6. Welsh Conservatives debate: The road network

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:06 pm on 10 January 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 5:06, 10 January 2018

I believe they'll have us in a better place in five years' time, the investment that we're looking at. But, also, you can't just identify the challenges in isolation from one another. The challenge of making sure that communities and people are better connected means that we have to introduce investment across a raft of transport provision, including the metro, including active travel, including reforms and support for local bus services. When discussing reliability—because I think the reliability and efficiency of our road network is crucial—we agree, I think, that investment in the road network is vital, but we also have to consider the rise in traffic flows, the issue of congestion, and also our commitment to decarbonisation, all of which were discussed earlier today in committee.

We need to balance investment in the road network with investment in public services, new technologies and better, more efficient working practices for a more sustainable approach to transport in Wales. We're focused on ensuring that we get value for money and drive up efficiency in all transport schemes.