The Bus Bill in Wales as part of work to deliver franchising of services in the country will be introduced during the remainder of the current Senedd term, First Minister Vaughan Gething said on 9 July.
Progress of such a Bill was first announced as one of five legislative priorities by former First Minister Mark Drakeford on 27 June 2023, with an intention that it would progress within a year of that date.
However, the Bill was subsequently delayed “because of the sheer intensity of the legislative programme” over that period, Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport Ken Skates told the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee on 26 June.
The Bus Bill leads the legislative programme announced by Mr Gething. It will “enable all levels of government in Wales to work together to design one joined-up bus network that puts passengers before profit and helps people move away from using cars for every journey,” the Welsh Government says.
Rollout of bus franchising has long been an aspiration of the Welsh Government, but questions have repeatedly been asked by the industry about how it will be funded. In March, Transport for Wales published its next steps in the reregulation process, but that document was criticised by some in the Welsh bus sector for lacking substance.
Mr Gething adds that the administration in Wales is committed to “completely reshaping the public transport system” there. He says that such change will make a huge difference to communities across Wales and represent a “much more rational” manner of investing public money in bus services.
“If we pass the Bill, we will have a much better way to regulate that, to understand how the franchises work, and to make sure that money actually serves an economic and a social purpose as well. We should get a better bus network as a result.”
In response to Mr Gething’s pledge that the Bus Bill will move ahead, the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Cymru has called upon the Welsh Government to work with members of the incumbent bus industry in Wales to harness existing knowledge.
Director Aaron Hill says that CPT Cymru will work closely with the administration on its proposals and has urged ministers to consider the “minimum subsidy” franchising approach that the Confederation put forward in 2023.
“Buses are an essential part of the social and economic fabric of Wales,” continues Mr Hill. “To meet the needs of passengers, it is vital that the Welsh Government works with the industry to build a system that retains the knowledge and innovation capacity of private bus operators.”
