What was the Welsh Government's rationale for not allocating any additional funding for bus services as part of the budget readjustment exercise on 17 October 2023?
Welsh Government has made £46m available from bus budgets to support the Bus Emergency Scheme and the Bus Transition Fund arrangements for the whole financial year. This has also kept the strategic TrawsCymru services running.
By the end of this financial year Welsh Government will have provided over £200m of funding to the privatised bus industry. Without this funding we would have seen wholesale cancellation of services and major job losses. To maximise the impact of the funding already available we need to find different ways of working. That is why earlier this year we set up regional network planning groups - drawing together Local Authorities, Welsh Government, TfW and bus operators to help us do just that.
Bus patronage remains low and working with our partners we are launching a “back to bus” media campaign. As demand returns the bus industry will have the confidence to invest in and grow their services.