Funding announced for Welsh bus industry

Welsh deputy climate change minister has announced £39 million of funding for the bus industry in Wales for the next year.

Lee Waters said the money will be provided through a new 'Bus Network Grant'.

The Grant will be made available to local authorities to secure services once the Welsh Government’s Bus Transition Fund comes to an end on 31 March.

The new Bus Network Grant will begin on April 1 and run for 12 months.  

In order to receive funding, local authorities must meet specific conditions including ensuring routes and timetables support improved journey times, delivering opportunities for greater connectivity where possible, and providing improved information about the times of bus services.

Waters said: "The Bus Network Grant will bring stability to the industry as well as increased public control of bus services.

"It will also act as a bridge from the emergency funding that has been provided towards bus franchising.

"It will include specific conditions that will encourage improved regional co-ordination of bus services; network ticketing and the need to ensure accurate and up to date information about the bus services provided."

Last week, the Welsh Government published a roadmap of bus reform and a Bus Bill is set to be introduced in the Senedd later this year.

Lee Robinson, Transport for Wales’ Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration said: "Bus franchising will bring an end to a disjointed system, where it's up to private companies to decide which routes to run, and instead, councils and the Welsh Government work in partnership to agree local and regional bus networks that serve the needs of communities.

"It will also enable Transport for Wales to tie in bus routes with train timetables, to create an integrated public transport system and a single ticket which can be used for both.”

Waters added: "The cost of running existing school buses is around £160 million a year and has significantly increased – it now accounts for about a quarter of non-delegated spending on schools by councils.

"Making free travel available to more pupils would obviously add to that bill considerably at a time when the overall Welsh Government budget has faced cuts of £1.2 billion.

"We see school transport as fundamental to our plans to bring buses back under public control, linking school transport and scheduled services and supporting investment in modern buses that are accessible for all.

"By working together, we believe that we can foster a socially, environmentally and sustainable culture of responsible travel to school."