Welsh councillor says poor public transport is leaving residents lonely this winter

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor has said better public transport in a Welsh county could help tackle loneliness this winter.

At a special meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council on Wednesday, October 28, councillors received a report on healthy living in the county borough.

The report provided councillors with a “whole-system assessment” of healthy living and healthy weight activity across Blaenau Gwent, identifying current strengths, key gaps and priorities for future action to further improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities.

Cabinet member for adults and communities Cllr Jules Gardner (Labour – Brynmawr) said: “This is a strong shift towards prevention rather than crisis response, so the council is increasingly looking upstream at the causes of poor health rather than waiting until residents need more intensive services.”

Cllr Haydn Trollope (Labour – Tredegar) said: “What I would like to tackle is loneliness.

“The biggest barrier for us to tackle this is the lack of public transport.

“I live in Cefn Golau (housing estate in Tredegar) and there’s no public transport after 4.30pm.

“People tell me every day they would like to get out and about, but they can’t afford taxis, and I don’t just mean tackling loneliness for the elderly but youngsters.

“They come home from school, and they can’t see their friends because they live on a housing estate without public transport.

“Their parents haven’t got cars, so they are stuck in their bedrooms playing games, and we know what happens to their mental health.”

Reliance on public transport

Cllr Julie Holt (Independent – Six Bells) pointed out that poor public transport connections affect people in several ways, including getting to hospital appointments and even enjoying leisure activities.

She added that some older people who can drive may have issues with confidence when driving in the dark, which means they rely on public transport, especially in winter.

Cllr Holt said: “I know hundreds of residents who have this issue.”

Cllr Gardner said: “I would like to see us apply for funding to run different levels of transport to estates such as Cefn Golau – as a long-term goal, it would be positive for us to address, as public transport is terrible.”

Cabinet member for economy and place Cllr John C Morgan (Labour – Georgetown) said: “Just to assure you that conversations are taking place at the moment with the regional transport plan.

“Something we need to get involved in is the Bus Act, where they (Welsh Government) are looking at franchising buses.

“This will come into effect over the next couple of years. It’s something I believe we need to make sure Blaenau Gwent is pushing on this.”

Improving connectivity

Joint Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen chief executive Steve Vickers reminded councillors that improving connectivity also includes walking and cycling routes.

Improving connectivity would also mean better “employment and educational opportunities”, as well as bringing people into town centres to use council services.

“We will continue to work on these issues, which is a great challenge,” said Mr Vickers.

Councillors went ahead and approved the report.

The Bus Services (Wales) Act 2026, which came into force last February, establishes a new legislative framework to support the delivery of local bus services as part of a wider “one network, one timetable, one ticket” reform of public transport in Wales.