The Welsh Conservatives have raised concerns about potential financial risks associated with the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, following data showing that bus passenger numbers in Wales for the 12 months to March 2024 were only 78.3% of their March 2020 levels.
This figure lags significantly behind Scotland (92.5%), England (89.5%), and the Great Britain average (89.5%).
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport & Infrastructure, Peter Fox MS, said, “Passenger growth has been slow for not only buses in Wales but also for trains, leading to a £295m bailout for Transport for Wales (TfW) by the Welsh Labour Government last year to compensate for declining passenger numbers.
“There was already a very real risk of Labour’s new Bus Bill becoming another money pit for the Welsh taxpayer. Once bus franchising comes into play, will we see similarly large sums of public money poured into keeping bus franchises afloat?
“The Labour Welsh Government must prioritise support for the most hard-to-reach areas and ensure the development of a sustainable and effective bus network that meets the needs of communities across Wales.”
