4. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport: Llwybr Newydd — A New Wales Transport Strategy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:02 pm on 17 November 2020.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 5:02, 17 November 2020

Okay, fine. I was getting mixed messages there. Thank you very much for calling me.

I just want to welcome your hierarchy of priorities. Twenty-five per cent of people in this country have no access to a car, but in many of the communities I represent over half the households do not have a car, and therefore we are very grateful for the bus drivers who've kept going to enable people to get to work and school and to do their shopping. People with disabilities don't necessarily have a car at all. I can think of many of my constituents who have to struggle up the hill with their shopping despite their disabilities. So, we really do need to have a think about those who are least able in our communities, and I want to ask you, Deputy Minister, about this 20-year strategy, because I think we can't wait 20 years for change. For example, we could have more safe zones around schools by closing off or confining roads to the use of pupils getting safely to and from school by bicycle or by walking at the beginning and the end of the school. We could be thinking about road user charging, because we have to think about the impact on the health of people who live on the main artery roads into Cardiff. They don't have any choice about living there. They don't choose to live there. They live there because they have to live there, and we are shortening their lives by not doing more to clean up our air. So, 20 years is far too long to wait.

If we travel by train, we don't expect to travel for free, so why not having to—. Car drivers need to also think about whether they actually need to travel by car when there are other modes of transport available, and there are, within Cardiff, other modes of transport available. Therefore, I think it is right and proper that we do control the use of cars travelling around our city, because otherwise it will be unliveable. So, I wondered how long you think it's going to take before we get that change by having this regional approach. I am extremely concerned that this could mean no change.