DISRUPTION to services is ‘inevitable’ after a bus company unexpectedly announced it is to cease trading, a senior councillor has said.

Councillor David A Bithell, Wrexham Council’s lead member for transport, announced today that D Jones and Son of Acrefair is to cease trading from tomorrow (Sunday), which will affect services in both Wrexham and Denbighshire.

He said the notification had come without warning in the last 24 hours and that the council will be working to secure replacement services, with the priority being education transport.

Cllr Bithell said: “Wrexham County Borough Council has received notification that the local bus operator D Jones and Son will cease trading with effect from Sunday, December 17. 

“This news has come without any prior warning, and the council’s immediate priority is to ensure that statutory contracted education transport is provided.

“Despite the late notice, the council has been able to secure alternative transport arrangements for entitles students for next week.

“Disruption to local bus services formally operated by D Jones and Son is inevitable.  The Council has enacted its contingency plan with a view to securing as many replacement bus services as soon as we possibly can.”

The school contracts currently provided by D Jones and Son are to be provided by the following new operators:

Ysgol Morgan Llwyd: (563W Gwersyllt area) Pats Coaches.

St Josephs/ St Marys: (567F Brymbo area) Unicorn Travel, (567H Gresford area) E Jones and Son, (567Q Coedpoeth area) G Edwards and Son.

Garth CP (195B Trevor area) E Jones and Son.

Bro Alun/Plas Coch/Bodhyfryd (440X Marford / Llay area) Pats Coaches, (440Y Tanyfron area) Pats Coaches.

The local bus services currently operated by D Jones and Son in Wrexham are as follows:

Service 5 Wrexham to Llangollen, Service 6 Wrexham to Ruabon (Pont Adam), Service 9 Wrexham to Minera, Service 10 Wrexham to Bwlchgwyn/Gwynfryn, Service 13B Wrexham to Wrexham Industrial Estate, Service 35 Wrexham to Plas Goulbourne, Service 41/42, Wrexham to Wrexham Industrial Estate, Service 41B/42B Wrexham to Wrexham Industrial Estate, Service 44 Wrexham to Barkers Lane, Service J50 Wrexham to Acrefair, Service C56, Wrexham to Chester, Service 146 Wrexham to Whitchurch. 

A spokesman for Denbighshire County Council also said: “D Jones and Son, the bus company, has informed us that they will cease trading after last operation on Saturday, December 16.

“This affects school and public transport in the Llangollen area. The county council has made arrangements to cover the school bus from the Chirk and Froncysyllte area to Ysgol Dinas Brân on and from Monday, December 18 until the end of term with alternative operator E Jones and Son.

“Bus services will continue to operate between Llangollen and Wrexham on service 5 (Arriva) and service Traws Cymru T3 (Lloyd’s Coaches).

“Pupils who catch buses from the Wrexham direction who normally use D Jones service 5/5C are warned that there may be insufficient seats at school times to and from Ysgol Dinas Brân. Arriva services continue to operate every 40 minutes.”