Revenue support for bus services in Wales from late July will take the form of the Bus Transition Fund, the Welsh Government has announced.
As confirmed by Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters on 23 May, £46 million has been allocated to maintaining services, including keeping the TrawsCymru network running, for the current financial year.
The Bus Transition Fund will replace the Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) and “it will provide immediate financial support” to operators in Wales so that “vital services can continue,” the Welsh Government says.
The new funding stream has been devised collaboratively between local authorities, the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales (TfW) and the industry. Equally importantly, work is continuing to develop what the Welsh Government says is “a longer-term, sustainable funding model” to bridge the gap to the introduction of franchising of bus services, which will begin on an as-yet unknown date.
In the meantime, the Bus Transition Fund “will ensure that the majority of current services will be protected across Wales,” the Welsh Government continues.
While most current provision will be protected, it is accepted that some services may alter “to reflect different travel patterns following the pandemic.” Any such work will be done quickly to allow as much notice of changes to be given.
Allocation of the £46 million in May followed a difficult time for the bus industry in Wales, during which Mr Waters had suggested that “a skeleton service” may have been necessary in the period between revenue support ending and the planned introduction of franchising.
Representatives of the sector had urged Mr Waters to provide further funding, warning that if none was forthcoming only 20% of bus services in the country would have been left untouched at the end of BES.
Mr Waters subsequently acknowledged that “very little” of Wales’ bus services are currently commercially viable.
His confirmation in May of the additional funding was applauded by the sector, with one representative describing it as “very positive.”
Trade bodies the Coach and Bus Association Cymru (CaBAC) and the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Cymru have both welcomed the Bus Transition Fund. CPT Cymru Director Aaron Hill describes it as “good news for bus passengers throughout Wales,” while CaBAC Chair Scott Pearson says that its partnership approach is appreciated.
