6. How will the establishment of corporate joint committees improve public transport in Denbighshire? OQ58429

Corporate joint committees have a duty to develop regional transport plans. These will drive how local authorities in each region collaboratively deliver safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport services, including in Denbighshire.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. Where there is direction for bus services in Denbighshire, there is a lack of guidance for taxi services, which, as you know, are licensed by local authorities and provide regulatory frameworks for companies to adhere to. I was contacted by a local taxi operator from Rhyl, who was concerned about the lack of strategy from the Welsh Government for private hire firms in the event of the formation of corporate joint committees. And of course, as we are aware, the vast majority of taxi operators and drivers are private businesses that need to future plan and have many self-employed workers that are subject to a heavily regulated sector, which results in many overheads—for example, the cars needing two MOTs per year, and lots of servicing, which is quite right, but in those situations you need to have the clear guidance in place in order for businesses to be efficient. So, what guidance can you provide today, Minister, to taxi operators in Denbighshire who are anxious to know what the future holds in the event of CJCs coming into effect, so we can keep the people of Denbighshire moving?

Perhaps if the Member would like to share that correspondence with me, I'll be able to take a look at it in some more greater detail and then respond to you in writing once we've had a chance to explore the concerns further.