English: Since April of this year, young people have made over 0.5 million trips using their mytravelpass and, today, there are more than 17,000 pass holders. I accept that that proportion, the uptake, is not as high as we would wish it to be, and so the challenge is to encourage even more young people to do the same, to enhance our discounted bus travel scheme for younger people, and to make it easier for an entire generation to travel by bus. Last week, I was delighted to make good on our promise to consult on how a new Welsh Government scheme to be introduced in April of next year can best encourage more young people on to our buses. And I'd like to emphasise the point that was raised by Jeremy Miles: that it's absolutely vital that those who stand to gain the most from any discounted travel scheme are at the heart of any decision that we make. The consultation on discounted bus travel for younger people in Wales aims to capture the views of young people, of schools, of community groups, of colleges, and of bus companies on a scheme that is both attractive and affordable - one that can practically support people in their life, in their work and in their study. The consultation document invites comments about maintaining the existing provision or extending the scope of the current scheme to include, potentially, an increase in the upper age limit, increasing the level of discount, replacing the current reimbursement arrangement with a charge per journey, which is something that we see in many parts of Europe, and also on introducing a monthly or annual fee so as to retain free journeys at the point of travel. The consultation also considers extending the scheme to apprentices, only some of whom are currently eligible under existing arrangements. It also looks at potentially extending the scheme to volunteers, to carers, to recipients of education maintenance allowance and to all young people in further education. And I do recognise the benefits of such a scheme to many other people who actively contribute to society or who need assistance when embarking on a new career but who currently fall outside the age of eligibility. That's why I'm particularly keen to explore what appetite there is for extending the age of discounted travel up to 24-year-olds, potentially allowing us to help more young people to make the most of bus travel right across Wales. The scheme, to be introduced in April 2018, will be one that best reflects the needs and preferences of our young people and helps further boost bus travel as an option. That's essential if we are to create a sustainable bus network for the future. In the current financial year, we have set aside up to £1 million to support the one third discount scheme. Any enhancement of the scheme can be expected to result in increased costs for compensating bus operators under what would continue to be a voluntary arrangement. Operators, though, who wish to be eligible for bus services support grant funding must offer the discount. The existing legislation, of course, means that we cannot make a younger persons' discounted bus travel scheme mandatory, other than for 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education, and I am very much sympathetic to the point that my colleague Jeremy Miles made regarding this matter. I also welcome Jeremy Miles's offer of a calculator to those Members who possess a broken abacus. His and Rhiannon Passmore's forensic analysis of the Conservatives' proposals I think demonstrates that there is a titanic hole in the numbers. I'll outline again the reasons why those figures don't stack up. Based on a 50 per cent uptake across the 16 to 24-year-old cohort, the cost would more likely be £78 million or upwards. That's based on 50 per cent uptake. Now, we know that the Conservatives support our view that there should be more young people on the buses, so assuming an uptake, perhaps, of 100 per cent, which I'm sure everybody would like to see, that figure would rise to more than £150 million. Yet their budget of £25 million would allow for an uptake of just 16 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds. In turn, that would equate to approximately 17,700 16 to 18-year-olds; ironically, the very same uptake figure that the Conservatives were so critical of. However, I do congratulate the Conservatives for entering this debate in a very co-operative manner. I think it's very helpful that they have tabled this debate today to highlight just how much this Welsh Government has done and intends to do to support young people across all of our communities. To expect every young person, though, to forego the benefits of a car for all their journeys I think everybody in this Chamber would