English: I'd like to thank all the staff on the committee for their support in what has been a really useful inquiry. In rising to speak today, I'd like to begin by noting the important centenaries being celebrated this year around the development of transport policy in the UK. When I was a teacher, I always used to tell my students that history had relevance in the modern world, and I think these examples bear fruit with that. In 1819, we saw the opening of the Mansfield and Pinxton railway. Currently celebrating its two-hundredth anniversary, this is the UK's oldest continuously running commercial railway. And, importantly, in light of remarks that I'll make later and that other Members have already made, that line was linked to economic development, and it was part of a radical attempt to integrate transport infrastructure, in that case rail and canal. Stepping forward in time 100 years, May 1919 saw the appointment of the first ever Minister of transport in Westminster. Eric Geddes was appointed by Lloyd George to oversee the new department, where a key responsibility was rail, and the future shape of the network was a key debate, again something that will strike a chord with us today. So, it's interesting to note that the kind of priorities that we were looking at as a nation 100 years ago, 200 years ago, still resonate with us today. Step forward another 100 years, and here we have the report from the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee that we're considering today. And it may be a stretch, I'm afraid, Chair, to think that policy makers will be noting its centenary in 100 years' time, but, despite that, I think that there are key messages in all these areas - the economy, integration and the network shape, which I will take some time to explore. I'd like to start with recommendation 13. I think that kind of focus on procurement, skills and training could provide a really important economic boost. It's a real opportunity for people living in areas like mine to get good-quality work. It's a real opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises to get good-quality contracts. And as the evidence that we took from Manchester and Liverpool told us, supporting employment and apprenticeships must be at the heart of any regional or national model of working. With that in mind, it's good to see the range of approaches outlined in the response from Transport for Wales to this recommendation. Turning briefly to recommendation 11, for Transport for Wales to demonstrate its commitment to its workforce and their welfare, it is important that it enters into a social partnership agreement with relevant trade unions. I know that the TfW website contains a commitment to getting a union rep on its board. So, it would be good to see progress on this point. For the bulk of my contribution, I'd like to focus on recommendations 5 to 8. All of them relate to the broader points of integration and network that I mentioned in my opening remarks. All have an important role in ensuring that TfW delivers on the transformative shift that we wish to see from it. That being the case, it's good that all of those recommendations have been accepted by the Welsh Government and to read the positive reply from TfW, where appropriate. To achieve these aims, in my opinion, though, bus services are absolutely crucial, and to realise truly the vision of the south Wales metro as a truly integrated transport system, we must ensure healthy arterial routes - arterial routes that, via bus services or perhaps active travel links, link what are often the poorest, most isolated communities to the main transport thoroughfares. From my constituency postbag, particularly in relation to those bus services, we still have a long, long way to go to fulfil this and to realise the fullest ambition of the south Wales