now?"

Jasmine Rose, a volunteer at the village community cafe, said it would affect her personally as a bus user, but she was also concerned for "vulnerable people" in the village.

"We have [people] who have mobility issues, they can't get up to the other stop," she said.

"The bus stopping in the village centre helps them to get out to the wider community, both Ruthin and Wrexham... and feel connected."

A spokesperson for Arriva Wales said the new 20mph limit was having an impact on its operations.

"The consequence of this change in speed has been severe and has caused increased lost mileage and reduced punctuality," a spokesperson said.

"We have been open in raising our concerns with Transport for Wales, the Welsh government and local authorities."

Another service, the 51, is also being altered to save time, and will no longer call into Tweedmill near St Asaph.

Clwyd West MS Darren Millar said he wants the Welsh government to engage with Arriva Wales on the issue and said he "shared the concerns" of local residents.

North Wales MS Carolyn Thomas said she was concerned about the "huge impact" on the villagers of Llandegla.

In a statement, the Welsh government said: "We have been clear we will continually monitor any impacts of the new default 20mph speed limit on bus services.

"We continue to work closely with bus operators, local authorities and TfW to tackle the wider challenges facing the bus industry and will bring forward new legislative proposals to reform the sector."