Buses: North Wales MS criticises funding disparity in public transport

An MS has pressed a Welsh Government minister for an assurance that more money will be invested into bus services in North Wales.

Llŷr Gruffydd, who represents the region in the Senedd, pointed to the £1 billion plus that has been allocated to the South Wales Metro to upgrade services.

He then contrasted that with the “rather ambiguous candy floss concoction that’s been branded a north Wales metro that merely links up existing rail and bus services.”

The Plaid Cymru politician asked for an assurance that North Wales “will get its fair slice of the cake”.

In response Rebecca Evans MS, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance said that she couldn’t “say anything about the budgets” at that time.

Llŷr Gruffydd MS said: “What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport regarding additional funding for bus franchising?

Rebecca Evans MS replied: “Decisions about the funding available for bus franchising will be a matter for the budget-setting process in the appropriate years, noting the challenging fiscal outlook that we’re facing.”

[Llŷr Gruffydd MS]

Llŷr Gruffydd then said: “Many of us in north Wales look jealously at the investment going into the South Wales Metro, the £1 billion plus upgrade of services, which, of course, is welcome, but, by contrast, we have a rather ambiguous candy floss concoction that’s been branded a north Wales metro that merely links up existing rail and bus services.

“Bus services, as we know, have long been a poor relative of rail, with services in decline since before COVID. I welcome Government proposals around bus franchising and ending the grip that private bus firms have on those services, but for it to work properly, it obviously has to be funded properly.

“So, can you assure us today that you will be investing more money in bus services to ensure that the proposed bus legislation is as effective as we all hope it to be? And can you also assure us that north Wales will get its fair slice of the cake?”

In response Rebecca Evans MS said: “I can’t say anything about the budgets for the years that we don’t have a settlement for at this point.”