Janet Finch-Saunders MS has welcomed an agreement by Conwy County Borough Council to discuss the future of the T19 service at an informal cabinet meeting tomorrow.
Only last week, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, Leader of the Council, responded to the three urgent letters sent by the Member for Aberconwy, by stating: “the council does not have the resources to subsidise this route.”
The decision to hold a meeting comes after the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy has been calling on the Conwy First Independent Group, Welsh Labour, and Plaid Cymru Cabinet to arrange an urgent Cabinet discussion, listen to the views of concerned local residents who fear being left without this vital transport link, and around 700 residents voted in the Member's survey to overwhelmingly oppose the closure of the service.
The T19 service, operated by Llew Jones, runs between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog. The route will be stopping on 11 February 2023.
Commenting ahead of the Cabinet meeting, Janet said:
“As a community, hundreds of us have come together to highlight that the decision by Conwy County Borough Council to not provide financial support to help save the T19 service is wrong. It flies in the face of the urgent need to improve public transport, tackle climate change, and provide support for the most vulnerable in society.
“It’s crucial the council takes heed of the very serious concerns of local residents, and get round the table with Gwynedd and the Welsh Government to find an urgent solution.
“Whilst I acknowledge the fact that measures are now being taken to ensure that Conwy County students have transport to school/college, I have had it confirmed by Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy that no solution has been provided for students who are reliant on the T19 to travel from the Blaenau Ffestiniog area. In fact, I am disgusted that not a single official from Conwy Council has contacted the secondary school to discuss the transport crisis that is being caused for several young people.
I encourage as many residents as possible to contact each Cabinet member ahead of their informal meeting tomorrow”.
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders AS wedi croesawu cytundeb gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy i drafod dyfodol gwasanaeth T19 mewn cyfarfod anffurfiol o'r cabinet yfory.
Dim ond yr wythnos diwethaf, ymatebodd y Cynghorydd Charlie McCoubrey, Arweinydd y Cyngor, i'r tri llythyr brys a anfonwyd gan Aelod Aberconwy, drwy ddweud: “nid oes gan y Cyngor yr adnoddau i sybsideiddio'r llwybr hwn.”
Daw'r penderfyniad i gynnal cyfarfod wedi i’r Aelod o’r Senedd dros Aberconwy alw ar Grŵp Annibynnol Conwy'n Gyntaf, a Chabinet Llafur Cymru a Phlaid Cymru i drefnu trafodaeth Gabinet frys a gwrando ar farn trigolion lleol pryderus sy'n ofni cael eu gadael heb y cyswllt trafnidiaeth hanfodol hwn. Pleidleisiodd mwyafrif llethol o drigolion lleol (tua 700 i gyd) i wrthwynebu cau'r gwasanaeth mewn arolwg a gynhaliwyd gan yr Aelod.
Mae'r gwasanaeth T19, sy'n cael ei redeg gan Llew Jones, yn teithio rhwng Llandudno a Blaenau Ffestiniog. Bydd y gwasanaeth yn dod i ben ar 11 Chwefror 2023.
Dyma a ddywedodd Janet cyn cyfarfod y Cabinet:
“Fel cymuned, mae cannoedd ohonom ni wedi dod at ein gilydd i dynnu sylw at y ffaith bod penderfyniad Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy i beidio â darparu cymorth ariannol i helpu i achub y gwasanaeth T19 yn un cwbl anghywir. Mae hyn yn gwbl groes i'r angen brys i wella trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, mynd i'r afael â'r newid yn yr hinsawdd, a darparu cymorth i'r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed mewn cymdeithas.
“Mae'n hanfodol bod y cyngor yn cymryd sylw o bryderon difrifol iawn trigolion lleol, ac yn ymuno â Gwynedd a Llywodraeth Cymru mewn trafodaeth i ganfod ateb ar frys.
“Er fy mod i'n cydnabod y ffaith bod mesurau'n cael eu cymryd nawr er mwyn sicrhau bod myfyrwyr Sir Conwy yn cael cludiant i'r ysgol/coleg, mae Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy wedi cadarnhau nad oes ateb wedi'i roi ar gyfer myfyrwyr sy'n ddibynnol ar y T19 i deithio o ardal Blaenau Ffestiniog. Yn wir, mae’n gywilydd nad oes yr un swyddog o Gyngor Conwy wedi cysylltu â'r ysgol uwchradd i drafod yr argyfwng cludiant sy'n cael ei achosi i sawl person ifanc.
Rwy'n annog cymaint o drigolion â phosibl i gysylltu â phob aelod Cabinet cyn eu cyfarfod anffurfiol yfory”.
DIWEDD/ENDS
