Swansea MS meets First Bus to discuss future of city’s transport network

South Wales West MS Tom Giffard has met with FirstGroup representatives at the Senedd to discuss the future of Swansea’s bus services, including plans for electrification, franchising, and the impact of recent strikes.

The meeting comes as First Bus rolls out a £350 million national investment to electrify its fleet, converting diesel vehicles to electric and introducing new carbon‑neutral buses across Wales.

“Reliable, timely public transport”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Giffard said he welcomed First Bus’s commitment to improving services:

“It was great to meet some of the team from First Bus to talk through their commitment to helping provide a timely, reliable public transport system, as well as their huge investment into a fleet of brand‑new carbon‑neutral buses across Wales, many of which will be coming to Swansea soon.

“I sincerely hope the Welsh Government engage with First Bus to enable them to help build the services people across Swansea deserve.”

He also raised concerns about the impact of the default 20mph speed limit on bus routes and journey times, calling for greater investment in roads and junction upgrades along the M4 at Ynysforgan and Penllergaer.

On social media, Mr Giffard shared a light‑hearted post after trying out one of the new buses himself:

“Good to get behind the wheel of a new First bus coming to a Swansea street near you very soon. But don’t worry, hopefully the drivers won’t still be on strike by then, so I won’t be the one behind the wheel!”

First Cymru: Net zero ambitions

Rob Pymm, Commercial Director for First Bus in Cymru, said the company was pleased to hear Mr Giffard’s support for their net zero ambitions.

“We were pleased to meet Tom Giffard MS this week and hear he is supporting our moves to a net zero fleet with £350million invested so far nationally to electrify our depots and buses.

“The arrival of electric buses in Swansea will depend on franchise plans by Transport for Wales (TfW) and Welsh Government, and we’ll continue to work closely with TfW to lend our expertise in this area to help ensure our net‑zero ambitions arrive in the country. We already operate eight electric TrawsCymru buses on the growing T1 service as part of our partnership with TfW.”

Looking ahead

While the timeline for electric buses in Swansea will depend on Welsh Government franchising decisions, both First Cymru and Mr Giffard emphasised the importance of building a transport system that is affordable, reliable and sustainable.

Mr Giffard said he would continue to advocate for improvements and invited Swansea residents to share feedback on issues they want raised.

#busFranchising #electricBus #firstBus #firstCymru #swansea #t1 #tfw #tomGiffardMs #transportForWales #trawsCymru

Disabled and Denied: Accessible Public Transport in Scotland is a second-class experience (literally)

https://eim.ie/posts/2025/11/12/disabled-and-denied-accessible-public-transport-in-scotland-is-a-second-class-experience-literally/

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#disability
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#accessibletravel
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#wheelchairaccessible

First Cymru warns of festive disruption as strike dispute escalates

The company issued its response after Unite accused the operator of “union‑busting” in the ongoing pay dispute. Strikes are scheduled to begin on 20 November and continue until 21 January, covering the peak festive travel season.

Doug Claringbold, Managing Director for First Bus in Cymru, said the company shared customers’ frustration at the prolonged action. “These are unnecessary and, most importantly, they will be hugely disruptive to our customers during the festive period when many hope to use buses to shop, meet friends and family and enjoy Christmas parties. It is within the hands of the union to stop this action,” he said.

Claringbold stressed that First Cymru had maintained an open dialogue with Unite and continued to seek a resolution. “We have always maintained an open dialogue with the union and while they continue to reject our offers we still hope to find a solution to encourage the union to call off their strikes,” he added.

The company highlighted its above‑inflation pay offer, alongside investment in staff facilities, conditions, and benefits such as healthcare schemes. Claringbold warned that further strike announcements were damaging the reputation of bus travel in Wales and disrupting public travel plans.

First Cymru confirmed that revised timetables will be published on its website shortly, with ongoing reviews to maximise the number of services available. Passengers are urged to check the operator’s website before travelling.

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First Cymru strike dispute deepens as Unite accuses company of “union‑busting”

The dispute between First Cymru and its drivers has intensified, with Unite the Union accusing the company of “union‑busting” and treating staff “like second class citizens.”

It follows confirmation last week that strike action will escalate into a two‑month continuous walkout from 20 November until 21 January. The union has now sharpened its criticism of First Cymru, claiming the company has refused to pay back‑pay owed to staff and offered a £50 “bung payment” to encourage drivers to cross picket lines.

Union anger over pay

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“First Cymru is trying to take industrial relations back to the dark ages with its refusal to pay monies owed, attempts at union‑busting to get staff to cross picket lines and all the while paying some of the lowest wages in the industry. Unite never stands for such behaviour. First needs to think again about how it is treating its workforce.”

Drivers currently earn £13.40 per hour, Unite says, compared with £15 at Cardiff Bus and Arriva North Wales, £14.44 at Stagecoach South Wales, and £14.50 at Newport Transport. The union argues First is now the lowest payer among major operators, and warns that with the Real Living Wage set to rise to £13.45 in April 2026, the company’s pay structure will become “untenable.”

Regional impact

The strike covers depots in Swansea, Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Ammanford. Unite regional officer Alan McCarthy said:

“Driving a bus is a highly skilled job. Yet drivers for First Cymru are treated like second class citizens and have reached the end of their tether. They are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. Unite will be backing them every step of the way in this dispute.

“The communities of South Wales have been let down by First who see fit to short‑change their drivers and will now see the consequences of this as our members take to the picket line.”

Company profits under scrutiny

Unite has also highlighted First Group’s financial results, noting the transport giant made over £200 million profit last year and paid its chief executive more than £3 million.

