English: In the last Government, I delivered a petition to the Petitions Committee with approximately 3,700 signatures on it, with a covering note explaining that it is a social healthcare issue as well as a transport and economy issue. As a previous local authority cabinet member for transport, I addressed packed meetings of distressed residents concerned about the loss of a service, some of them in tears and worrying about being socially isolated. Bus transport is hugely complicated and expensive. Our contract for a service, on average, is approximately £500,000. They are often tied up with school transport to make them viable. Each region is different, which is why the bus transport grant is broken down into regions and then local authority areas based on a formula. In Flintshire, for example, just one of 22 authorities, there are 450 transport contracts: 350 are school, serving thousands of residents, often the most vulnerable, young, old, disabled and socially disadvantaged. When a bus is late or does not turn up on time, it's distressing and needs resolving quickly, which is why it needs delivering locally with local expertise. Highly populated areas have good services because that is where it is more lucrative. Rural areas need high subsidies and access to services that are not found locally. Transport needs to evolve and grow from the community up. Experience tells me that you cannot dictate from above and expect people to migrate to a service. Operators need the financial security of a long-term contract and grant funding towards the procurement of new vehicles to help services to be sustainable. I believe that scheduled services should remain on busy routes and Fflecsi dial-a-ride services on those with low passenger numbers, incorporating taxis and school contract operators through an element of community benefit, especially for medical appointments. This could be expanded to work in collaboration with health boards. And we need to give powers to local authorities to be able to run them, just as they once did. There used to be a public bus service for public people, and a service. A lot of our services have been eradicated by competitiveness and are not properly funded. Thank you.
Welsh: Yn y Llywodraeth ddiwethaf, cyflwynais ddeiseb i'r Pwyllgor Deisebau yn cynnwys oddeutu 3,700 o lofnodion, gyda nodyn eglurhaol yn esbonio ei fod yn fater gofal iechyd cymdeithasol yn ogystal â mater trafnidiaeth a'r economi. Fel cyn aelod cabinet awdurdod lleol dros drafnidiaeth, anerchais gyfarfodydd llawn o drigolion gofidus yn pryderu ynglŷn â cholli gwasanaeth, gyda rhai ohonynt yn eu dagrau ac yn poeni am gael eu hynysu'n gymdeithasol. Mae trafnidiaeth bysiau yn hynod o gymhleth a drud. Mae ein contract ar gyfer gwasanaeth oddeutu £500,000 ar gyfartaledd. Maent yn aml yn gysylltiedig â chludiant i'r ysgol i'w gwneud yn hyfyw. Mae pob rhanbarth yn wahanol, a dyna pam y mae'r grant trafnidiaeth bysiau wedi'i rannu'n rhanbarthau ac yna'n ardaloedd awdurdodau lleol yn seiliedig ar fformiwla. Yn sir y Fflint, er enghraifft, dim ond un o 22 awdurdod, mae 450 o gontractau trafnidiaeth: mae 350 yn gontractau cludiant i ysgolion, sy'n gwasanaethu miloedd o drigolion, yn aml y rhai mwyaf agored i niwed, ifanc, hen, anabl a chymdeithasol ddifreintiedig. Pan fydd bws yn hwyr neu pan nad yw'n cyrraedd yn brydlon, mae'n peri gofid ac mae angen datrys hynny'n gyflym, a dyna pam y mae angen iddo gael ei gyflawni'n lleol gydag arbenigedd lleol. Mae gan ardaloedd poblog iawn wasanaethau da am mai dyna lle maent yn fwy proffidiol. Mae angen cymorthdaliadau uchel ar ardaloedd gwledig a mynediad at wasanaethau nad ydynt i'w cael yn lleol. Mae angen i drafnidiaeth esblygu a thyfu o'r gymuned i fyny. Dengys profiad na allwch orchymyn oddi fry a disgwyl i bobl symud at wasanaeth. Rhaid i weithredwyr gael sicrwydd ariannol contract hirdymor a chyllid grant tuag at gaffael cerbydau newydd i helpu gwasanaethau i fod yn gynaliadwy. Credaf y dylai gwasanaethau rheolaidd barhau ar lwybrau prysur a gwasanaethau galw'r gyrrwr Fflecsi ar y rhai sydd â niferoedd isel o deithwyr, gan gynnwys tacsis a gweithredwyr contractau ysgolion drwy elfen o fudd cymunedol, yn enwedig ar gyfer apwyntiadau meddygol. Gellid ehangu hyn i weithio ar y cyd â byrddau iechyd. Ac mae angen inni roi pwerau i awdurdodau lleol allu eu rhedeg, yn union fel y byddent yn ei wneud ar un adeg. O'r blaen, ceid gwasanaeth bws cyhoeddus a gwasanaeth ar gyfer y cyhoedd. Mae llawer o'n gwasanaethau wedi'u dileu gan gystadleurwydd ac ni chânt eu hariannu'n briodol. Diolch.