THE rollout of 20mph zones across Wales is leading to public transport misery for passengers, it has been said.

Buckley Councillor Mike Peers told the Leader of his frustration after trying to catch an Arriva bus from the town to Chester.

Several of the services on the company's timetable app were listed as delayed, with the first bus the councillor planned to take being cancelled - and the second disappearing off the app completely by the time he got to the bus stop.

Cllr Peers said: "I took screenshots of the app - where eight buses were delayed, quite a few for more than half an hour - and sent them over to Flintshire Council.

"The response I had from the council was that it's due to the 20mph rollout."

In an email from the authority to Cllr Peers, seen by the Leader, a council officer explained: "Arriva have emailed me to explain they are experiencing punctuality issues following the roll out of the 20mph scheme.

READ MORE: Driving instructor says 20mph is causing 'chaos and confusion'

"Arriva have explained their initial assessment suggests the impact on punctuality is significant with the vast majority of services having reductions in punctuality - in some areas it is especially severe."

The officer informed Cllr Peers that Arriva had confirmed plans for a "large-scale review" of the network following the speed limit changes.

Cllr Peers added: "We're told that public transport is the way to go, but obviously the 20mph has been introduced into the current public bus timetables and it simply doesn't fit."

A spokesperson for Arriva Wales said: “Arriva has been closely monitoring its timetables since the 20mph speed limit has come into force in Wales and is planning a review of its networks.

“So far, there has been an impact on punctuality as journey times have lengthened, which has been particularly noticeable on longer journeys or those journeys connecting towns.

“This is creating challenging operational conditions.

"We are undertaking a large-scale review of the network and it’s going to require a combination of additional resource, changes to frequencies and changes to routes to improve punctuality so we can better serve our customers.

READ MORE: Flintshire Council and Welsh Government to meet over 20mph

“It is early days and we need more time to assess the data before making a final decision on the network.

“We are beginning to discuss the implications of this with the relevant authorities.”

A council spokesman said: "Flintshire County Council has been in discussions with Arriva with regards to the impact of the 20mph limits. 

"We will continue to discuss the implications to services with Arriva."