Cwestiwn ysgrifenedig WQ98302

The Welsh Government is committed to ensuring walking, wheeling, and cycling are safe, inclusive and accessible to all. Our Travel for All approach was launched in July 2025 to remove barriers to accessibility, embed inclusivity when developing and delivering policies, services, and infrastructure, attract people to use our transport networks in Wales, and enhance the travel experience for everyone using our networks.

We recognise that the layout of cycle tracks interacting with bus stops is an area where some users and user groups have raised concerns because they feel that some design solutions could pose particular negative impacts for disabled people, and specifically those with visual impairments.

The UK Government asked local authorities in England to pause the installation of floating bus stop designs which require passengers to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track, which is known as a shared use bus boarder.

We have been working closely with stakeholders, and in particular with those representing disabled people and people with vision impairment over the last year to explore issues relating to bus stop design and other matters, listen to their concerns and address them, including through the consultation on the updated Active Travel Act Guidance.

The consultation has now closed and we will analyse the feedback gathered through all engagement and the online consultation and continue to work with stakeholders and partners such as Active Travel England and the newly formed Disabled People’s Travel Panel to ensure our Guidance reflects best practice and ensures a consistent and balanced approach, taking into account the needs of pedestrians, passengers and cyclists in how the interaction between cycle tracks and bus-stops is dealt with.

We have not introduced a general pause on shared use bus boarders or any other type of bus-stop and cycle track layout in Wales at this stage. As a small country, we are able to offer support to all local authorities through Transport for Wales to undertake detailed design reviews of all schemes where cycle tracks are proposed to interact with bus stops to ensure that a suitable solution can be identified in collaboration with affected users.