THE Welsh Government has been called on to protect bus services in the Vale, by South Wales Central AM Andrew RT Davies.

Mr Davies has long campaigned for greater support for buses in the Vale, where he says many people have been left without a service altogether, and has criticised the Welsh Government for ploughing more than £500,000 a year into the controversial T9 airport bus.

During a Welsh Conservative debate on buses, he called for greater protection to be given to a “vital lifeline for many people, particularly the elderly”.

He said: “Bus services across Wales are facing an uncertain future after Welsh Government cuts to grants for operators, but here in the Vale residents have been hit particularly hard.

“A properly functioning bus network is a vital lifeline for many people, particularly the elderly, and it is time that the Welsh Government got its priorities right.

“Every day we see a heavily subsidised airport bus running through the streets empty. It costs the taxpayer more than half a million pounds, which pales into insignificance when you consider the £18.5 million spent on new offices for Welsh Government staff.

“A properly functioning bus network is a critical part of a successful and sustainable transport strategy and a flourishing Welsh economy. It’s time that Labour re-assessed their priorities and took steps to ensure a viable future for bus services.”