Thursday, October 19, 2023
But, what about the buses?
In many ways the Welsh Government's updated finance statement was both predictable and tame. As ever the Finance Minister avoided all the hard decisions and instead moved some cash around, sent a begging letter to the UK treasury and trimmed a few spending lines here and there. I suspect the really hard sums will come in the next budget round, but we will see.
As Wales-on-line reports, one of the big winners was Transport for Wales, who were given an extra £125m to spend on trains, but that does not avert the real damage to transport from the reduction in bus subsidies, which have been already implemented and will lead to many services being axed or reduced in a few weeks time.
The fact is, that for a fifth of the money being given to the Minister's train set, most of those cuts could have been averted.
Investing in trains is, of course, a good idea. It will help people to reduce the number of long distance car journeys they might otherwise have had to take. But losing bus services is far more damaging to the environment than not spending cash on our railways.
If there are fewer buses, people will have to rely on cars and that means there will be more short distance journeys with all the pollution and congestion that accompanies such a trend. In addition, there is an economic and social cost.
Buses reach communities that trains cannot. Cutting services will leave many people stranded and unable to seek work. Leisure opportunities will be reduced and fanilies will become more isolated.
As Wales-on-line reports, one of the big winners was Transport for Wales, who were given an extra £125m to spend on trains, but that does not avert the real damage to transport from the reduction in bus subsidies, which have been already implemented and will lead to many services being axed or reduced in a few weeks time.
The fact is, that for a fifth of the money being given to the Minister's train set, most of those cuts could have been averted.
Investing in trains is, of course, a good idea. It will help people to reduce the number of long distance car journeys they might otherwise have had to take. But losing bus services is far more damaging to the environment than not spending cash on our railways.
If there are fewer buses, people will have to rely on cars and that means there will be more short distance journeys with all the pollution and congestion that accompanies such a trend. In addition, there is an economic and social cost.
Buses reach communities that trains cannot. Cutting services will leave many people stranded and unable to seek work. Leisure opportunities will be reduced and fanilies will become more isolated.
Isn't it about time the Welsh Government got the basics right before spending money on the big schemes like railway stations and new rolling stock?
Perhaps, they could do both. But to do one and not the other is a serious miscalculation.
Perhaps, they could do both. But to do one and not the other is a serious miscalculation.
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Both are needed. But you are right; the cuts to bus subsidies have already caused pain and need to be reversed.
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