The Campaign for National Parks and the Snowdonia Society have joined forces in a new campaign to secure the survival of the Snowdon Sherpa bus services, following unexpected cuts in funding from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).

Sherpa buses have been serving both local communities and visitors in getting around Snowdonia National Park for over thirty years. They are a great resource for climbers and walkers and are used by tens of thousands of people every year. It is hoped that full summer services for 2009 will be able to continue, but the future of the service for the rest of 2009 and 2010 hangs in the balance.

Snowdonia Green Key, the partnership responsible for running the Sherpa, is understood to have known that subsidy funding from WAG would decrease over time and eventually come to an end, with responsibility ultimately shifting to new regional transport groups made up of local authorities. However, the timing for this is disputed - leaving a funding shortfall for 2009/10.

The Campaign for National Parks and the Snowdonia Society are therefore lobbying WAG to continue support of the bus and allow suffiecient time for alternative local funding sources to be found.

The BMC supports the campaign to secure the funding shortfall from WAG and encourages BMC members who live in or visit the area to raise the issue with their local MPs. Find contact details of your local MP here.

You can read a full press release here.

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