THE Cardiff Transport Preservation Group will be running free heritage bus trips on Sunday, May 3, around Barry, Rhoose and Penarth.

The rides will be available all day from its 1930’s base at The Bus Depot, Broad Street, Barry.

The charity group restores old buses and this year has see a number of acquisitions for preservation on show and hopes to be operating for the first time a former Cardiff Bus Dennis Dart. The first of this type was built as recently as 1995, which makes this bus the newest.

The rest include two late 1970’s former Cardiff Bus Bristol VR type double-deckers, one an open top which is new to the collection but those running on the day giving trips will include seven from the 1960’s and two from the 1980’s.

Mike Taylor, chairman of the heritage bus restoration group, said: “On Sunday, May 3, we are offering local people the chance to experience a wide cross range of old buses and coaches on free trips around Barry, to Rhoose or to Penarth. Buses run every half hour from The Bus Depot.”

The Bus Depot, which is the restoration centre, will be open for visitors to look around the group’s historic vehicle collection. A star attraction will be to see the last bus built in Cardiff by the Bruce Coach Works of Pengam in 1951, which has just arrived back from 23 years in South Africa.

Mike continued “Our biggest event of the year is of course the Barry Festival of Transport in

June, but this early May event is the third one we have put on and has proved very popular with local people - mums or dads and children and we expect to have around 11 heritage buses fit for carrying passengers this early in the year.”

“We have four single-deckers likely to be running with the oldest being a former Western

Welsh bus from the 1966 that used to operate in the Cardiff, Penarth and Barry area.

Then amongst the seven double-deckers we have ready, we have two 1960’s examples from Caerphilly, and another local favourite from the once large National Welsh fleet of the 1980’s; a type that used to run on the top road between Cardiff and Barry and also to Pontypridd, Porth and Maerdy in The Rhondda. We also have our 61 year old former City of Cardiff open top bus ready if the weather is fine”.

“Our volunteer preservationists come from all ages and backgrounds and give up some of their time to bring something unique to this part of Wales – a chance to actually travel on buses that once ran 30, 40 or 50 years ago. The public on May 3 will have the opportunity of free rides on transport history from Caerphilly, The Rhondda Valleys and Cardiff.”

The Spring Heritage Bus Running Day begins at 10.30am leaving every half hour until 4.30pm with all journeys starting at The Bus Depot, Broad Street, Barry.