Police to get free travel on Lloyds Coaches

"Police will be able to travel on Lloyds Buses for free" Uniformed police officers will be given free bus travel by Lloyds Coaches & other Major Bus operators in Wales to cut down on anti-social behaviour on public transport. It is hoped that an increased police presence on buses will prevent incidents such as stone throwing at buses and aggressive behaviour. The all-Wales scheme - was launched in Cardiff on 12th January by Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey, the WAG Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Transport It is open to all uniformed officers and police community support officers. It was organised by the assembly government-funded Bus Users UK. The Bobbies on Buses scheme is supported by all four Welsh police forces. It follows a number of recent incidents involving anti-social behaviour on bus routes throughout Wales. A decent, safe and secure public transport system is one of the hallmarks of a civilised society Wyn Lloyd, Owner of Lloyds Coaches Wyn Lloyd, from Lloyds Coaches, said problems on the buses in Machynlleth area are very rare indeed,but when they do happen passengers get a feelings of unease while  travelling on the bus. Passengers then suffer if  services are withdrawn following incidents like stone throwing. "The cost to bus operators is enormous and it is the bus user who ultimately pays the cost with higher fares," he said. "We see this scheme as the start of even better co-operation between police and bus operators and one which can give a greater feeling of security to all our bus users. "A decent, safe and secure public transport system is one of the hallmarks of a civilised society." He added that a better incident reporting scheme was also being implemented to assess the scale of anti-social behaviour on bus routes around Wales.

9th January 2006 Revised Timetable Introduced on
522 Newtown to Machynlleth Service  

Passengers are advised that from Monday January 9th 2006
Powys County Council & Lloyds Coaches have introduced a revised timetable on  522 Newtown to Machynlleth service
To provide connections at Newtown with
NewTrawsCambria service 704 to/from Brecon

The first of Optare’s new generation Tempo single deck buses has entered service with a fast-emerging operator based in the heart of Wales and already it’s creating a good impression with passengers and drivers.

Lloyds Coaches of Machynlleth, Powys, has added the fully integral Tempo to its ten-vehicle fleet. It’s the first new bus to be acquired by the four-year-old company and was acquired through Powys County Council’s innovative tendering mechanisms. The Tempo is operating on  service 522 between Machynlleth and Newtown and covers the hour-long journey four times a day in each direction, six days a week.

"We chose the Tempo primarily because of its high seating capacity of 46 plus up to 26 standees," says Wyn Lloyd, owner of Lloyds Coaches. "Its low floor and kneeling capability also make it easy for passengers to get on and off and this is particularly appreciated by some of our older passengers and young mums with small children. And once on board, the flat floor and well-placed handrails assist safe movement.

"Passengers tell us that the seats are very comfortable and they like the bright, modern colour scheme. The use of uplighting and the excellent ventilation system provide a pleasant environment in which to travel and both passengers and drivers have commented on the low internal noise level and the smooth ride. It’s also a modern and stylish-looking bus, and this helps to create a good image for our growing business.

Lloyds Coaches’ new Tempo is 12.6 metre long model  the longest of the four lengths available. It has 46 Estaban Civic V0 seats and bonded, tinted side windows with ventilation hoppers. The suspension uses a two-bag air system on the front axle and a four-bag system on the rear for a smooth ride. Front kneeling is electronically controlled and the bus can return to ride height in just four seconds, reducing bus stop dwell times to a minimum.