What action is the Minister taking to increase the availability of bus services in Monmouthshire?
The current pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented sharp and severe drop in bus passenger numbers, causing the loss of almost all ticket revenue. I am proud that the Welsh Government has stepped in to help bus operators meet the challenges of coronavirus with total funding of £140m this financial year. This has ensured that our key workers can get to work, schools could re-open, and supported those that rely on our bus networks to access shops and services.
We have already made arrangements with Monmouthshire County Council to continue to provide a regular hourly weekday and Saturday bus link for commuters and regular travellers linking Chepstow to Bristol city centre via Cribbs Causeway. This service replaces a previously commercial service which was withdrawn at short notice by Stagecoach buses at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic. We continue to work with Monmouthshire Council to put in place a longer term arrangement for this travel corridor.
We are also working on building a new partnership with operators to deliver our wider objectives for bus services in Wales. The new agreement has given the public sector more influence over routes and standards, allowing the management and integration across transport modes including smart ticketing, coordinated routeing and integrated timetabling. Transport for Wales are leading this transition with local authorities and operators. It is delivering a multi-modal network better able to match supply to demand and flex services, based on data and our new regional transport models, wider decarbonisation priorities, and equality objectives.
We will continue to work closely with local authorities and bus operators to understand requirements and develop the structures and investment plans that will support both the industry and the wider Welsh Government’s ambitions for the environment, our economy, and social justice.