Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Since my last statement of 26 November 2019, Welsh Government officials have continued to engage with the Department of Transport (DfT) and Welsh local authorities about the unintended consequences associated with PSVAR.  I have also written again to the Secretary for State for Transport.


Although the DfT has introduced exemptions from PSVAR for specific groups of learner travel services, the Association of Transport Co\-ordinating Officers (ATCO), have reported that compliance issues continue to emerge. Officials have raised these with DfT as follows;  


* calls to simplify the administrative process and availability of exemption certificates on the ground for inspection and enforcement;
* queries as to what happens when an operator changes a vehicle in the fleet during the exemption period. Would a new exemption certificate for the new vehicle be required through a new submission to the DfT or would the new vehicle need to comply with PSVAR 2000 immediately;
* concerns about information accompanying exemption certificates, suggesting that once these expire, the DfT would expect home to school transport vehicles to be PSVAR compliant. Local authorities are querying whether this encompasses all contract vehicles, which could prove very problematic;
* concern that the additional exemption until July 2020 covering services procured directly by the college/school or the Local Authority on their behalf,  will only serve to move the problem down the road.
* the risk that operators who are made to use PSVAR compliant vehicles by September 2020, may put some of the Small to Medium\-sized Enterprise (SMEs) out of business as they will not absorb additional associated costs, with pupils being forced to find their own way to school.


There has been a further issue raised by one Local Authority, with regards to services cancelled by local bus operators, who have provided such fare paying services, without subsidy or contribution from the school or the authority. These are services which are closed to the general public and have operated at the margins.  


The Welsh Government share ATCO Cymru/ Wales’ concerns regarding the points raised, especially the possible impact on SMEs, local authorities and service users. Potentially, full implementation of PSVAR could in fact jeopardise the very existence of SME’s who are dependent on such work. I have urged the Secretary for State and his department to work with myself and officials, to better understand the consequence on small operators.


In my letter to the Secretary for State, dated 15 January 2020, I suggested that the simplest solution would be the introduction of a blanket exemption for school transport. This would remove the administrative burden on the DfT and Local Authorities, the unintended consequences already experienced as well as avoid the likelihood of further issues appearing. This would allow Local Authorities and the DfT to set out a clear pathway to convert school transport fleet to comply with PSVAR, without further jeopardising or undermining existing provision in any way. I also suggested, if a blanket exemption was not possible, that there is merit in another exemption for this travel group.


I have also been made aware that PSVAR relates to vehicles used on rail replacement services.   Accessible coaches are in scarce supply  in Wales and this position would be further exacerbated were such vehicles  already committed on school peak journeys (outside PSVAR exemption) at the same time.


Given this, I have also asked the Secretary for State and DfT officials to confirm whether it is their intention to introduce a separate exemption for rail replacement services, to avoid further unintended consequences.







Translation:


 
Ers fy natganiad diwethaf ar 26 Tachwedd 2019, mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru wedi parhau i drafod gyda’r Adran Drafnidiaeth ac awdurdodau lleol Cymru ynghylch y canlyniadau anfwriadol sy’n gysylltiedig â PSVAR.  Rwyf wedi ysgrifennu eto at yr Ysgrifennydd Trafnidiaeth


Er bod yr Adran Drafnidiaeth wedi cyflwyno eithriadau i PSVAR ar gyfer grwpiau penodol o wasanaethau teithio i ddysgwyr, mae Cymdeithas Swyddogion Cydgysylltu Trafnidiaeth Cymru (ATCO), wedi nodi bod problemau cydymffurfio'n parhau i godi. Mae swyddogion wedi codi'r rhain gyda'r Adran Drafnidiaeth fel a ganlyn; 


