Buses at Dolgellau

Image: © John Lucas Taken: 3 Feb 2016

On the left, an Express Motors service to Blaenau Ffestiniog. On the right, a TrawsCymru T2 service from Aberystwyth to Bangor, a journey which can take nearly four hours to complete. Afternote 2022: Express Motors were based in Penygroes, Gwyneth and operated routes throughout the county and also the long-distance TrawCymru T2 service from Bangor to Aberystwyth. The company lost its operator's licence in 2017 and the owner and 3 sons were subsequently found guilty of a series of offences including falsifying maintenance records, operating without a licence and fraud, by creating false concessionary journeys. They were imprisoned for between 6 and 7.5 years. Services in the north of Gwyneth were then taken over by Arriva and those in the south by Lloyds Coaches of Machynlleth. Lloyds also took over the T2 route. The story doesn't end there! Another route passing through Dolgellau is the TrawsCymru T3 service from Barmouth to Wrexham. That was operated by GHA coaches based in the Wrexham area. That company was found to be in serious breach of its operator's licence, with some of its vehicles being found to be in very poor condition, dozens being found to be unroadworthy. The two brothers who were directors of the company were banned indefinitely from operating public service vehicles. The company was wound up in 2016 owing £5.2m. The T3 service is now also operated by Lloyds of Machynlleth.

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