English: My speech in the committee debate on the effects of COVID-19 on Wales's economy, infrastructure and skills, on 1 July, noted that although the Confederation of Passenger Transport presented a proposal to Welsh Government on 15 May, which would enable operators to ramp up bus services, with full costings for all Welsh bus operators, industry correspondence received in late June stated that they had still not received a considered official response, and Wales is now the only country in the UK that's not agreed funding for transport operators to begin to ramp up services, with other costs for additional services. That's a matter of shame. The next day, the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters, announced the creation of the bus emergency scheme. After I copied his statement to industry representatives in north Wales, they responded that - quote - 'continuing Welsh Government restrictions in response to the pandemic, including on social distancing, mean that capacity on bus services remains significantly reduced, and there is insufficient money from fares to increase services without increased funding.' 'We look forward', they said, 'to understanding the detail of the proposed transitional arrangements to bridge that gap so we can assess what step up in services may be possible within the resources available and from when.' In the meantime, however, the Welsh Government has managed to find and rush out £15.4 million for COVID-proof travel schemes that widen pavements and create more space for cyclists, preventing essential prior engagement with the communities affected. In Denbigh, for example, this generated a torrent of e-mails, including: 'Anyone living in the surrounding villages will still need to drive to the town as cycling connections are very poor'; 'This is the most dangerous plan I've ever heard of'; 'I've been asking whether the residents of Denbigh will have the opportunity to give their opinions - I don't think we'll have a say'; 'There's a petition against this plan, which already has over 550 signatures; and 'These proposals are without any factual or logical grounding, and will ultimately be counterproductive. So, we're calling on the Welsh Labour Government to relax the 2m rule to 1m plus, subject to precautionary measures, to ensure buses can run, and other transport bodies can reopen. As UK COVID-secure guidance states, applying mitigation, such as wearing a face covering, thorough cleaning, practising good hygiene, improved ventilation, and using protective screens at 1m is broadly equivalent to being 3m apart. This is key for the heavy goods vehicle driver training establishments in Gwynedd, which asked me to apply pressure on the First Minister to allow testing and move to the 1m rule in Wales. These tests will restart in England on 13 July. He said there are many driver training establishments of all sectors in Wales on the point of bankruptcy. Let us, therefore, hope that this First Minister will now acknowledge and address his Government's adverse impact on Wales's transport sector.
Welsh: Nododd fy araith yn y ddadl bwyllgor ar effeithiau COVID-19 ar economi, seilwaith a sgiliau Cymru ar 1 Gorffennaf, er i'r Cydffederasiwn Cludiant Teithwyr gyflwyno cynnig i Lywodraeth Cymru ar 15 Mai a fyddai'n galluogi gweithredwyr i gynyddu gwasanaethau bysiau, gyda chostau llawn ar gyfer holl weithredwyr bysiau Cymru, dywedodd gohebiaeth y diwydiant a dderbyniwyd ddiwedd Mehefin nad oeddent eto wedi cael ymateb swyddogol ystyriol, a Chymru bellach yw'r unig wlad yn y DU sydd heb gytuno ar gyllid i weithredwyr trafnidiaeth allu dechrau cynyddu gwasanaethau, gyda chostau eraill ar gyfer gwasanaethau ychwanegol. Mae hynny'n destun cywilydd. Y diwrnod wedyn, cafwyd cyhoeddiad gan Ddirprwy Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth, Lee Waters, ynglŷn â chreu'r cynllun argyfwng ar gyfer bysiau. Ar ôl i mi gopïo ei ddatganiad i gynrychiolwyr y diwydiant yng ngogledd Cymru, fe wnaethant ymateb - ac rwy'n dyfynnu - fod 'cyfyngiadau parhaus Llywodraeth Cymru mewn ymateb i'r pandemig, gan gynnwys ar gadw pellter cymdeithasol, yn golygu bod capasiti gwasanaethau bysiau yn dal i fod yn llawer llai, ac nid oes digon o arian o werthiant tocynnau ar gyfer cynyddu gwasanaethau heb ragor o gyllid.' 'Edrychwn ymlaen', meddent, 'at ddeall manylion y trefniadau trosiannol arfaethedig er mwyn cau'r bwlch hwnnw fel y gallwn asesu pa gynnydd yn y gwasanaethau a allai fod yn bosibl o fewn yr adnoddau sydd ar gael ac o ba bryd.' Yn y cyfamser, fodd bynnag, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi llwyddo i ddod o hyd i £15.4 miliwn ar fyrder ar gyfer cynlluniau teithio di-COVID sy'n lledu palmentydd ac yn creu mwy o le ar gyfer beicwyr, gan atal ymgysylltiad hanfodol ymlaen llaw â'r cymunedau yr effeithir arnynt. Yn Ninbych, er enghraifft, creodd hyn genllif o negeseuon e-bost, gan gynnwys: 'Bydd angen i unrhyw un sy'n byw yn y pentrefi cyfagos yrru i'r dref gan fod cysylltiadau beicio'n wael iawn'; 'Dyma'r cynllun mwyaf peryglus y clywais amdano erioed'; 'Bûm yn gofyn a fydd trigolion Dinbych yn cael cyfle i roi eu barn - nid wyf yn credu y bydd gennym lais yn hyn'; 'Mae yna ddeiseb yn erbyn y cynllun hwn, sydd â thros 550 o lofnodion eisoes'; a 'Nid oes unrhyw sail ffeithiol na rhesymegol i'r cynigion hyn, a byddant yn wrthgynhyrchiol yn y pen draw.' Felly, galwn ar Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru i lacio'r rheol 2m i 1m a mwy, yn amodol ar fesurau rhagofalus, er mwyn sicrhau bod bysiau'n gallu rhedeg, ac y gall cyrff trafnidiaeth eraill ailagor. Fel y dywed canllawiau diogelu rhag COVID y DU, mae defnyddio mesurau lliniaru, fel gwisgo gorchudd wyneb, glanhau trylwyr, arfer hylendid da, awyru gwell, a defnyddio sgriniau amddiffynnol ar bellter o 1m, yr un peth yn fras â bod 3m ar wahân. Mae hyn yn allweddol ar gyfer sefydliadau hyfforddi gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm yng Ngwynedd, a ofynnodd i mi roi pwysau ar y Prif Weinidog i ganiatáu profion a symud at y rheol 1m yng Nghymru. Bydd y profion hyn yn ailgychwyn yn Lloegr ar 13 Gorffennaf. Dywedodd fod llawer o sefydliadau hyfforddi gyrwyr o bob sector yng Nghymru ar fin mynd yn fethdalwyr. Gadewch inni obeithio felly y bydd y Prif Weinidog hwn yn cydnabod ac yn rhoi sylw yn awr i effaith niweidiol ei Lywodraeth ar sector trafnidiaeth Cymru.