Passenger numbers on Pembrokeshire’s coastal buses increased by nearly 2,250 this year, Tenby Today has reported.
Figures show that 66,775 journeys were made on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Bus Service in 2015, compared to 64,532 in 2014. The upsurge was attributed partly to extra stops on the Celtic Coaster 403 service, which covers the St. David’s Peninsula, and to the increasing popularity of the coastal buses with visitors and locals alike.
The six routes allow people to access coastal towns, villages and beaches, covering much of the coastline from Angle and Stackpole in the south to Newport and Poppit Sands in the north.
In a survey of passengers last year, 34% of passengers said they used the coastal bus to go walking, while 15% said they used them to go to the beach and 12% for a scenic tour.
The service is run by Pembrokeshire County Council, and is funded by the County Council, together with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. The rise in passenger numbers this year comes despite some reductions in the service due to budgetary pressures.
The six coastal buses are the Coastal Cruiser, Puffin Shuttle, Celtic Coaster, Strumble Shuttle, Poppit Rocket, and the 315 Dale to Haverfordwest service.
As well as the six branded coastal buses, there are two other local bus services which also provide access to part of the Pembrokeshire coast – the 349 service between Haverfordwest and Tenby and the 351 service between Tenby and Pendine.
