31/03/2023
Written Statement: Bus Emergency Scheme and Franchising Expert Panel
Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change:
"Today I have published a statement with partners from industry and local authorities setting out a further extension to our Bus Emergency Scheme (BES). Since the pandemic Welsh Government has spent over £150m through BES to keep vital bus services running.
"I can confirm we will extend BES for a further three week period to the end of this academic year. The scheme will now run to 24th July 2023. This will mean that school transport will continue as normal. It will also provide further stability for the industry while we work on the transition away from emergency style funding to plan bus networks which better suit the new travel patterns we have seen since the end of the pandemic.
Swansea Council’s popular PATCH community road resurfacing programme is set to get a boost as part of almost £15m of investment in roads across the city in the coming years.
A Gwynedd school pupil will have his artwork displayed on roadsides near schools across Wales to encourage drivers to respect the forthcoming 20mph default speed limit on most 30mph streets in Wales, from 17 September 2023.
Slower driving speeds, increased levels of walking and cycling and minimal impact on journey times are among the key findings of a new report carried out in areas of Wales trialling the new default 20mph speed limit.