metro. To do that would accord with the well-being goals and offer a real intervention around promoting social justice, and, of course, a joined-up service would require joined-up, integrated ticketing, and I'd like to see it being one that doesn't penalise the infrequent traveller. One of my local branches of Active Wales have, in a similar vein, made a plea that concessionary bus travel be extended to rail services and I would like to see some further work around this. During our inquiry, several of our witnesses gave compelling evidence also around a possible role for TfW in terms of the highway network, and I believe this would be a really positive opportunity to replace what I personally feel is a less than responsive trunk road agency. My constituency was badly affected by flooding on part of the A465 near Rhigos earlier this year, and the actions of the South Wales Trunk Road Agency were problematic. They used inaccurate signage, unable to find pumping equipment that the local authority could rapidly source. Their bungling caused frustration to commuters and local residents, making a bad situation worse. I've had also recurring problems around this with SWTRA for the past three years in terms of signage around road closures, failure to repair potholes, traffic light timings, and dangerously poor visibility on key junctions due to a lack of grass cutting. In all cases, these issues, which have caused delays and impacts on road user safety, have eventually been sorted, but only after personal lobbying from myself or other Assembly Members. So, moving forward, a greater role for Transport for Wales, with clear lines of accountability, could only be an improvement.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddiolch i'r holl staff ar y pwyllgor am eu cefnogaeth mewn ymchwiliad a fu'n hynod ddefnyddiol. Wrth godi i siarad heddiw, hoffwn ddechrau drwy nodi'r canmlwyddiannau pwysig sy'n cael eu dathlu eleni mewn perthynas â datblygu polisi trafnidiaeth yn y DU. Pan oeddwn yn athrawes, roeddwn bob amser yn dweud wrth fy myfyrwyr fod hanes yn berthnasol yn y byd modern, a chredaf bod yr enghreifftiau hyn yn dangos hynny. Ym 1819, agorodd rheilffordd Mansfield a Pinxton. Y rheilffordd hon, sy'n dathlu ei deucanmlwyddiant ar hyn o bryd, yw'r rheilffordd fasnachol hynaf yn y DU sy'n rhedeg yn barhaus. Ac yn bwysicach, yng ngoleuni'r sylwadau y byddaf yn eu gwneud yn y man ac y mae Aelodau eraill eisoes wedi'u gwneud, roedd y rheilffordd honno'n gysylltiedig â datblygiad economaidd, ac roedd yn rhan o ymgais radicalaidd i integreiddio seilwaith trafnidiaeth, sef rheilffyrdd a chamlesi yn yr achos hwnnw. Gan neidio ymlaen 100 mlynedd, ym mis Mai 1919, penodwyd y Gweinidog trafnidiaeth cyntaf erioed yn San Steffan. Penodwyd Eric Geddes gan Lloyd George i oruchwylio'r adran newydd, lle roedd y rheilffyrdd yn gyfrifoldeb allweddol, ac roedd ffurf y rhwydwaith yn y dyfodol yn ddadl allweddol, sydd unwaith eto'n rhywbeth a fydd yn taro tant gyda ni heddiw. Felly, mae'n ddiddorol nodi bod y math o flaenoriaethau roeddem yn edrych arnynt fel gwlad 100 mlynedd yn ôl, 200 mlynedd yn ôl, yn dal i adleisio gyda ni heddiw. Neidiwn ymlaen 100 mlynedd arall, ac yma mae gennym yr adroddiad gan y Pwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau yr ydym yn ei ystyried heddiw. Ac rwy'n ofni, Gadeirydd, y gallai fod yn ormod disgwyl y bydd llunwyr polisi yn nodi ei ganmlwyddiant ymhen 100 mlynedd, ond er hynny, credaf fod negeseuon allweddol yn yr holl feysydd hyn - yr economi, integreiddio a ffurf y rhwydwaith, ac rwyf am gymryd peth amser i'w harchwilio. Hoffwn ddechrau gydag argymhelliad 13. Credaf y gallai'r math hwnnw o ffocws ar gaffael, sgiliau a hyfforddiant ddarparu hwb economaidd pwysig iawn. Mae'n gyfle gwych i bobl sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd fel fy un i gael