The National Assembly for Wales Enterprise and Business Committee has released a report on integrated public transport with 25 recommendations.
The Committee says integration of bus and rail in Wales is “sadly lacking, particularly in rural areas”.
According to the report, the Welsh Government should:
- Continue to lobby the UK Government for bus regulation and registration powers to be devolved to Wales, including making the Traffic Commissioner for Wales accountable to the Welsh Ministers.
- Use all the powers at its disposal to drive public transport integration, and ensure staff at all levels of government have the skills and tools to deliver effective public transport policy.
- Establish whether effective use is being made in Wales of provisions under the Transport Act 2000 (as amended) to improve bus services, and promote their implementation to facilitate greater cooperation and coordination of services.
- Move towards greater regulation of the bus market in Wales, including consideration of a franchise approach to bus route/ network tendering based on supply side competition.
- Ensure that new bus funding arrangements and Regional Bus and Community Transport Network Strategies prioritise service coordination and high quality information, including quality standards and restrictions on the frequency of timetable changes.
- Establish whether the duty to develop bus information schemes under the Transport Act 2000 is being met by Welsh local authorities and provide support to ensure compliance.
- Press all transport operators to work together and with relevant stakeholders to implement best practice in coordinating timetables, connecting services and publishing real time information to provide seamless links between bus, rail and community transport networks.
The report can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/orejjpw
