Lee Waters: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. The coronavirus pandemic has reminded us that there are many things that we once took for granted that we now no longer do. The ability to easily go places, to see family, to work, or to socialise, are things that none of us need reminding of the importance of as 2020 comes to an end. Despite huge advances in using digital communications, there's nothing like...
Lee Waters: That was uncanny, because I was going to ask you how much time I had left.
Lee Waters: Okay. So, just to sum up, then, Dirprwy Lywydd, we are making progress. The pace is not to my satisfaction; this is proving to be very frustrating, because the barriers, both cultural and practical in a pandemic, are significant, but I would encourage you to hold our feet to the fire, because we do need to keep pushing forward on this. This is not going to be a short-term agenda; this is...
Lee Waters: And we are having some successes, but there are also frustrations, there's no doubt about it. And I think Jenny Rathbone was right to challenge the public services boards in this. The thrust of the comments so far have been directed at the Welsh Government, but this is a whole-system approach that we need, and all public bodies have a responsibility to make sure they use their spending to...
Lee Waters: Yes, thank you very much, Dirprwy Llywydd. It's been an illuminating debate because I'd forgotten how simple all this was to sort. My last 23 months in Government have taught me it's a little more complicated, but it's good to be reminded that it's much simpler than that. I thought it was a very useful report, and I found the hearings themselves a really helpful way of illuminating the...
Lee Waters: Well, briefly, these are the discussions we're having with the industry now. I think, from the tone of the statement this afternoon, we are sending a strong signal to them that it's no longer good enough simply to be asking for more money and, every time we ask for something in return, to tell us to jump in a lake, which has been a little bit of the conversations we had with some of the...
Lee Waters: Well, just on that last point, we are developing sophisticated forecasting and scenario-testing modelling to allow data-based judgments to be made about where to put investments and where there are gaps in provision. That is something Transport for Wales has been working on, and this is why we want to move on to a regional footing for the delivery of these services, because that gives us the...
Lee Waters: Well, in that spirit, Mr Melding, I shall put my pipe away; we'll have no more fireside chats here. Just to answer the nub of Dawn Bowden's point—. I must pay tribute to her for the work she has done as a member of the Valleys taskforce, chairing the transport sub-group of the taskforce, in helping us to develop the demand-responsive model, and the challenge that she has brought to the...
Lee Waters: I heard David Rowlands talking about multiple buses turning up in quick succession carrying a small number of passengers. It's rather reminiscent of all the little parties he's been a member of. But there is, of course—. The situation he talks of is a symptom of the problem we have with our public transport system. In a non-regulated environment, of course, anyone can set up a bus company...
Lee Waters: I think that buses have been a neglected part of our transport system, and they do carry a huge number of journeys. The figure I mentioned, to reiterate the social justice point, which I think is wort repeating—. The Transport for Wales surveys of bus users show that 78 per cent of people who travel by bus do not have access to a private car. I think that that is a staggering figure, which...
Lee Waters: Thank you very much. Clearly, there's a great deal of shared interest and agreement in the comments that Helen Mary just outlined, which I welcomed. In terms of her questions, yes, the new round of ERF will be available, as in previous rounds, which did help bus and coach companies, subject, of course, to the eligibility criteria. But, in principle, that is our expectation: that bus companies...
Lee Waters: Thank you. I'm not entirely clear what additional detail Russell George feels that I'm denying the Senedd. I do have a two-hour session coming up in front of the economy committee, which I'm greatly looking forward to, so there'll be plenty of opportunity to go through any detailed questions that he has then. Certainly, there's no attempt, on my part, to conceal anything. Some of this, by...
Lee Waters: Thank you. I would like update Members on the arrangements for public transport during the firebreak lockdown that the First Minister announced yesterday and to answer questions on the implications for our overall approach. From Friday, we're asking people to stay at home. Non-essential retail will be closed, people will be expected to work from home where possible, and visits to other...
Lee Waters: I agree with that. This is clearly going to be—you know, it's taken decades for us to get this position and it's going to take time to change the culture and to put in place the investment and to rebalance the investment towards measures that discourage car use and encourage more modal shift. So, this isn't going to happen with a click of the fingers. Let's be clear about what this power is...
Lee Waters: Thank you very much. I very warmly welcome Janet Finch-Saunders's comments. On the two specific points, local authorities already have civil enforcement powers over a number of things. What we are simply doing here is adding a tool to the armoury. So, from a minimalist point of view, we're not creating any extra work or extra responsibilities for them; we're giving them an extra tool to...
Lee Waters: There were two points there, really. First, I agree with Huw Irranca when he paints the picture that Vikki Howells also presented us with, of narrow streets with multiple cars and sometimes work vehicles, and I would reiterate: we can't build our way out of this problem. This is a problem that has emerged over the last 20 to 30 years as car dependency has grown. Even if we had the money and...
Lee Waters: I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do justice to all of those questions in the time available. A number of them have already been covered in the statement. So, perhaps Caroline Jones will forgive me if I just focus on those that haven't been covered. The issue of car sharing, I think, is a crucial one, and encouraging people to make what are called 'smarter choices'—car sharing and...
Lee Waters: Thank you. Yes, I'll try and be brief in response. We have, as part of the latest 'Planning Policy Wales' issued, about two years ago now, put the hierarchy of road use within that guidance, which puts pedestrians at the top and cars at the bottom, and making sure that is implemented in all new build, I think, is going to be crucial for making sure that this problem doesn't keep popping up....
Lee Waters: Thank you very much and I appreciate that support. I think this is an issue that does cross party lines and will take a number of years to bring into force, and I think, as it's being enforced by all local authorities of all colours, it's important that that consensus is maintained, and I'm pleased that I have been in discussions with local authority leaders and with the police and crime...
Lee Waters: Thank you. I think I can give some reassurance to Russell George's anxieties there, because he has set out the process of traffic regulation orders and exempting streets across a large area that would apply if there was a blanket ban, but, as I've made clear, it's not the proposal of the taskforce to create a blanket ban, nor the Welsh Government's proposal. So, all of those things he's...
