Last week, the Welsh Government, supported by Plaid Cymru, pushed through their new Bus Bill, a move that I and my Welsh Conservative colleagues have opposed.
What this new legislation means is that the Welsh Government will take control over the bus network through a centralised franchising system, reducing the flexibility that currently allows local operators to respond quickly to community needs.
The big problem with this rushed change is the fact that it is very city-focussed. Once again Labour Ministers in Cardiff Bay are showing just how much they don’t understand the countryside and the importance of the pressures that our rural public transport network is facing.
What this city-focussed approach to our bus network does is fail to address the challenges faced by smaller, more isolated communities that depend on regular, reliable services just to access work, education, and healthcare.
A third of the population of Wales live in rural communities, but we are, once again, not being given a clear vision about how our public transport system will work.
Unlike those living in cities, our rural communities face far longer distances between towns and villages, with fewer alternative transport options as well as higher costs for service delivery.
This reform was a once-in-a-generation chance to create an accessible bus network that works for everyone in Wales, but the Welsh Government has instead chosen an overly centralised structure that risks reducing choice, reducing competition, and ignoring local voices.
The fundamental issue is the fact that a bus franchising model will not work in Wales because we are so geographically diverse, with many rural communities and small towns that require tailored, flexible provision rather than a blanket system.
This system that the Welsh Government have implemented is far too rigid and will not be able to respond to local needs.
Furthermore, it will push out smaller bus operators who are better suited to serve the needs of the communities they run in. Many of these family-run companies have delivered reliable services for decades and understand local routes far better than a Cardiff-based bureaucracy.
Ultimately, this Bill is a missed opportunity. Wales needs a bold, flexible and locally driven plan to improve service not this city-focussed system that ignores the needs of rural communities.
I and my Welsh Conservative colleagues will continue to press for a public transport strategy that works for rural communities, delivering a genuinely reliable network, and ensuing the needs of all of Wales is met, not just our cities.
Peter Fox MS - Monmouth
