Schedule - Local transport plans
Transport (Wales) Bill
11:45 am
Bill Wiggin ((Also Shadow Secretary of State for Wales), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Leominster, Conservative)
Amendment No. 15 is intended to ensure that the Wales transport strategy cannot threaten current arrangements with transport providers both in Wales and England.
We must be certain that the Assembly’s actions in directing authorities on how to conduct their functions in relation to transport plans cannot affect projects that are already being developed. Any funding or agreements already decided on must be given due consideration when creating new schemes. There must be no opportunity for waste or unnecessary disturbance in joint schemes that already exist between transport operators and infrastructure providers. The amendment would ensure a smooth transfer as the new strategies come into force.
Amendment No. 16 is designed to ensure that local transport authorities make their transport plans available elsewhere rather than exclusively on their websites. Many people who might want to view the transport plans might not have access to the internet. Although it is generally assumed that groups such as schoolchildren have access to web-based plans, not everyone has access to a computer. The elderly, who might be totally reliant on public transport and who therefore might be the most interested in these developments, will often not have computers.
It should be the duty of the authority to provide copies of its transport plan for inspection not only where it sees fit to do so, but where all members of the public equally can obtain a copy. The plans must be provided in all formats possible to help the public to obtain as much information as they want as easily as possible.