£100m worth of grants for councils to improve public transport

More than £100m worth of grants have been made available for councils looking to improve public transport in their area, Wales’ transport secretary has said.

Wales’ 22 local authorities were invited to submit proposals to the Welsh Government for local transport improvements.

Projects set to benefit include improvements to walking and cycling connections to Llandudno station, funding for the Haverfordwest bus interchange, investment in route safety in Llanidloes and support for bus corridors in Cardiff.

Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, Ken Skates says it will help to deliver the ambitions of Wales’ Transport Strategy – Llwybr Newydd.

Priorities include addressing disruptions caused by severe weather on roads, improving road safety, delivering walking and cycling routes and improving bus journey times and waiting facilities.

The Welsh Government says the strategy will also help to deliver publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure.

Grants

Ken Skates said: “These grants are a substantial investment to support sustainable local economic growth, enhance public transport facilities and create and improve routes that will enable and encourage more people in Wales to walk, wheel and cycle.

“These projects are prime examples of the practical solutions we have asked local authorities to design in order to make it easier for residents to connect with their places of employment and businesses, and to do so more sustainably.”

The Welsh Conservatives say the Welsh Government is pushing ahead with “the wrong transport policies”.

Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar MS said: “This investment is still less than what Labour are spending on 36 more politicians in Cardiff Bay. We might have a new First Minister in place, but it’s clear it’s the same old Labour with ministers pushing ahead with the wrong transport priorities.

“From a blanket 20mph speed limit to a Metro that was recently described as ‘a raw deal for Cardiff’, alongside a cash consuming, failing airport, Labour cannot get the basics right on transport.

“The Welsh Conservatives would scrap Labour’s blanket 20mph speed limits, scrap plans for more politicians and deliver a strong transport infrastructure so desperately needed to get Wales moving and boost the Welsh Economy.”