English: Clearly, the Welsh public transport landscape has changed dramatically this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and, before I go on to make my comments, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank those workers across Wales who have continued working and kept essential travel routes open to key workers across the country. Public transport prior to and certainly during the lockdown has provided a lifeline to key workers, and we all owe them a great deal of gratitude for their commitment and hard work throughout this crisis. Now, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I took the opportunity to question the First Minister on protocols for public transport to ensure that measures were put in place to protect commuter safety and to maintain the highest possible hygiene standards, because it was very clear from the outset that COVID-19 would cause considerable disruption to public transport services across Wales. Therefore, this should have been an area that the Welsh Government prioritised from the start, and it's frustrating to hear from those working in the sector that more information and clarity wasn't provided from the very start. Evidence from stakeholders to the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee last month made it clear that the sector simply needed to know where it was going, and with some clarity pretty quickly. Members, that need for clarity cannot be emphasised enough. For most public transport providers, levels of service have decreased substantially overnight, resulting in some serious workforce planning and a need to overhaul and reassess routes to ensure those who continue to travel for essential purposes could still do so and in the safest possible way. Moving forward, the transport sector are right to point out that it's simply unworkable to operate commercial bus services where running vehicle capacities are at a reduced level. Naturally, buses, for example, will simply not be able to accommodate the same number of travellers per vehicle that they did before the pandemic, and so the Welsh Government must start seriously looking at how bus services are going to be sustainable in the future, considering the major issues that they face in terms of adhering to the social distancing guidance. Now, other Members have acknowledged that buses are a lifeline to so many people across Wales in providing a way for people to reach and access essential services and facilities, and so as more and more people return to the workplace, an emergency public transport strategy is needed to ensure that communities are not left behind as the demand for travel increases. I'm also aware of the impact in my own constituency, where local providers have made it very clear that more support and guidance is needed from the Welsh Government. I'm aware of the work done by the Confederation of Passenger Transport to establish a recovery group with Transport for Wales, local authorities and other stakeholders, and that's an important vehicle in engaging with the transport sector and responding to their concerns. As I understand it, that group provided information in relation to how much it would cost to accelerate services over a six-month period from June to December for all operators in Wales, as well as providing information in relation to a bus economic stimulus package. Four weeks on from receiving that information, it was made clear to the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee that no formal response was made to the recovery group. That information warranted urgent attention given the serious impact the pandemic has had on providers, and yet the Government was slow in formally responding to the sector. Moving forward, the Welsh Government must redouble its efforts and its communication to the transport industry, and lessons must be learned from this pandemic to better inform policy, going forward. I'd also like to use my time to focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the road haulage industry, as representations that I've received from businesses in my own constituency have made it clear that these businesses missed out on important grant aid and other measures that were initially introduced to support industry. These businesses are still very much needed to support the country's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and so the Welsh Government must do more to establish how and where it can best support these businesses. One local provider told me, and I quote, 'While most of our customers shut up shop and battened down the hatches and furloughed staff, we still need to be operational to deliver essential hospital supplies and food to distribution centres. Our volumes have dropped considerably as some non-essential customers have closed. Current financial support measures are not working. Loans are inaccessible and do not provide the immediate support operators need.' That's the reality that some haulage businesses in Wales are facing, and something has got to change. Dirprwy Lywydd, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on all our lives. It's a public health emergency, an economic emergency, and it could very well be a transport emergency, too, if we don't act now and listen to the concerns being raised by those in the sector. I appreciate that there's no magic wand and that the impact of COVID-19 will continue to be felt for some time to come, but the lack of support and meaningful engagement with the sector has to change. Therefore, in responding to this afternoon's debate, I hope that the Deputy Minister reflects on the concerns made by the sector and starts considering how Wales's public transport providers can address some of these issues as restrictions ease and more people rely on their services. Thank you.
