English: Can I thank Russell George for his very constructive contribution, and his questions? I'll take each one in turn, as briefly as I possibly can, Llywydd. First of all, with regard to the consultations that have taken place - and there have been multiple consultations over the past few years - we've attempted to address all of the concerns that individuals and representative organisations of passengers have come forward with. Russell George raises the important point about certain individuals with protected characteristics or carers requiring additional support. I would imagine that, under the discretionary scheme, the same application process and the same considerations would be taken forward, so people should not be left in a position where they're not able to assist the people that they care for, or where they are deprived of the opportunity to travel on local bus services. The criteria should remain the same; it's the eligibility age that's going to be changing. In terms of concerns that are being expressed regarding the consequences of raising the age of eligibility, well, it is true that price is a major incentive in getting people out of their cars and onto buses. We found that clearly from the pilot scheme that took place on the TrawsCymru network. However, it's just part of the mix. My vision for bus services in Wales, which will only come about as a result of prioritising resources in the right way, and also carrying out the reforms that are necessary to local bus services, is to develop better infrastructure, to ensure that bus journeys are reliable and shorter than journeys by private car, and secondly, to ensure that there is a fair fare scheme in place for anybody and everybody who doesn't have either a reduced ticket - i.e. young people - or people who benefit under the concessionary fare regime. My view is that a flat, fair fare of a minimal amount, for example £1 per journey anytime anywhere across Wales, would incentivise people sufficiently to leave their cars at home, if they know that they're going to get from A to B quicker than they would in a car. So, prioritising resource to improve the infrastructure whilst also ensuring that you have a very transparent and affordable way to travel will lead to that modal shift. But it will also require the prioritising of resource for bus services, and that's why we're taking responsible action now concerning the eligibility of the concessionary fares scheme. Because if we don't, it will only go up. It will only rise, quite significantly, and that in turn would deprive us of the opportunity to introduce those much lower affordable flat fares once reforms have gone through. It would deprive us of the opportunity to introduce dedicated bus lanes and other infrastructure that makes it more attractive for people to travel by bus. So, what we are doing is the responsible thing within a much broader vision to how we're going to get more people out of cars and onto buses across Wales. The application process for the renewal of the cards has been something that we've worked very closely with local authorities over. Indeed, Transport for Wales has taken on the responsibility from all 22 local authorities, recognising that councils simply don't have the capacity and resource to undertake such a huge effort. I and Councillor Andrew Morgan recently wrote to every local authority reminding them of their duties and responsibilities to assist people in applying for the concessionary fare passes, and that includes ensuring that they have readily available paper forms and application forms that individuals are able to use, and that they have support within, for example, libraries. Now, I recognise that some local authorities have been less efficient in providing information and support and disseminating information to libraries and other services than others, but I hope that between the action that I've taken and Councillor Andrew Morgan has taken, we will see all councils step up to the plate and offer the support that's needed to people in applying for these passes.