Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 23 June 2021.
Thank you for raising that issue, and I'm really pleased to say that we do have a debate on buses, of course, later on this afternoon, where some of these issues can be explored in more depth with the Minister with responsibility for transport. But decarbonisation of transport is critical, and, as I've described, some of the investment that we are making is specifically in zero-emission buses, so that the services are able to operate in a way that is more in line with our ambitions for tackling climate change. And throughout the pandemic, we've provided the bus industry here in Wales with significant funding to ensure that it kept going through the pandemic, knowing how important that service is for many key workers to get to their place of employment. So, our support for the bus industry has been significant. It's still here today, thanks to the support that we've given it through the pandemic, but that's not to say that there can't be and shouldn't be change in future, both in terms of ensuring a more carbon efficient service, but also a service that is just more responsive to the demands of our particular communities and one that is alongside our ambitions, really, for social justice. So, the current system, because of the deregulation of the bus industry, means that some of the places where buses are most needed aren't well served, but areas where people are able to pay more tend to get a better service, unfortunately.