3. 3. Statement: Consultations on Concessionary Bus Travel

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:30 pm on 10 October 2017.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 3:30, 10 October 2017

Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for his questions? A very important point he raises—it’s covered on page 12 of the consultation document, the question of whether a user contribution scheme should be introduced. Now, this is something that we’ve seen in Bristol and in other parts of the UK as well. Merseytravel operate a scheme that I believe charges young people £1.50 for a single ticket, but £2 ‘anywhere, anytime’ during the given day. This is incredibly important as we consider the cost of public travel for young people. So, the questions that are posed within the consultation concern the potential contribution scheme, and we ask whether the cost of any journey—and I would base it potentially not just on a zone, but ‘anytime, anywhere’, so that it could apply equally to rural areas as it does to urban areas. We’ve indicated perhaps 20p, 50p, £1 or £2—or consultees can actually respond with their own suggested amount. But I think it is something that we need to take very seriously and consider very carefully.