ANOTHER bus company has announced it will start running services in Brynglas and Allt-yr-yn after Newport Transport decided to axe the “non-profitable” routes.

Council-owned Newport Transport took the decision to cancel buses to the two wards, along with Rogerstone, after losing a multi-million pound contract to take children to and from school.

Cardiff based New Adventure Travel (known as NAT), who won the schools contract from September this year, said they would be expanding further into the city.

They plan to start an hourly service to both Brynglas and Allt-yr-yn, running from Monday to Saturday from September, alongside a service to Ringland, Alway, the city centre and Duffryn which will run every 15 minutes.

Managing director Kevyn Jones said all the new routes would be served by “modern low floor wheelchair access buses” to ensure everyone including disabled people could use the buses.

“It will be similar to what Newport Transport are currently offering,” he said.

“They have said it was loss making but we will give it a go and see what it brings. We are able to link it into the school bus services and we are quite confident it will work in the medium term.

"We are very pleased to be serving the community locally"

Mr Jones said he expects the Traffic Commissioner will grant permission to start routes from September 1 (when timetabled Newport Transport routes will end) later this week but says even if permission is delayed, the latest the routes will start is in mid to late September.

Labour assembly candidate for Newport West Jayne Bryant said she had been working hard with Shaftesbury councillors Bob Poole and Paul Cockeram to find a solution.

“It’s great news,” she said.

“We have worked really hard to make sure the services are maintained. They are something people rely on so people have been very concerned about this.

“We just need to make sure people use the services. There is likely to be a bigger demand for services especially when Friar’s Walk opens. I’m just glad we were able to work together to find something. We fought for it and the residents fought for it.”

Paul Cockeram said: “I’m really pleased that someone has stepped in.

"The people of Brynglas are often vulnerable and they need public transport. Now we have managed hopefully to save it, people need to use it because otherwise we might end up back in this situation.”

Councillors from Rogerstone and Allt-yr-yn have also campaigned for bus routes to be maintained in their wards.