7. Welsh Conservatives Debate: The roads review

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:54 pm on 8 March 2023.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 5:54, 8 March 2023

Yes, Huw, of course we will, and we will be proactively doing that; we work very closely with our local authorities, and of course we'll be working with them on their local transport plans as they bring them forward.

We need to get this into proportion. To get us to net zero by 2050, we need to cut car use by 10 per cent. So, all we are talking about is shifting one journey in 10 from a private car journey to a sustainable form of travel. I know that upsets Natasha Asghar's ambitions, but, really, it is not a road ban. We really do need to get this in proportion. As well as reducing emissions, that cut will give us a cut in congestion, reduce air pollution, lower noise pollution and give greater choice to people of how they travel. At the moment, far too many people are denied that choice; people who rely on buses are denied better services because our investment has been slammed into an endless pipeline of new roads. Meanwhile, others feel forced into multiple car ownership because they just don't have an alternative. If we want to enhance choice, and if you want to increase freedom, if we want to strengthen communities, then we need to shift investment into a modern public integrated transport system.

We know we do not have the funding to make all the public transport investments we need now, but as our £1.6 billion metro programme and our record investment in active travel show, we are making process. So, Llywydd, we fund mandatory concessionary fares by £60 million a year. This gives free travel to those who need it the most. We fund the mytravelpass scheme by £2 million a year, offering a third off the cost of bus tickets for 16 to 21-year-olds. Through the bus services support grant, we provide local authorities with £25 million of grant funding, consistent with the cost of tendered bus services, along with support for community transport, and, in addition, we spent £3.2 million a year—