BUSES across Gwent will stop running for four days over Christmas, causing misery for traders, shoppers and the elderly.

Yesterday we revealed that Newport Transport had decided that running buses was "not commercially viable" on the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas.

They say extra staffing costs on the two bank holidays would mean they could not cover the costs of running the services.

Now Glyn Williams buses, which links the Gwent valleys and Newport, and Islwyn buses in Blackwood, have said they are also not running buses from Christmas Eve night until Wednesday, December 28.

Stagecoach say they have not yet made a decision on their post-Christmas timetabling.

The move contrasts with Cardiff, where a bus service taking staff and shoppers to the city centre will be running an augmented Sunday service.

Ross Jones, operations manager with Newport Transport, said they told the council about their plans for the Christmas bus services in June.

"We wrote to them in June outlining our intentions. Now it is up to the council. If they feel there is a social need for a bus service on those days then they can put out a tender contract, which bus companies can bid for."

Traders have criticised the decision not to run bus services on the Monday and Tuesday, when many stores are launching their Christmas sales.

And it could have an impact on the bank holiday Monday rugby match between the Dragons and the Cardiff Blues, where a crowd of up to 10,000 is anticipated.

But taxi drivers in Gwent are set to be the big winners. Joint partner of Dragon Taxis, Newport, Tom Lavender, said: "Three words say it all - we never close. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, which we think is important to our customers."

Audrey Baber, of Gwent Cars, Pontypool, said: "A public service is a public service. We work all the time, and if someone wants to visit a relative or go somewhere it shouldn't matter if it's Christmas or not."

Arriva Trains and First Great Western have not finalised their Christmas timetables, but a spokesman for Arriva said they would certainly be running trains on Boxing Day and the bank holiday Mondays and Tuesday.