������̳

Public transport cuts in Gwynedd could result in a mass exodus of people from rural areas, a councillor has claimed.

Gruff Williams, who represents Nefyn, said bus services were vital to people who were on low wages or unemployed.

Taxis or people carriers could replace buses on quieter routes as the council carries out a root-and-branch review.

Companies will be invited to bid for routes from November with no service changes expected until April.

A survey of 2,000 bus users in Gwynedd which showed a majority heavily dependent on public transport was described as an "eye-opener" by one cabinet member at a scrutiny meeting.

Replacing buses with smaller vehicles and on-call services is being considered after councillors heard some buses had as few as two or three passengers on board, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, Mr Williams warned that substantial cuts would have devastating effects on communities, likening it to the Highland Clearances, when thousands of people were forced to leave rural Scotland in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

"As soon as you cross a certain threshold then the schools, shops and pubs start closing," he said.

"All you have left is a big holiday village, forcing everyone into Porthmadog, Dolgellau and Pwllheli."

Among the consultation's findings were that 88% of respondents felt that access to buses offered them greater independence and freedom.

One respondent claimed that if the buses did not run "you may as well put me in a box, my life would not be worth living, I have no family".

Members broadly welcomed the idea of asking passengers to book services in advance, although some questioned how this would work in practice.