The Snowdon Sherpa is a familiar sight in the North of the National Park. Local residents and tourists alike depend on it for work and leisure trips. But cuts to services look inevitable after the decision of the Welsh Government to drop its financial support for the service.

The Society has been in touch with the Welsh Transport Minister since before Christmas. (copies of the letters are available for download in our documents library). There seems little hope of a last minute reversal of the decision and local transport officals are drawing up a "hit list" of services to be axed. It is difficult to tell the precise impact at present but it looks like services in the shoulder season will be particularly badly hit. Anybody thinking of an early autumn break in the superb surroundings of Snowdonia might be well advised to think again if they are relying on the public bus service. Local residents who depend on the bus for work and meeting friends have fewer options. The Green Key partnership (they co-ordinate the service) share our concerns. So do the Campaign for National Parks.

If the Welsh Government can subsidise flights between Ynys Mon and Cardiff from its transport budget surely there is a case for the rather more sustainable local bus service in Wales' oldest National Park? 

In the short term it's a question of use it or lose it - a retired timetable planner has put together an interesting website with all sorts of useful information including car-free days out in Snowdonia.