Concern over Welsh bus funding as lockdown eases

摘要

The Welsh government has yet to offer any additional funding for the industry in response to Covid-19. The only assistance to date is a £29million hardship fund for April, May and June, comprising funding previously budgeted for Bus Services Support Grant and concessionary schemes. There was no additional funding. Revised Welsh guidance requires operators to enforce 2m social distancing, triggering fears that passengers could be left behind by, for example, 28-seat buses already carrying the maximum seven passengers. Previous guidance permitted up to 50% of maximum passenger capacity. On 11 May, transport minister Ken Skates told the Welsh parliament: 'The additional money that was announced by the UK government essentially only brought the offer to English bus operators up to what we were already offering in Wales. That's because in Wales ... about 45% of the income for bus operators comes from your purse, the public purse, whereas in England I think the figure is around about 25% - it's much lower. Therefore, our intervention was already significantly higher than in England.'