NDM8229 Plaid Cymru Debate - Bus emergency scheme

NDM8229 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that the Government's written evidence to Senedd scrutiny committees on allocations within each main expenditure group specified that the £28 million that constituted the bus emergency scheme in 2022-23 would be matched in 2023-24, but that bus operators were then informed that there was no guarantee of any funding from 1 April 2023 for the bus emergency scheme.

2. Notes that the 3-month extension to the bus emergency scheme offers little certainty to bus operators to maintain key services and routes in their area in the long-term.

3. Expresses concern that failing to extend bus emergency scheme funding would result in mass cancellations of services, leaving communities across Wales - primarily rural communities - isolated.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to extend bus emergency scheme funding for at least 18 months to provide longer-term financial security to bus operators across Wales. 

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to bring forward longer-term secure funding options to maintain bus services, as opposed to emergency funding schemes.

Ministers' written evidence to Senedd scrutiny committees on allocations within each MEG

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Acknowledges that the Welsh Government has made over £150m of additional funding available to the bus industry throughout the pandemic and to support its recovery from it.

2. Notes that bus passenger numbers have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels and patterns of usage have changed.

3. Notes that the initial 3-month extension to the bus emergency scheme offers short-term certainty to bus operators to support the development of a base bus network.

4. Supports the Welsh Government’s longer term plans to reform the bus industry through regulation.

5. Supports the Welsh Government’s intention to move away from emergency-style funding at the earliest opportunity to a funding package that supports the transition to franchising.