A PETITION calling for the reinstatement of a bus service from St Dogmaels to Cardigan has attracted more than 350 signatures.

The 407 service, operated by Richards Bros, was axed recently and replaced with a new 408 route, but that service does not run out to Poppit and the last bus back from Cardigan to St Dogmaels is now at 4.24pm.

The petition has been organised by St Dogmaels postmistress Sally Martin.

The petition sates: “The 408 route will cause unnecessary hardship to anyone reliant on the bus service needing to travel after 4.30pm, anyone living between The Moorings and Poppit and the many people who rely on the bus service to go shopping in Tesco or Aldi.”

Richards Bros had been looking at axing the route altogether, which is run purely as a commercial business and attracts no subsidy, but worked with local councillor Mike James and both Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion County Councils to introduce the new service.

“I understand the service has to be viable and the company has to make a living but the changes are having a big impact,” said Sally.

“My daughter has MS and cannot walk that distance and can now only carry on working as I go and get her. Also, in the morning, she has to be in work 20 minutes earlier than she used to be.

“The morning thing is annoying but the service to get people home is the really important factor.

“I also know of a couple of customers who work in charity shops but cannot now get home after they finish and so have stopped working. I know it was not used by vast numbers but those who used it relied on it absolutely.

“They are trying to get us out of cars and using public transport and this seems to go against that.”

Cllr James is pleased some sort of service is still operating but accepts there are problems.

“The Poppit Rocket has now gone on to a winter timetable and people out towards Poppit without cars are now totally out on a limb,” he said.

“We hope the company will reconsider its decision. It’s the time of the last bus back into St Dogmaels that is so important, and also having something to go down to Poppit, even if it is only once in the morning and then the afternoon.”

One other solution might come in the form of the Preseli Rural Transport Association and its Green Dragon buses. It will be at a meeting of the village’s Community Council on Thursday to discuss possible options.