What it means for passengers

The escalation means bus services across South and West Wales will remain severely disrupted throughout November, December and into January. First Cymru has previously warned the action will cause major disruption during the festive season, while the union insists the company could end the dispute with a fair pay offer.

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First Cymru bus strikes set to continue into January as dispute escalates

Passengers across south and west Wales face weeks of disruption after drivers rejected the company’s latest pay offer. The union says members are determined to secure a fair settlement, while First Bus has warned the extended action will cause major disruption during the festive season.

Unite confirms escalation

In a statement posted on Facebook, Unite said:

“First Cymru workers have decided to significantly escalate their dispute with their employer over their rate of pay and back pay. Further strike action will commence on the 20th of November and will continue until January 21st 2026. Our members do not want to inconvenience the general public over Christmas, but First can fix this with a fair pay offer.”

The union has already staged walkouts since late October, with services across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire heavily affected.

First Bus response

Doug Claringbold, Managing Director for First Bus in Cymru, said:

“We, like our customers, are deeply frustrated that the union has announced two full months of strikes in south and west Wales from November 20 and continuing right through to January 21. These are unnecessary and, most importantly, they will be hugely disruptive to our customers during the festive period when many hope to use buses to shop, meet friends and family and enjoy Christmas parties. It is within the hands of the union to stop this action.

“We have always maintained an open dialogue with the union and while they continue to reject our offers we still hope to find a solution to encourage the union to call off their strikes.

“We have been committed to improving the pay of drivers, and alongside our above inflation offer, we continue to invest in staff facilities and conditions, and a range of benefits, including healthcare schemes.

“We will continue to keep as many services running as possible, but announcing even more strikes is severely disrupting the public’s travel plans and damaging the reputation of bus travel in Wales.

“Our revised timetables will be available on our website shortly, and we will review these over the coming weeks to ensure we get as many buses out as possible for our customers. We encourage customers to check our website for more details before travelling.”

What it means for you

The extended strike action means bus services across south and west Wales will remain severely disrupted throughout November, December and into January. Passengers are advised to check revised timetables on the First Cymru website before travelling and to expect reduced services during the festive period.

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First Bus gives Remembrance free travel for all Armed Forces, veterans and cadets

• 5,700 buses across the country providing free journeys
• Wear military uniform, badges or show driver Service ID card when boarding
• First Bus has a strong affiliation with the Armed Forces, with many veterans working for the business

All current and former members of the military and cadets need to do is show the driver their Armed Forces ID or wear their medals or uniform.

If safe to do so, First Bus drivers will be allowed to pull over at 11:00am on both days to observe the two minutes’ silence.

A spokesperson for First Bus said: “We have many colleagues who have served in the military or have friends and family connections so this is always a poignant time of the year.

“We hope free travel on our services will make it as easy as possible for as many veterans, serving personnel and cadets to attend Remembrance services and events in their region.

“The patience of customers in helping our drivers to pay their respects is much appreciated.”

#ArmisticeDay #FirstBus #freeTransport #RemembranceDay

First Cymru confirms bus strikes will go ahead after pay offer rejected

Company “disappointed” as talks fail

Doug Claringbold, Managing Director for First Bus in Cymru, said the company was “disappointed for our customers” that its “above inflation pay offer” had been rejected.

He added:

“Throughout this extensive negotiation process, we have listened to Unite the Union member feedback and made a number of offers in order to try and settle this dispute, to ensure customers who rely on our services are not affected by strike action.

Unfortunately, rather than work with us to find a resolution, Unite the Union has decided to press ahead with strikes, affecting our customers. Our door remains open to negotiation.”

The company said it will shortly publish details on its website about which services will be affected.

Strike dates confirmed

Unite the Union has confirmed that strike action will take place on the following dates (inclusive):

• Thursday 30 October – Sunday 2 November
• Wednesday 5 November – Saturday 8 November

The union has previously warned that strike action would “shut down” the bus network across South and West Wales.

Background

The dispute has been ongoing for several weeks. Earlier this month, strike action was postponed after a new pay offer was tabled by First Cymru full story here.

Unite has consistently argued that drivers deserve a fairer deal, warning that without improved pay, services and communities would continue to suffer. The union has also said that First Cymru’s drivers are among the lowest paid in the UK bus industry.

Previous coverage:

• Unite: First Cymru strike will shut down bus network across Wales
• First bus strike to cause major disruption across South and West Wales

What happens next

With strike dates now confirmed, passengers across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire face significant disruption.

First Cymru says its “door remains open” to Unite for further talks, but unless an agreement is reached, services will be severely reduced or cancelled during the strike periods.

#busStrike #FirstBus #FirstCymru #industrialAction #payDispute #TradeUnion #Unite #UniteTheUnion #UniteUnion

First Bus strike to cause major disruption across south and west Wales

The company said it had been “unable to reach agreement” with the Unite trade union over a pay offer for drivers, engineers and some support staff.

As a result, industrial action will take place from Wednesday 22 October to Saturday 25 October inclusive, with further strikes planned between 30 October and 2 November, and again from 5 November to 8 November.

‘Every possible effort’

In a statement, First Bus said:

“Despite talks and every possible effort, we have been unable to reach agreement with the Unite trade union regarding a pay offer for our driving, engineering and some support colleagues across south and west Wales.

This will result in industrial action that will lead to significant disruption to First Bus services across south and west Wales.”

The company added that it was continuing to liaise with the union and would provide further updates as the additional strike dates approach.

Services affected

Details of which routes and timetables will be impacted are expected to be published on the operator’s website in the coming days. Passengers are being urged to check for the latest updates before travelling.

The strike action is set to affect thousands of commuters, students and shoppers across the region, with Unite members saying they are pushing for a fairer pay deal in the face of rising living costs.

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