Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:44 pm on 18 October 2016.
I welcome the five points that the Cabinet Secretary has made, and I welcome the importance that he’s giving to buses, which are obviously a vital part of our transport system. The first point that I wanted to make, really, was about the importance of buses to young people. This has already been alluded to in the debate so far, but I think that it is absolutely vital that we do take on the views of young people when we are planning transport. I’m delighted he’s going to have a summit early in the new year. Can he ensure that young people are present at that summit? We don’t have a youth parliament yet, but there must be ways of getting young people—representative groups of young people—so that they can take part in the debate and say what is important to them about transport. Because I think it is an absolute fact that 64 per cent of people who are seeking jobs have no access to a vehicle or can’t drive. So, it is absolutely vital for young people—who, of course, are not the only people seeking jobs, but a large number are—that they have got access and are able, actually, to get to job interviews. So, I think a role for young people is the first thing I want to mention.
The second thing is congestion. I’m sure people are deterred from travelling on buses because of the congestion and the slowness, sometimes, of travelling on buses. Certainly, I’ve got an almost totally urban constituency, where there is often deadlock of traffic. So, would he commend Cardiff Council on their efforts in bringing in bus lanes and, in particular, introducing the bus lane on Caerphilly Road? It has been hugely controversial and has been dreadfully disruptive to all the neighbours, but I think, in the long term, it will certainly move things along. Then interchange and connectivity has been mentioned, and it is absolutely fantastic that Cardiff bus station, which my colleague Jenny Rathbone mentioned earlier this afternoon, is actually now being started to be rebuilt. But if there’s anything he can do to encourage Network Rail to do their bit of the bargain and make sure that at least people travelling from the bus station to the train station will be able to go under cover, I think that would be very worth while doing.
He’s mentioned disabled people. I really welcome what he said about disabled people and making sure that they are included in all the discussions and any future debate. I’d like to end by thanking Bus Users Cymru, who I think do an excellent job. I know that there is a reception tomorrow, I think, which is being hosted by Jane Hutt here. But I think the points that they drew—the fact that 41 per cent of people who’ve contacted them have said they are concerned at the level of service—shows the need and the demand that there is in Wales for this bedrock of the service.