Charity warns £7.3m bus cuts could affect older people

A Welsh charity is warning that funding cuts to bus services across Wales could severely affect older people.

Age Cymru is concerned that £7.3million of funding cuts could mean up to 800 services across Wales would be cancelled or affected.

A report, written by the Bevan Foundation for Age Cymru, gives views from over 300 older people across Wales.

It emphasises how a lack of buses in local areas can leave older people feeling isolated and lonely, with many of them using buses as their only way of reaching their local community.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said:

"We allocated £25m to the four transport consortiums in Wales in 2013-14 to support bus and community transport services.It is a matter for them to determine local priorities and identify which services should be supported and at what level.

The Transport Minister is looking for innovative solutions to deliver an efficient bus service across Wales.She also took immediate action to safeguard bus services in Gwynedd and Ceredigion when Arriva Buses Wales announced they were pulling out of the area."