The last post bus from Llandrindod to Rhayader and the Elan Valley ran on Friday, May 1.
Royal Mail say the route is no longer viable, despite carrying over 2,600 passengers over the last twelve months.
In 2002 there were 15 post bus routes in Wales, mainly in rural mid-Wales, covering more than 8,000 miles. At the beginning of April 2009 there were just three left, and with the withdrawal of the service linking Rhandimwyn and other Carmarthenshire hamlets with Lampeter on April 4, the Elan Valley route was among the very last services of its kind.
A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “Passenger numbers are low and the route is not financially viable. We have explored all options to reduce costs and increase income from the service but finally Royal Mail felt it had no choice but to cease the service and focus on its core business of collecting, sorting and delivering mail.”
A Powys County Council spokesman said: “The council is aware of the decision but currently supports a demand-response service that operates in the Elan Valley.”
Brecon and Radnor AM, Kirsty Williams, who knew nothing of the decision said: “More widespread consultation would have been welcome. The post bus is important for accessing services such as the job centre in Llandrindod. The withdrawal will hit the most vulnerable – the elderly who can no longer drive, the young and those who can’t afford the running costs of a car.
“Powys County Council’s demand-response buses only run when users have booked a journey by telephone. Potential visitors may not understand or know how to book such a journey. The post bus is the only public transport to the Elan Valley identified by the official Traveline journey planner.”
Gill O’Shea, proprietor of the Riverside Lodge guest house in the Elan Valley, said the withdrawal was the latest in a series of cuts in rural Powys.
“It’s a backward step, especially in a recession,” she said. “We are trying to encourage visitors and services are being cut. Some of our guests use the post bus, especially walkers. Many locals use the service, too.”