Pontypool bus passengers get free lottery tickets for firm's birthday (From South Wales Argus)

Pontypool bus company boss marks firm's birthday with by handing out lottery tickets

11:27am Friday 22nd February 2013 in Gwent news

A BUS company boss hopes he has marked the first anniversary of a highly-successful new route by making one of his passengers a millionaire.

Boss of the Pontypool-based company Phil Anslow travelled on Wednesday, handing 300 National Lottery lucky dip tickets for that evening’s draw, to passengers getting on.

Since first running between Brynmawr and Cwmbran on February 20 2012, the X1 service run by Anslow Coaches has welcomed over 400 passengers per day, a total of over 140,000 in its first year.

He joked: “This service has been so successful in linking Blaenau Gwent to Torfaen, they have been talking about putting a statue of me in some places.

“But, it is the passengers that have made it and wouldn’t it be great if we could give something back by making one of them a lottery millionaire or a big winner?

“They were over the moon when I handed them the tickets, so I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed.”

Mr Anslow pumped £40,000 into the service that runs hourly between Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen, stopping in Brynmawr, Blaina, Nantyglo, Abertillery, Six Bells, Aberbeeg, Llanhilleth, Swffryd, Pontypool and Cwmbran.

After launching it last year, he said: “Cwmbran is an upand- coming place and it allows people from other parts of Gwent to travel there for work and shopping.

There is no other service offering this route and it is just about being innovative, filling a gap and offering something that is not there.”

Before it launched, shoppers had to get a bus from Blaenau Gwent to Newport and then to Cwmbran if they wanted to go there.

● Did you win with a free ticket? If so, call the newsdesk on 01633 777226.