Written question WQ87381

Wales’ rural communities make up around a third of our population, and are spread across all parts of the country. Providing access to sustainable, safe and reliable public transport is vital not only to achieving our climate change goals but to help people access the services, employment, cultural and education opportunities to enable them to thrive.

I was pleased to be able to host a series of round tables with local authority leaders and transport experts from across Wales at the end of last year to discuss our plans in more detail. This has informed our approach.

We recognise that the transport needs of communities in rural Wales, which includes most parts of Mid Wales, will be different to those in more urban areas, and it is important to work with those communities to plan the types of public transport services they will need. It can’t be a ‘one size fits all’ solution; each community has its own requirements and challenges that will impact what works best for the people that live, work and visit them.

I have published a Written Statement outlining our plans for public transport in rural parts of Wales. This approach will support the development of the Mid Wales Regional Transport Plan; a duty placed on each Corporate Joint Committee to develop integrated regional transport networks.