It Does Really Get Worse

Access to Abergynolwyn [2]

Yesterday we examined bus information at the stops in Abergynolwyn and found it barely adequate (read again).

Despite there being a splendid Community Hall, Cafe and Post Office all located in one recently built block, no copy of the service 30 bus timetable appeared to be posted on any notice board in the village.

For today's blog, we are privileged to have a contribution from Dai Laffin, local poet and satirist, known as the Tease of Tywyn. Thanks Dai for these thoughts ...

A likely bus rider to Towyn

Might like to know where he's goin'

Scan timetable frames

Play guessing games

Details? There's no way of knowin'

fbb could not spot any source of information in Tywyn and declined to explore fully due to an outburst of Welsh Coastal monsoon. But the "domestic authorities" had a small shopping list to be dealt with so it was a hie and ho and on to Dolgellau. (English spelling was Dolgelly). On the list were opal light bulbs small screw (unobtainable), haggis (you must be joking), toilet rolls (O.K., thankfully) and paracetamol (no problem).

fbb, of course, visited the Tourist Information Centre ...

... to purchase a copy of the excellent Gwynedd county comprehensive timetable booklet.

"They don't do one any more", said the helpful lady, "you can look at our master copy; or we can sell you a leaflet for 20p each service."

Pause for angry outbust, held back because it's not the TiC's fault. But this is a major tourist area, popular with walkers and more "mature" visitors; many of whom are used to planning a day out by bus, choosing destination according to weather and personal preference.

A complete set of timetables would cost 60 times 20p, i.e. £12. That's £12 before you can even begin to plan where you might want to go.

Says the TIC at Dolgelly [1]

Leaflets? Not on your nelly!

We've got just the job,

A page for four bob [2].

Or just stay at home with the telly.

A couple of notes on Dai's text. [1] Dolgellau is the Welsh spelling; Dolgelly was the anglicised version used by the Great Western Railway and adopted by English published maps. [2] "four bob" aka four shillings in pre-decimal money is now 20p.
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The decision by Gwynedd Council to abandon publication of its excellent book seems utterly potty. With communities desperate to increase visitor numbers, with concerns over high levels of car traffic on inadequate roads and in response to the overall desire for greenness, the cost of the booklet is small change. Hyper-daftness all round!

Gwynedd don't know what the fuss is.

Timetables? Don't waste your cusses.

Once keen as mustard

Our budget's now busted

So don't bother to ride on our buses.

Of course it is all available on line. You can always print out the 126 pages of the timetable booklet that would have been available if Gwynedd could be bothered to provide it. And that would be a  really quick and easy task amidst all the other preparations or the holiday. "Sorry we're late, but the printer ran out of ink on page 45 and the paper jammed at page 98."

The unwary might quiz the ever helpful hopeless Traveline. Here you need to know the service number of your bus before you can get the times. Even then the site does not deliver a full timetable, just bits. Here is Gwynedd's service 30 from Towyn via Abergynolwyn ...

... and here is the best that Traveline could deliver.

A few missing journeys?

To use Traveline you should psych

Yourself up if you like.

You will be bamboozled

And very confuselled

So go out and purchase a bike!

Dai's final stanza should be imprinted firmly on the forehead of all of Gwynedd's public transport staff (if they've got any left).

In Gwynedd, avoid getting sniffy

Bring laptop and printer and wif(f)i

Then journeys by bus

Are really no fuss

But without them, decidedly iffy!

But there is some good news!

Lloyd's Coaches now operates the former Arriva network based on Machylleth. And, joy of ecstatic joys, they produce a network timetable booklet which is absolutely excellent. Of course, fbb found one by accident almost lost in a large rack of tourist information inside the Abergynolwyn Village Hall.

Timetable booklets top left in this overwhelming display.

Now all we need to do is to encourage the TiC in Dolgellau to keep some copies and get the lads from Gwynedd council  to trot round and stick a few enlargements into bus timetable frames and there is just a chance that people might be encouraged to travel by bus. Possibly house-to-house delivery? Now wouldn't that be a good idea?
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 Next Blog : Wednesday 22nd August