Welsh: Yn amlwg, mae tirwedd trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yng Nghymru wedi newid yn ddramatig eleni mewn ymateb i'r pandemig COVID-19, a chyn i mi fynd rhagddi i wneud fy sylwadau, hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle i ddiolch i'r gweithwyr ledled Cymru sydd wedi parhau i weithio ac sy'n cadw llwybrau teithio hanfodol ar agor i weithwyr allweddol ledled y wlad. Mae trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus cyn ac yn sicr yn ystod y cyfyngiadau wedi bod yn achubiaeth i weithwyr allweddol, ac mae arnom oll ddyled fawr iddynt am eu hymroddiad a'u gwaith caled drwy gydol yr argyfwng hwn. Nawr, ar ddechrau'r pandemig COVID-19, manteisiais ar y cyfle i holi'r Prif Weinidog am brotocolau ar gyfer trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus i sicrhau bod mesurau'n cael eu rhoi ar waith i ddiogelu diogelwch cymudwyr ac i gynnal y safonau hylendid uchaf posibl, oherwydd roedd yn amlwg o'r cychwyn cyntaf y byddai COVID-19 yn amharu'n sylweddol ar wasanaethau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ledled Cymru. Felly, dylai hwn fod wedi bod yn faes a gai flaenoriaeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru o'r cychwyn cyntaf, ac mae'n rhwystredig clywed gan y rhai sy'n gweithio yn y sector na ddarparwyd mwy o wybodaeth ac eglurder o'r cychwyn cyntaf. Roedd tystiolaeth gan randdeiliaid i Bwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau y mis diwethaf yn dweud yn glir fod angen i'r sector wybod i ble roedd yn mynd, a chyda pheth eglurder yn eithaf cyflym. Aelodau, ni ellir rhoi digon o bwyslais ar yr angen hwnnw am eglurder. Ar gyfer y rhan fwyaf o ddarparwyr trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, mae lefelau gwasanaeth wedi gostwng yn sylweddol dros nos, gan arwain at waith o ddifrif ar gynllunio'r gweithlu ac angen i ailwampio ac ailasesu llwybrau er mwyn sicrhau y gallai'r rhai sy'n parhau i deithio at ddibenion hanfodol wneud hynny o hyd ac yn y modd mwyaf diogel posibl. Gan symud ymlaen, mae'r sector trafnidiaeth yn iawn i nodi nad yw gweithredu gwasanaethau bysiau masnachol yn ymarferol lle mae lefelau capasiti cerbydau ar lefel is. Yn naturiol, ni fydd bysiau, er enghraifft, yn gallu darparu ar gyfer yr un nifer o deithwyr i bob cerbyd ag y gallent ei wneud cyn y pandemig, ac felly mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ddechrau edrych o ddifrif ar sut y bydd gwasanaethau bysiau yn gynaliadwy yn y dyfodol, gan ystyried y problemau mawr y maent yn eu hwynebu mewn perthynas â glynu at y canllawiau cadw pellter cymdeithasol. Nawr, mae Aelodau eraill wedi cydnabod bod bysiau'n achubiaeth i gynifer o bobl ledled Cymru drwy ddarparu ffordd i bobl gyrraedd a manteisio ar wasanaethau a chyfleusterau hanfodol, ac wrth i fwy a mwy o bobl ddychwelyd i'r gweithle, mae angen strategaeth argyfwng ar gyfer trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus er mwyn sicrhau nad yw cymunedau'n cael eu gadael ar ôl wrth i'r galw am deithio gynyddu. Rwyf hefyd yn ymwybodol o'r effaith yn fy etholaeth fy hun, lle mae darparwyr lleol wedi dweud yn glir iawn fod angen mwy o gymorth ac arweiniad gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r gwaith a wnaed gan y Cydffederasiwn Cludiant Teithwyr i sefydlu grŵp adfer gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru, awdurdodau lleol a rhanddeiliaid eraill, ac mae hwnnw'n gyfrwng pwysig ar gyfer ymgysylltu â'r sector trafnidiaeth ac ymateb i'w pryderon. Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, darparodd y grŵp hwnnw wybodaeth ynglŷn â faint y byddai'n ei gostio i gynyddu gwasanaethau dros gyfnod o chwe mis rhwng mis Mehefin a mis Rhagfyr ar gyfer yr holl weithredwyr yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â darparu gwybodaeth mewn perthynas â phecyn ysgogi economaidd ar gyfer bysiau. Bedair wythnos ar ôl cael y wybodaeth honno, dywedwyd yn glir wrth Bwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau na chafwyd ymateb ffurfiol i'r grŵp adfer. Roedd y wybodaeth honno'n haeddu sylw brys o gofio effaith ddifrifol y pandemig ar ddarparwyr, ac eto roedd y Llywodraeth yn araf yn ymateb yn ffurfiol i'r sector. Wrth symud ymlaen, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gynyddu ei hymdrechion a'i chyfathrebiadau â'r diwydiant trafnidiaeth, a rhaid dysgu gwersi o'r pandemig hwn i lywio polisi'n well yn y dyfodol. Hoffwn ddefnyddio fy amser hefyd i ganolbwyntio ar effaith COVID-19 ar y diwydiant cludo nwyddau ar y ffyrdd, gan fod y sylwadau a gefais gan fusnesau yn fy etholaeth wedi dangos yn glir fod y busnesau hyn wedi methu cael cymorth grant pwysig a mesurau eraill a gyflwynwyd yn wreiddiol i gefnogi diwydiant. Mae'n dal i fod angen mawr am y busnesau hyn i gefnogi ymateb y wlad i'r argyfwng COVID-19, ac felly mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru wneud mwy i sefydlu sut a lle y gall gefnogi'r busnesau hyn orau. Dywedodd un darparwr lleol wrthyf, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, 'Er bod y rhan fwyaf o'n cwsmeriaid wedi cau drws eu siopau a'r staff wedi'u gosod ar ffyrlo, mae angen i ni fod yn weithredol o hyd er mwyn darparu cyflenwadau hanfodol i ysbytai a bwyd i ganolfannau dosbarthu. Mae'r llwythi a gludwn wedi lleihau'n sylweddol gan fod rhai cwsmeriaid sy'n gwerthu nwyddau dianghenraid wedi cau. Nid yw'r mesurau cymorth ariannol presennol yn gweithio. Nid oes modd cael benthyciadau ac nid ydynt yn darparu'r cymorth uniongyrchol sydd ei angen ar weithredwyr.' Dyna'r realiti y mae rhai busnesau cludo nwyddau yn ei wynebu yng Nghymru, ac mae'n rhaid i rywbeth newid. Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae'r pandemig COVID-19 wedi cael effaith enfawr ar fywydau pawb ohonom. Mae'n argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus, yn argyfwng economaidd, a gallai'n hawdd iawn fod yn argyfwng trafnidiaeth hefyd os na weithredwn yn awr a gwrando ar y pryderon a leisir gan y sector. Rwy'n derbyn nad oes y fath beth â ffon hud ac y bydd effaith COVID-19 yn parhau i'w deimlo am beth amser i ddod, ond mae'n rhaid i'r diffyg cymorth ac ymgysylltiad ystyrlon â'r sector newid. Felly, wrth ymateb i'r ddadl y prynhawn yma, gobeithio y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn rhoi sylw i'r pryderon a gyflwynwyd gan y sector ac yn dechrau ystyried sut y gall darparwyr trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus Cymru fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r problemau hyn wrth i'r cyfyngiadau lacio ac wrth i fwy o bobl ddod i ddibynnu ar eu gwasanaethau. Diolch.