* galwadau i symleiddio'r broses weinyddol a bod tystysgrifau eithrio ar gael ar gyfer archwilio a gorfodi;
* ymholiadau o ran beth sy'n digwydd pan fydd gweithredwr yn newid cerbyd yn y fflyd yn ystod y cyfnod eithrio. a fyddai angen tystysgrif eithrio newydd ar gyfer y cerbyd newydd drwy gyflwyniad newydd i'r Adran Drafnidiaeth neu a fyddai'n rhaid i'r cerbyd newydd gydymffurfio â PSVAR 2000 ar unwaith;
* pryderon ynghylch yr wybodaeth sy'n dod gyda'r tystysgrifau eithrio, gan awgrymu unwaith y bydd y rhain yn dod i ben, y byddai yr Adran Drafnidiaeth yn disgwyl i gerbydau cludiant rhwng y cartref a'r ysgol gydymffurfio gyda PSVAR.Mae awdurdodau lleol yn holi a yw hyn yn cynnwys pob cerbyd o dan gontract, a allai fod yn broblem fawr;
* pryder bod yr eithrio ychwanegol tan fis Gorffennaf 2020, sy'n cynnwys gwasanaethau sy'n cael eu caffael yn uniongyrchol gan y coleg/ysgol neu'r Awdurdod Lleol ar eu rhan, ond yn symud y broblem i rhywle arall.
* Y perygl bod cwmnïau sy'n cael eu gorfodi i ddefnyddio cerbydau sy'n cydymffurfio â PSVAR erbyn Medi 2020, yn arwain at Fentrau Bach a Chanolig yn methu cario ymlaen â'u busnes gan na fydd modd iddynt dalu'r costau ychwanegol, gyda disgyblion yn cael eu gorfodi i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd eraill o gyrraedd yr ysgol.


Mae problem arall wedi ei chodi gan un Awdurdod Lleol, o ran gwasanaethau sy'n cael eu canslo gan gwmnïau bysiau lleol, sydd wedi bod yn cynnig gwasanaethau talu o'r fath, heb gymorthdaliad na chyfraniad gan yr ysgol na'r awdurdod. Mae'r rhain yn wasanaethau nad ydynt ar gael i'r cyhoedd ac sydd wedi bod ar y ffiniau. 


Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhannu pryderon ATCO Cymru ynghylch y pwyntiau a godwyd, yn enwedig yr effaith bosibl ar BBaChau, awdurdodau lleol a defnyddwyr gwasanaethau. Mae'n bosibl y gallai gweithredu'r PSVAR yn llawn beryglu yr union BBaChau sy'n ddibynnol ar waith o'r fath. Rwyf wedi annog yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol a'i adran i gydweithio â mi a swyddogion, i ddeall yr effaith ar gwmnïau bychain yn well.  Yn fy llythyr at yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol, dyddiedig 15 Ionawr 2020, awgrymais mai'r ateb symlaf fyddai cyflwynon eithriad cyffredinol ar gyfer cludiant i'r ysgol. Byddai hyn yn dileu y baich gweinyddol ar yr Adran Drafnidiaeth ac Awdurdodau Lleol, y canlyniadau anfwriadol a brofwyd eisoes yn ogystal ag osgoi y tebygolrwydd o ragor o broblemau. Byddai hyn yn caniatáu i Awdurdodau Lleol a'r Adran Drafnidiaeth baratoi llwybr clir i newid y fflyd cludiant i'r ysgol i gydymffurfio gyda PSVAR, heb beryglu ymhellach na thanseilio y ddarpariaeth bresennol mewn unrhyw ffordd. Awgrymais hefyd, os nad oedd eithriad cyffredinol yn bosibl, bod manteision mewn cael eithriad arall ar gyfer y grŵp teithio hwn.


Rwyf hefyd wedi canfod bod PSVAR yn gysylltiedig â cherbydau sy'n cael eu defnyddio ar wasanaethau sydd yn lle rheilffyrdd. Ychydig o goetsus hygyrch sydd ar gael yng Nghymru, a byddai sefyllfa o'r fath yn mynd yn waeth pe byddai cerbydau o'r fath yn cael eu defnyddio ar deithiau ysgol ar yr oriau brig (y tua llan i eithriad PSVAR) ar yr un pryd.


O ystyried hyn, rwyf hefyd wedi gofyn i'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol a swyddogion yr Adran Drafnidiaeth a ydynt yn bwriadu cyflwyno eithriad ar wahân ar gyfer gwasanaethau yn lle rheilffyrdd, i osgoi canlyniadau anfwriadol pellach.