A MEETING is being held next week amid the row over Newport buses stopping at Newport high street.

Newport Transport buses stopped servicing High Street in December last year following an increase in traffic and parked cars.

Buses started running straight through to the new Newport Central Bus Station at Friars Walk.

But traders previously said the High Street has been left "deserted" because of the bus route changes which has hit their businesses.

Yesterday Steve Reynolds, who runs Toy Army in Newport Market, said it is a “last one to leave turn the lights out” situation at the market with businesses packing up.

Mr Reynolds said: “There will be nobody left in the market by the time they bring the buses back.”

A meeting is being held next Tuesday, February 16 at 6pm at Slipping Jimmy’s bar in Newport, also owned by Steve Reynolds.

Newsagent owner Jon Powell said by next Tuesday he hopes there will have been an announcement by Newport Transport or bus company New Adventure Travel.

Last month the Argus revealed New Adventure Travel said it would be happy for its buses to stop off at Newport High Street as long as current services are not delayed.

The meeting has been arranged for traders and residents to be updated on any announcement there is.

Mr Powell said: “We are hoping to have an announcement by then about what they plan to do going forward, a decision either way.

“We are just floating around in limbo.”

He said the situation is “pretty grim” with less custom at the market.

He said: “For myself, I started doing home deliveries to hopefully combat that situation.

“If that’s what I’ve got to do to keep the business going, that’s what I’ll do.”

The action team aiming to bring the buses back to High Street is made up of kiosk owner Jon Powell, butcher Tony Turner, solicitor Andrew Collingbourne and former Newport Transport chairman, William Routley.