appreciate is probably unrealistic. But it is entirely realistic, Presiding Officer, for many young people to use the bus for more of their journeys, and I hope that many young people whose only experience of bus travel is the daily trip to and from school will take advantage of the new scheme to try the bus for other reasons, and having done so, they'll see that today's buses provide a really attractive offer. Whilst reducing the cost of travel for young people is a priority to encourage use, I appreciate that it's only part of the solution. Providing a bus product that is attractive and also efficient is equally essential, and anyone who has used a bus recently, I think, will recognise that the vast majority of vehicles on our roads offer a clean, comfortable and well-equipped environment. Yet unfortunately there remains an incorrect impression that buses are somehow a poorer relation to the private motor car. If this were ever the case, it is most certainly no longer true. I've asked the Confederation of Passenger Transport, representing the bus industry, to develop proposals for a marketing campaign to publicise and promote today's bus network, and subject to their proposals, I would hope to match-fund their financial contribution to any such campaign in order to drive up patronage. The new scheme I plan to introduce in April will be a better, more attractive means of encouraging younger people to use the bus for more of their journeys. The current scheme has made a good start, but we need to do more if we are to change attitudes. Members will be aware of the bus summit that I held in January, and I'm pleased to say that a number of workshops are taking place this autumn to consider how best we can improve the passenger experience at bus stops by providing improved facilities and consistent passenger information; how we can also develop funding solutions that offer greater stability to the bus industry in Wales; and how we can deliver an integrated transport system that provides improved accessibility and ticketing solutions fit for the twenty-first century. This is our ambition, and it's what we want to deliver. Thank you.
Welsh: Ers mis Ebrill eleni, mae pobl ifanc wedi gwneud dros 0.5 miliwn o deithiau gan ddefnyddio fyngherdynteithio a heddiw, mae yna dros 17,000 o ddeiliaid tocynnau. Rwy'n derbyn nad yw'r gyfran honno, y nifer sy'n eu defnyddio, mor uchel ag y byddem yn dymuno iddi fod, ac felly, yr her yw annog mwy byth o bobl ifanc i wneud yr un peth, er mwyn gwella ein cynllun teithio ar fysiau am bris gostyngol i bobl iau, a'i gwneud yn haws i genhedlaeth gyfan deithio ar y bws. Yr wythnos diwethaf, roeddwn wrth fy modd yn gwireddu ein haddewid i ymgynghori ar y ffordd orau i gynllun newydd Llywodraeth Cymru sydd i'w gyflwyno ym mis Ebrill y flwyddyn nesaf annog mwy o bobl ifanc i ddod ar ein bysiau. A hoffwn bwysleisio'r pwynt a nododd Jeremy Miles, ei bod yn gwbl hanfodol fod y rhai sydd â fwyaf i'w ennill o unrhyw gynllun teithio am bris gostyngol yn ganolog i unrhyw benderfyniad a wnawn. Mae'r ymgynghoriad ar deithio ar fysiau am bris gostyngol ar gyfer pobl iau yng Nghymru yn anelu i gasglu safbwyntiau pobl ifanc, ysgolion, grwpiau cymunedol, colegau, a chwmnïau bysiau ar gynllun sy'n ddeniadol ac yn fforddiadwy - un a all gynnal pobl yn ymarferol yn eu bywydau, yn eu gwaith ac wrth iddynt astudio. Mae'r ddogfen ymgynghori yn gwahodd sylwadau ar gynnal y ddarpariaeth bresennol neu ymestyn cwmpas y cynllun presennol i gynnwys, o bosibl, codi'r terfyn oedran uchaf, cynyddu lefel y gostyngiad, disodli'r trefniant ad-dalu presennol gan dâl am bob taith, sef rhywbeth a welwn mewn sawl rhan o Ewrop, yn ogystal â chyflwyno ffi fisol neu flynyddol er mwyn cadw teithiau am ddim adeg eu defnyddio. Mae'r ymgynghoriad hefyd yn ystyried ymestyn y cynllun i gynnwys prentisiaid, nad oes ond rhai ohonynt yn gymwys o dan y trefniadau presennol. Mae hefyd yn edrych ar y posibilrwydd o ymestyn y cynllun i gynnwys gwirfoddolwyr, gofalwyr, pobl sy'n cael lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, a'r holl bobl ifanc mewn addysg bellach. Ac rwy'n cydnabod manteision cynllun o'r fath i lawer o bobl eraill sy'n cyfrannu'n weithredol yn y gymdeithas neu sydd angen cymorth wrth gychwyn ar yrfa newydd ond sydd heb eu cynnwys o fewn yr oedran cymhwysedd. Dyna pam rwy'n arbennig o awyddus i archwilio faint o archwaeth sydd yna i ymestyn yr oedran teithio am bris gostyngol i 24 oed, gan ein galluogi o bosibl i helpu mwy o bobl ifanc i wneud y gorau o deithio ar fws ledled Cymru. Bydd y cynllun, sydd i'w gyflwyno ym mis Ebrill 2018, yn un sy'n adlewyrchu orau beth yw anghenion a dewisiadau ein pobl ifanc ac yn helpu i roi hwb pellach i deithio ar fws fel opsiwn. Mae hynny'n hanfodol os ydym i greu rhwydwaith bysiau cynaliadwy ar gyfer y dyfodol. Yn y flwyddyn ariannol gyfredol, rydym wedi neilltuo hyd at £1 filiwn i gefnogi'r cynllun gostyngiad o draean. Gellir disgwyl i unrhyw welliant ar y cynllun arwain at fwy o gostau ar gyfer digolledu gweithredwyr bysiau dan yr hyn a fyddai'n parhau i fod yn drefniant gwirfoddol. Fodd bynnag, rhaid i weithredwyr sydd am fod yn gymwys i gael arian grant cynnal gwasanaethau bws gynnig y gostyngiad. