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Question 1 –
how would you
describe the current condition of the bus and community transport
sectors in Wales?
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Welsh Government cuts to bus operator grants have meant devastating
cuts to service across Wales, leaving many people living in more
rural areas increasingly isolated, and without a means to get to
work, the shops, or health care services.
Numerous constituents have made representations to me, regarding
the lack of community transport and cuts to bus services, most
commonly in the most rural and isolated areas of my
constituency.
The passenger numbers here are not high, but community transport
provides a vital service to those who do live here – in
particular, older people and those with health or mobility issues.
Access to health services is a key priority, but enabling access to
shops and social opportunities is also invaluable.
The affect that cuts to bus and community transport in north and
rural Wales, including Aberconwy, have had – and will
continue to have – a devastating and very real effect on
people’s lives.
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Question 2 –
why do you think
the number of bus services and the number of bus passengers is
declining in Wales?
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The
Welsh Government’s cuts to the bus operator grant, and lack
of recognition of the importance of public transport to our rural
communities.
A
lack of public consultation before services are changed or removed
– and lack of public awareness of changes to services,
leading to disillusion with the service.
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Question 3 –
what do you think is the social, economic and environmental impact
of recent changes in bus and community transport service
levels?
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Cuts to bus routes, and reductions in services to more rural areas,
such as Rowen in my constituency of Aberconwy, have a large effect
on residents who may have relied on these services to get to work.
This can have a negative effect on the economy, and on the chosen
career paths and employment options of younger people.
Additionally, such cuts restrict access to public services. For
those who find it harder to access health services, they may not
feel that it is worth it, and a health condition could deteriorate
and result in a much larger cost to public services. People should
feel able and enabled to access public services as appropriate
– not constricted by reduction and cuts to bus and community
transport services.
I have also received representations relating to changes to bus
routes with little notice. These changes may seem minor in terms of
the overall route, but often seem to have missed considerations of
geography and demographics – for example, a recent change to
a route in my constituency, has been to carry straight along an
A-road, instead of coming up the residential road running alongside
it. This road is on a steep hill, and there are a large proportion
of older people living here who struggle to reach the next bus stop
along. So whilst the change to the timetable may seem minor, it
does have a much larger impact on those who use that
service.
Finally, bus timetables at bus stops are sometimes out of date by a
number of years. Updating these as timetables are revised should be
a matter of course. Where there are no electronic bus time signs,
the hardcopy of the timetable at the bus stop is the only reference
for passengers, so this can cause some inconvenience.
The effects to the environment as a result of an increased use of
cars and private transport will clearly be detrimental. Public
transport is often lauded as the sustainable and clean was to get
from A to B, and cuts to such provision mean that people will be
forced to use private transport more and more. There is potential
that this will lead to further bus services cuts as demand for
reduced services falls.
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Question 4 –
what do you think
the Welsh Government should do to support bus and community
transport in Wales?
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Undo Welsh Government cuts to bus operator grants have meant
devastating cuts to service across Wales, leaving many people
living in more rural areas increasingly isolated, and without a
means to get to work, the shops, or health care
services.
Identify the needs of rural communities across Wales and look at
ensure services are provided to connect communities –
particularly at key times, e.g. school/office morning runs, midday
lunch/shopping times, school home times, and evening ‘rush
hour’ times.
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Question 5
– what do you think Welsh local authorities should do to
support bus and community transport services?
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Ensure that
published timetables are correct and up-to-date, including those at
bus stops.
Ensure that every
community under their remit has suitable public transport
provision.
Fully consult
with all those affected by potential route changes well in advance
of any such change, and ensure that representations are properly
considered.
Work with private
and third sector service providers to ensure joined-up services,
with suitable service coverage for all communities – rather
than over-provision in some and none in others.
Ensure that
services are suitable for those with sensory impairments, such as
sight loss or hearing loss.
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Question 6
– what do you think about proposals to devolve bus
registration powers to Wales? How should these be used?
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Question 7
– please tell us whether you think further powers to regulate
the bus industry in Wales are required and why?
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Question 8
– what other
action can be taken to ensure that bus and community transport
services meet the needs of people in Wales?
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Improved services
will mean that more people will use them – bus operators will
generate more revenue and be able to reinvest back into the
service.
Ensuring a
reliable service with full coverage of all communities, and
services at appropriate times, will encourage use by the public,
allowing the service to grow.
People need to be
able to have faith in their bus and community transport services
– to be able to be confident that the timetable and route
published are correct, and that the bus will turn up at the correct
time. They need to be able to be confident that if they rely on the
bus to get to/from work, they will be able to get to/from work
every day.
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Please tell us anything
else you would like to mention this topic, thank you for
contributing to our inquiry.
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