gwaith o ansawdd da. Mae'n gyfle gwych i fusnesau bach a chanolig sicrhau contractau o ansawdd da. Ac fel y dywedodd y dystiolaeth a gawsom o Fanceinion a Lerpwl wrthym, mae'n rhaid i gefnogi cyflogaeth a phrentisiaethau fod wrth wraidd unrhyw fodel gweithio rhanbarthol neu genedlaethol. Gyda hynny mewn golwg, mae'n dda gweld yr amrywiaeth o ddulliau a amlinellwyd yn yr ymateb gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru i'r argymhelliad hwn. Gan droi'n fyr at argymhelliad 11, er mwyn i Trafnidiaeth Cymru ddangos eu hymrwymiad i'w gweithlu a'u lles, mae'n bwysig eu bod yn ymrwymo i gytundeb partneriaeth gymdeithasol gyda'r undebau llafur perthnasol. Gwn fod gwefan Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn cynnwys ymrwymiad i gael cynrychiolydd undeb ar eu bwrdd. Felly, byddai'n dda gweld cynnydd ar y pwynt hwn. Am y rhan fwyaf o fy nghyfraniad, hoffwn ganolbwyntio ar argymhellion 5 i 8. Mae pob un ohonynt yn ymwneud â'r pwyntiau ehangach ynghylch integreiddio a rhwydwaith a nodais yn fy sylwadau agoriadol. Mae gan bob un ohonynt rôl bwysig yn sicrhau bod Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn cyflawni'r newid trawsnewidiol yr hoffem ei weld ganddynt. O'r herwydd, mae'n dda fod pob un o'r argymhellion hynny wedi cael eu derbyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac mae'n dda darllen yr ymateb cadarnhaol gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru, lle bo'n briodol. Er mwyn cyflawni'r nodau hyn fodd bynnag, mae gwasanaethau bysiau'n gwbl hanfodol yn fy marn i, ac i wireddu'r weledigaeth o fetro de Cymru fel system drafnidiaeth wirioneddol integredig, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau prif lwybrau iach - prif lwybrau sydd, drwy wasanaethau bysiau neu gysylltiadau teithio llesol o bosibl, yn cysylltu'r cymunedau tlotaf a mwyaf ynysig yn aml â'r prif lwybrau trafnidiaeth. O fy mag post etholaethol, yn enwedig mewn perthynas â'r gwasanaethau bysiau hynny, mae llawer gennym i'w wneud o hyd i gyflawni hyn ac i wireddu uchelgais lawn metro de Cymru. Byddai gwneud hynny'n cyd-fynd â'r nodau llesiant ac yn cynnig ymyrraeth go iawn o ran hyrwyddo cyfiawnder cymdeithasol, ac wrth gwrs, byddai angen system docynnau gydgysylltiedig ac integredig ar wasanaeth cydgysylltiedig, a hoffwn weld gwasanaeth nad yw'n cosbi rhai nad ydynt yn teithio'n aml. Mae un o fy nghanghennau Cymru Egnïol lleol wedi galw mewn modd tebyg am ymestyn teithio rhatach ar fysiau i gynnwys gwasanaethau trenau a hoffwn weld rhagor o waith ar hyn. Yn ystod ein hymchwiliad, cafwyd tystiolaeth gymhellol gan sawl un o'n tystion hefyd ynghylch rôl bosibl i Trafnidiaeth Cymru o ran y rhwydwaith priffyrdd, a chredaf y byddai hwn yn gyfle gwirioneddol gadarnhaol i newid asiantaeth cefnffyrdd nad yw'n ymatebol iawn yn fy marn bersonol i. Cafodd fy etholaeth ei heffeithio'n wael gan lifogydd ar ran o'r A465 ger y Rhigos yn gynharach eleni, ac roedd gweithredoedd Asiantaeth Cefnffyrdd De Cymru yn broblemus. Defnyddiwyd arwyddion anghywir ganddynt, a methwyd dod o hyd i offer pwmpio y gallodd yr awdurdod lleol gael gafael arno'n gyflym. Achosodd eu llanast rwystredigaeth i gymudwyr a thrigolion lleol, gan wneud sefyllfa wael yn waeth. Rwyf hefyd wedi cael problemau cyson mewn perthynas â hyn gydag Asiantaeth Cefnffyrdd De Cymru dros y tair blynedd diwethaf o ran arwyddion cau ffyrdd, methiant i drwsio tyllau yn y ffyrdd, amseru goleuadau traffig, a gwelededd peryglus o wael ar gyffyrdd allweddol oherwydd methiant i dorri gwair. Ym mhob achos, mae'r materion hyn, sydd wedi achosi oedi ac wedi effeithio ar ddiogelwch defnyddwyr ffyrdd, wedi cael eu datrys yn y pen draw, ond dim ond ar ôl lobïo personol gennyf i neu gan Aelodau Cynulliad eraill. Felly, yn y dyfodol, byddai rôl fwy i Trafnidiaeth Cymru, gyda llinellau atebolrwydd clir, yn ddim byd ond gwelliant.