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth bresennol, wrth gwrs, yn golygu na allwn wneud cynllun teithio ar fws am bris gostyngol i bobl ifanc yn orfodol, ac eithrio ar gyfer rhai rhwng 16 a 18 oed mewn addysg amser llawn, ac rwy'n cydymdeimlo'n fawr iawn â'r pwynt a wnaeth fy nghyd-Aelod Jeremy Miles mewn perthynas â'r mater hwn. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu cynnig Jeremy Miles o gyfrifiannell i'r Aelodau sy'n meddu ar abacws toredig. Rwy'n credu bod ei ddadansoddiad fforensig ef a Rhiannon Passmore o gynigion y Ceidwadwyr yn dangos bod twll anferthol yn y ffigurau. Fe amlinellaf eto y rhesymau pam nad yw'r ffigurau hynny'n dal dŵr. Ar sail 50 y cant o ddefnydd ar draws y cohort 16 i 24 oed, byddai'r gost yn fwy tebygol o fod yn £78 miliwn neu fwy. Mae hynny'n seiliedig ar 50 y cant o ddefnydd. Nawr, rydym yn gwybod bod y Ceidwadwyr yn cefnogi ein barn y dylai fod mwy o bobl ifanc ar y bysiau, felly gan dybio defnydd, efallai, o 100 y cant, yr hoffai pawb ohonom ei weld, rwy'n siŵr, byddai'r ffigur hwnnw'n codi i dros £150 miliwn. Eto byddai eu cyllideb o £25 miliwn yn caniatáu ar gyfer defnydd o 16 y cant yn unig o bobl rhwng 16 a 24 oed. Yn ei dro, byddai hynny'n cyfateb i oddeutu 17,700 o rai rhwng 16 a 18 oed; yn eironig, yr union ffigur defnydd ag yr oedd y Ceidwadwyr mor feirniadol ohono. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n llongyfarch y Ceidwadwyr am ymroi i'r ddadl hon mewn modd hynod o gydweithredol. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn ddefnyddiol iawn eu bod wedi cyflwyno'r ddadl hon heddiw i dynnu sylw at faint y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud ac yn bwriadu ei wneud i gefnogi pobl ifanc ar draws ein holl gymunedau. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n credu y buasai pawb yn y Siambr hon yn derbyn bod disgwyl i bob person ifanc gael ei amddifadu o fanteision car ar gyfer ei holl deithiau yn afrealistig yn ôl pob tebyg. Ond mae'n gwbl realistig, Llywydd, i lawer o bobl ifanc ddefnyddio'r bws ar gyfer mwy o'u teithiau, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd nifer o bobl ifanc y mae eu profiad o deithio ar fysiau wedi ei gyfyngu i'r daith ddyddiol i'r ysgol ac oddi yno yn manteisio ar y cynllun newydd i roi cynnig ar ddefnyddio'r bws am resymau eraill, ac ar ôl gwneud hynny, y byddant yn gweld bod bysiau heddiw'n gynnig deniadol mewn gwirionedd. Tra bo lleihau cost teithio ar gyfer pobl ifanc yn flaenoriaeth i annog defnydd, rwy'n derbyn mai rhan o'r ateb yn unig ydyw. Mae darparu cynnyrch bws sy'n ddeniadol a hefyd yn effeithlon yr un mor hanfodol, a bydd unrhyw un sydd wedi defnyddio bws yn ddiweddar, rwy'n credu, yn cydnabod bod y mwyafrif helaeth o gerbydau ar ein ffyrdd yn cynnig amgylchedd glân, cyfforddus ac wedi ei gyfarparu'n dda. Eto i gyd, yn anffodus, ceir argraff anghywir o hyd fod bysiau rywsut yn berthynas dlawd i'r car modur preifat. Os bu hyn erioed yn wir, yn bendant iawn, nid yw'n wir mwyach. Rwyf wedi gofyn i'r Cydffederasiwn Cludiant Teithwyr, sy'n cynrychioli'r diwydiant bysiau, ddatblygu cynigion ar gyfer ymgyrch farchnata i hyrwyddo a rhoi cyhoeddusrwydd i rwydwaith bysiau heddiw, ac yn amodol ar eu cynigion, buaswn yn gobeithio rhoi arian cyfatebol tuag at eu cyfraniad ariannol i unrhyw ymgyrch o'r fath er mwyn rhoi hwb i nawdd. Bydd y cynllun newydd y bwriadaf ei gyflwyno ym mis Ebrill yn ffordd well a mwy deniadol o annog pobl ifanc i ddefnyddio'r bws ar gyfer mwy o'u teithiau. Mae'r cynllun presennol wedi dechrau'n dda, ond mae angen inni wneud rhagor os ydym am newid agweddau. Bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol o'r uwchgynhadledd fysiau a gynhaliais ym mis Ionawr, ac rwy'n falch o ddweud bod nifer o weithdai'n digwydd yn yr hydref i ystyried y ffordd orau o wella profiad teithwyr mewn arosfannau bws trwy ddarparu gwell cyfleusterau a gwybodaeth gyson i deithwyr; sut y gallwn hefyd ddatblygu atebion ariannu sy'n cynnig mwy o sefydlogrwydd i'r diwydiant bysiau yng Nghymru; a sut y gallwn ddarparu system drafnidiaeth integredig sy'n darparu gwell hygyrchedd ac atebion tocynnau sy'n addas ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Dyma ein huchelgais, a dyma y dymunwn ei gyflawni. Diolch.