Public Transport

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:56 pm on 3 July 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 1:56, 3 July 2018

Well, I can give the Member two assurances. First of all, we are looking at potential legislation to start to regulate bus services again in Wales, because as I've said in this Chamber before, there are many Members in this Chamber who have had complaints brought to them about bus services that we can do nothing about, because the private companies, apart from the subsidised services, can do pretty much as they want. I had unhappy dealings with the transport commissioner, years ago, when that person was based in Birmingham, where not much was done. So, we will have greater control, and we can, obviously, look at sharing that control with local government over the next few years.

Secondly, to re-emphasise the point, the metro is not just about vehicles that run on rails—if I can put it that way—it's about buses as well. And it means, if we're going to have a properly integrated transport system, that the bus services link in, for example, with Port Talbot Parkway station, and that people see that they have a seamless integrated public transport system. Buses are very much a part of that, and buses in the Afan valley will be part of that as well.