My speech in the committee debate on the effects of COVID-19 on Wales's economy, infrastructure and skills, on 1 July, noted that although the Confederation of Passenger Transport presented a proposal to Welsh Government on 15 May, which would enable operators to ramp up bus services, with full costings for all Welsh bus operators, industry correspondence received in late June stated that they had still not received a considered official response, and Wales is now the only country in the UK that's not agreed funding for transport operators to begin to ramp up services, with other costs for additional services. That's a matter of shame. The next day, the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters, announced the creation of the bus emergency scheme. After I copied his statement to industry representatives in north Wales, they responded that—quote—'continuing Welsh Government restrictions in response to the pandemic, including on social distancing, mean that capacity on bus services remains significantly reduced, and there is insufficient money from fares to increase services without increased funding.' 'We look forward', they said, 'to understanding the detail of the proposed transitional arrangements to bridge that gap so we can assess what step up in services may be possible within the resources available and from when.'

In the meantime, however, the Welsh Government has managed to find and rush out £15.4 million for COVID-proof travel schemes that widen pavements and create more space for cyclists, preventing essential prior engagement with the communities affected. In Denbigh, for example, this generated a torrent of e-mails, including: 'Anyone living in the surrounding villages will still need to drive to the town as cycling connections are very poor'; 'This is the most dangerous plan I've ever heard of'; 'I've been asking whether the residents of Denbigh will have the opportunity to give their opinions—I don't think we'll have a say'; 'There's a petition against this plan, which already has over 550 signatures; and 'These proposals are without any factual or logical grounding, and will ultimately be counterproductive.

So, we're calling on the Welsh Labour Government to relax the 2m rule to 1m plus, subject to precautionary measures, to ensure buses can run, and other transport bodies can reopen. As UK COVID-secure guidance states, applying mitigation, such as wearing a face covering, thorough cleaning, practising good hygiene, improved ventilation, and using protective screens at 1m is broadly equivalent to being 3m apart. This is key for the heavy goods vehicle driver training establishments in Gwynedd, which asked me to apply pressure on the First Minister to allow testing and move to the 1m rule in Wales. These tests will restart in England on 13 July. He said there are many driver training establishments of all sectors in Wales on the point of bankruptcy. Let us, therefore, hope that this First Minister will now acknowledge and address his Government's adverse impact on Wales's transport sector.