WAQ77911 (e) Wedi’i gyflwyno ar 15/02/2019

Sut y mae'r Gweinidog yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i gyflawni rhwydwaith bysiau cynaliadwy, ac a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi neilltuo cyllid ychwanegol i rwystro llwybrau bysiau rhag cau?

Wedi'i ateb gan Gweinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth | Wedi'i ateb ar 27/02/2019

The Welsh Government has allocated £25m to local authorities in 2018-19 under our discretionary Bus Services Support Grant (BSSG) to help them to support local bus and community transport services across Wales, despite challenging budget settlements by the UK Government. An equivalent scheme has existed since 1998.

 

Neither the Welsh Government nor a local authority has powers to require a bus operator to run a particular service – that is achieved through local authority contracts including a public subsidy. Local authorities are best-placed to take account of local circumstances and priorities, and each authority is responsible for determining its expenditure from its own, Revenue Support Grant (RSG) derived budget and our BSSG allocations.

 

Towards the end of 2017-18 we provided an additional £3m to support the bus network, which supplemented other specific grants allocated that support public transport services, such as Local Transport Fund, Local Transport Network Fund, Bus Revenue Support Grant, TrawsCymru, MyTravelPass, free bus travel for older or disabled persons and unhypothecated RSG awards to local authorities.

 

Where necessary and affordable, we have also funded – exceptionally - one-off measures to address the particular effects of service disruption and loss, but that cannot be a routine response. Local authorities must in the first instance prioritise funding from their own, RSG-derived budgets or our BSSG allocations which supplement authorities’ own budgets for this purpose.

 

The Welsh Government funded TrawsCymru bus network continues to provide essential bus links across Wales, providing the backbone of the bus network linking key centres with rail hubs. Local authorities issue these contracts on our behalf. TrawsCymru services have been significantly enhanced in recent years, and local authorities are represented on each TrawsCymru route delivery group. We have trialled free weekend travel to encourage use and to demonstrate the service to attract modal transfer during the week. There has been a significant uptake in weekend passenger numbers.

 

We are funding two Bus Co-ordinator posts – one in south east Wales and another in north Wales – to help co-ordinate bus-related expenditure, closely linked to the south and north Wales Metros.

 

My officials have worked with a number of local authorities on bids for funding from a UK Ultra Low Emission scheme aimed at supporting the introduction of electric vehicles. I am delighted that three bids within Wales were successful.

 

A Welsh Government White Paper was launched on 10 December 2018. The White Paper sets out proposals for improving the legislative framework in Wales regarding how local bus services are planned and delivered. Scheduled bus services are the foundation of our public transport system and the proposals set out in the White Paper would provide the Welsh Government and local authorities with the tools needed to drive change.

 

The legislative tools will also enable local authorities to work together, and in partnership with bus operators, to respond flexibly to local community needs, tailoring the approach to different circumstances and challenges. I would encourage you and others interested in the provision of bus services to review the White Paper and provide comments before the closing date of 27 March 2019. https://beta.gov.wales/improving-public-transport 

 

Bus is a critical component of public transport and remains a key focus for both the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales (TfW). We have commissioned TfW to review how bus services could be delivered in future to ensure that urban and rural communities across Wales benefit from a modern, integrated public transport service. TfW is engaging with local communities, local authorities and bus operators to discuss how they participate in and benefit from an integrated regional transport system, and its work will be taken into account in taking forward the White Paper.