, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Right. No, it's 95 per cent. Sorry if I said '90'.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
It's 95 per cent, so apologies if I said 90 per cent.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes, far more four- and five-carriage trains as well. What was the question? Oh, the proportion of new. Sorry, I don't know when or why—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
We'll raise that with TfW. By and large, the services between north and south are improving very significantly in terms of capacity.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Those trains are lovely, the CAFs. That will have been a CAF—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
And I think it's vital that TfW grow out of this challenge, rather than cut their way out as well. So, increasing the farebox is at the centre of ensuring that the subsidy can be reduced, and that will happen with the metro going live in 2026. That's going to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I believe it has, but, Peter, do you want to—?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
So, that's something for Network Rail, you see. This is why we need integration across track and trains.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I'm looking for further improvement, but I think the improvements that we've seen this year are pretty impressive. Transport for Wales's rail services in terms of—correct me if I'm wrong, Peter—punctuality are the best of any franchise in Great Britain…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes, definitely.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
And there are some really, really innovative things that we can learn from overseas as well, concerning how we can, effectively, purchase more services through the council tax regime, as they do in parts of France. There are parts of France that have a free…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
And I think I'm right in saying that the evidence still shows that the main reason people will choose not to use a bus service is because it's unreliable, or they simply can't access it. The cost is actually the second most important factor, but it is…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Actually, we're due to meet as well, because I know that you're really keen on the potential of pilots in your region. We have seen some really interesting pilots taking place elsewhere as well. We're getting evaluations, we're getting outcomes fed back to us…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I do not think it's too soon, no. We've waited 40 years. I think it's time to move.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
So, when you say, 'Is it going to be done?', the bus Bill will be passed this Senedd term, but then the big piece of work is about actually getting the franchises in place. Some of the risks are making sure that there's stability between now and 2027…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I'm conscious of time, so what I will say to that is there are obvious risks.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
The week after. I'm not at liberty to say, because the First Minister is making a statement on it.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
The First Minister is making a statement on the legislative programme, I think either next week or the following week—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Simply because of the sheer intensity of the legislative programme. But, actually, in terms of delivery, it doesn't make a difference. The key date is 2027, when the franchise is actually—when we hit 'go' on the franchises. So, the delay from autumn to spring…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
No, Chair, I'm content with it, with both the road map and the proposals for the bus Bill.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I think there may be a perception challenge that we need to deal with, as well, because organisations like Living Streets and Sustrans care as much about walking as cycling. But I think the perception may be that active travel equals cycling. Active travel…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Would you like to do that, Peter?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I think we've got to look at the quality, rather than the overall quantity, of programmes. Looking at the quality of active travel and how individual projects make an impact, and then, collectively, how they all make an impact, is more important than looking…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Which then relates to the whole climate change resilience programme on roads as well.
