7. Welsh Conservatives Debate: The roads review

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:33 pm on 8 March 2023.

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Photo of Jane Dodds Jane Dodds Liberal Democrat 5:33, 8 March 2023

Thank you so much for that clarity. Therefore, there is a little bit of disingenuous positioning there, isn't there, when you're saying to Labour, 'Close Cardiff Airport'. My challenge to the Labour Party is: if you really do believe in reducing carbon emissions, then ditch Cardiff Airport. 

We have to reduce our carbon emissions, enable modal shift and enhance road safety, which will be hardwired into our road schemes. The aim of the review, as I understand it, is to base decisions about roads on a wider range of criteria. It is nonsense to say that the roads review means Wales is closed for business. The choice between the economy and the environment is a false binary. We know that the economic effects of climate change will be catastrophic. You cannot plan an economy in the long term without understanding that things need to change, and most innovative businesses actually know that. We know that, in many parts of Wales, especially in rural areas like those in Mid and West Wales where I represent, the lack of public transport is a huge problem. But even in our cities, I know that the cost of public transport is also prohibitive. I do look forward to the outcome from the pilot of the Fflecsi bus. I'm hoping that most people here have seen the Fflecsi buses. I know they've been piloted in many parts of Wales, and I know in Pembrokeshire they are being well used.

I want to see free public transport for the under-25s. That's where we need the shift. It's a radical proposal that would help get people out of their cars and switch to more sustainable modes of transport. It would help meet climate change targets, boost services, and would in particular give our young people a leg-up. We are all facing rising costs of living, but they hit our young people the most. We also need to think about what sort of economic future we want. I would argue that we need one focused on prosperity and well-being in their broadest sense, not just on the single metric of growth, and as part of that, we need to think about connectivity rather than travel.

In conclusion, I stand here with my tin hat on. I do welcome the conclusion of the roads review, not as the end of the debate, but as the start of a much wider one. That must include far better provision for public transport, especially in our rural areas. But, in the end, it is all about how we can shape a system in Wales that connects us, that supports prosperity, encourages well-being, and, most importantly, tackles the climate emergency. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.