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i Russell George am ei gyfraniad adeiladol iawn, a'i gwestiynau? Byddaf yn cymryd pob un yn ei dro, mor gryno ag y gallaf, Llywydd. Yn gyntaf oll, o ran yr ymgynghoriadau sydd wedi digwydd - ac mae sawl ymgynghoriad wedi bod dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf - rydym wedi ceisio ymdrin â'r holl bryderon y mae unigolion a sefydliadau sy'n cynrychioli teithwyr wedi eu cyflwyno. Mae Russell George yn codi'r pwynt pwysig am rai unigolion sydd â nodweddion gwarchodedig neu ofalwyr sydd angen cymorth ychwanegol. Byddwn yn dychmygu, o dan y cynllun dewisol, y byddai'r un broses ymgeisio a'r un ystyriaethau'n cael eu datblygu, fel na ddylai pobl fod mewn sefyllfa lle na allan nhw gynorthwyo'r bobl y maen nhw'n gofalu amdanyn nhw, neu sefyllfa lle cânt eu hamddifadu o'r cyfle i deithio ar wasanaethau bysiau lleol. Dylai'r meini prawf aros yr un fath; yr oedran cymhwysedd sy'n mynd i newid. O ran pryderon sy'n cael eu mynegi ynglŷn â chanlyniadau cynyddu'r oedran cymhwysedd, wel, mae'n wir fod pris yn gymhelliad mawr i gael pobl allan o'u ceir ac ar fysiau. Gwelsom hynny'n glir yn y cynllun arbrofol a gynhaliwyd ar rwydwaith TrawsCymru. Fodd bynnag, un rhan yn unig yw hyn. Fy ngweledigaeth i ar gyfer gwasanaethau bysiau yng Nghymru, a fydd ond yn digwydd o ganlyniad i flaenoriaethu adnoddau yn y ffordd briodol, a hefyd cyflawni'r diwygiadau sy'n angenrheidiol i wasanaethau bysiau lleol, yw datblygu gwell seilwaith, er mwyn sicrhau bod teithiau ar fysiau'n ddibynadwy ac yn fyrrach na theithiau mewn ceir preifat, ac yn ail, sicrhau bod cynllun pris siwrnai teg ar gael i unrhyw un nad oes ganddyn nhw naill ai docyn gostyngol - h.y. pobl ifanc - neu bobl sy'n elwa o dan y drefn tocynnau teithio rhatach. Fy marn i yw y byddai pris siwrnai safonol, teg a rhad, er enghraifft £1 y siwrnai unrhyw bryd, unrhyw le ar draws Cymru, yn ddigon o gymhelliad i bobl adael eu ceir gartref, os ydyn nhw'n gwybod eu bod yn mynd i deithio o A i B yn gyflymach nag y bydden nhw mewn car. Felly, bydd blaenoriaethu adnoddau i wella'r seilwaith a sicrhau ar yr un pryd bod gennych chi ffordd dryloyw a fforddiadwy o deithio, yn arwain at y newid moddol hwnnw. Ond bydd hefyd angen blaenoriaethu adnoddau ar gyfer gwasanaethau bysiau, a dyna pam ein bod yn cymryd camau cyfrifol nawr ynghylch cymhwysedd y cynllun tocynnau teithio rhatach. Oherwydd os na wnawn ni hynny, dim ond cynyddu a wnaiff. Bydd yn cynyddu, yn eithaf sylweddol, a byddai hynny yn ei dro yn ein hamddifadu ni o'r cyfle i gyflwyno'r pris siwrnai safonol is fforddiadwy hwnnw ar ôl gwneud y diwygiadau. Byddai'n ein hamddifadu o'r cyfle i gyflwyno lonydd bysiau pwrpasol a mathau eraill o seilwaith sy'n ei gwneud hi'n fwy deniadol i bobl deithio ar fws. Felly, mae'r hyn yr ydym yn ei wneud yn beth cyfrifol o fewn gweledigaeth llawer ehangach ynghylch y ffordd yr ydym ni'n mynd i gael mwy o bobl allan o geir ac ar fysiau ledled Cymru. Mae'r broses o wneud cais ar gyfer adnewyddu'r cardiau wedi bod yn broses yr ydym ni wedi gweithio'n agos iawn gydag awdurdodau lleol arni. Yn wir, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi cymryd y cyfrifoldeb oddi ar ysgwyddau pob un o'r 22 awdurdod lleol, gan gydnabod nad oes gan gynghorau y gallu na'r adnoddau i wneud ymdrech mor fawr. Yn ddiweddar ysgrifennais i, a'r Cynghorydd Andrew Morgan, at bob awdurdod lleol yn eu hatgoffa o'u dyletswyddau a'u cyfrifoldebau i gynorthwyo pobl i wneud cais am docynnau teithio rhatach, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys sicrhau bod ganddyn nhw ffurflenni papur ar gael yn rhwydd a ffurflenni cais y gall unigolion eu defnyddio, a'u bod yn cael cymorth mewn llyfrgelloedd, er enghraifft. Nawr, rwy'n cydnabod bod rhai awdurdodau lleol wedi bod yn llai effeithlon nag eraill o ran darparu gwybodaeth a chefnogaeth a dosbarthu gwybodaeth i lyfrgelloedd a gwasanaethau eraill, ond rwy'n gobeithio, rhwng y camau a gymerais i, a'r camau a gymerodd y Cynghorydd Andrew Morgan, y byddwn yn gweld pob cyngor yn camu ymlaen ac yn cynnig y cymorth sydd ei angen ar bobl wrth wneud cais am y cardiau hyn.