English: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to be able to take part in this debate, which stems from the report on this petition. I wasn't a member of the committee when this petition was being considered, but I do know, from experience of discussing with constituents and with different bodies, the problems that do face disabled people as they try to use public transport. As it happens, I'm meeting tomorrow with a crew from Citizens Advice and the Taran disability forum in my constituency to discuss public transport and accessibility to public transport with them. I will be pleased to share with them the responses and the comments that have been made in the Assembly today, and the response from the Cabinet Secretary as well. The reason that they have contacted me is, as part of the project from Citizens Advice, to help specific groups to be able to have their say on issues that affect them. Transport is one of those things that genuinely does affect people with disabilities. I'm very pleased that that's what Whizz-Kidz have done: they've had their say by bringing the petition to the Assembly's attention. I'd like to thank those young people from Whizz-Kidz, not only for presenting the petition itself but also for the way in which they, as we heard from Mike Hedges, responded to the challenge of giving evidence face to face in the committee itself. As I said, I wasn't part of the inquiry, but the video is there for you to be able to watch, and, certainly, the young people need to be congratulated for the way in which they can make their point in such a eloquent way. They mention their experiences with taxis, buses and trains, and that they can't travel at short notice and they have to give 48 hours notice to have the train ramp, for example, and that they feel under pressure to get off public transport because they're aware of the bus wanting to leave and that drivers aren't always aware of how to put a wheelchair on the vehicle. There are multiple problems. Those problems, taken together, make these people feel like they're a burden and that they are not equal with their peers who don't have wheelchairs and who don't have to face these problems while travelling. It does affect their confidence, and it can have an effect on their ability or their willingness to look for work, even, or to socialise. There is a risk, therefore, that they can feel that they're being isolated. That ties in with the work that we've been doing in the health committee as we look at loneliness and isolation. The evidence that we had as part of our inquiry there suggested that isolation and loneliness could have a significant impact on the mental and physical health of individuals. The British Red Cross says this:
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rydw i'n falch o gael cymryd rhan yn y ddadl sy'n deillio o'r adroddiad ar y ddeiseb yma. Nid oeddwn i'n aelod o'r Pwyllgor Deisebau pan oedd y ddeiseb yma yn cael ei hystyried, ond rydw i yn gwybod o brofiad, o drafod efo etholwyr ac efo amrywiol fudiadau, y problemau sydd yn wynebu pobl anabl wrth iddyn nhw geisio defnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Yn digwydd bod, rydw i'n cyfarfod yfory efo criw o Gyngor ar Bopeth a Fforwm Anabledd Taran yn fy etholaeth i drafod trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a hygyrchedd trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus efo nhw. Mi fydda i'n falch o gael rhannu efo nhw yr ymateb - y sylwadau sydd wedi cael eu clywed yn y Cynulliad yma heddiw ac ymateb yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet hefyd. Y rheswm y maen nhw wedi cysylltu efo fi ydy fel rhan o brosiect gan Gyngor ar Bopeth i helpu grwpiau penodol i allu dweud eu dweud ar faterion sy'n effeithio arnyn nhw. Mae trafnidiaeth yn un o'r pethau yna sydd wirioneddol yn effeithio ar bobl sydd ag anableddau. Rydw i'n falch iawn mai dyna mae Whizz-Kidz wedi ei wneud: cael dweud eu dweud drwy ddod â'r ddeiseb yma at sylw'r Cynulliad. Mi fuaswn i'n licio diolch yn fawr iawn i'r bobl ifanc o Whizz-Kidz, nid yn unig am gyflwyno'r ddeiseb ei hun ond hefyd am y ffordd y gwnaethon nhw wedyn, fel rydym ni wedi clywed gan Mike Hedges, ymateb i'r her yna o roi tystiolaeth wyneb yn wyneb yn y pwyllgor ei hun. Fel rydw i'n ei ddweud, nid oeddwn i'n rhan o'r ymgynghoriad, ond wir, mae'r fideo yna i chi allu ei wylio ac yn sicr mae angen llongyfarch y bobl ifanc am y ffordd y maen nhw yn gallu gwneud eu pwynt nhw mor arbennig o huawdl. Maen nhw'n sôn am eu profiadau nhw efo tacsis, efo bysus, efo trenau, eu bod nhw'n methu teithio ar y funud olaf a bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw roi 48 awr o rybudd er mwyn cael y ramp trên, er enghraifft, a'u bod nhw'n teimlo o dan bwysau i fynd oddi ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus am eu bod nhw yn ymwybodol bod y bws eisiau gadael a bod gyrwyr ddim yn wastad yn ymwybodol sut i wthio neu sut i osod cadair olwyn. Mae'r problemau yn rhai lluosog iawn. Mae'r problemau yna, o'u cymryd efo'i gilydd, yn gwneud i'r bobl ifanc yma deimlo fel bwrn, ac yn gwneud iddyn nhw deimlo nad ydyn nhw'n gydradd â'u cyfoedion sydd heb gadeiriau olwyn ac sydd ddim yn gorfod wynebu trafferthion fel hyn wrth deithio. Mae o'n effeithio ar eu hyder nhw. Mae'n gallu cael effaith ar eu gallu neu eu parodrwydd nhw i edrych am waith, hyd yn oed, neu i gymdeithasu. Mae perig, felly, eu bod nhw yn mynd i deimlo eu bod nhw'n cael eu hynysu. Mae hynny'n clymu efo'r gwaith yr ydym ni wedi bod yn ei wneud yn y pwyllgor iechyd, wrth inni edrych ar unigrwydd ac unigedd. Roedd y dystiolaeth a gawsom ni fel rhan o'n hymchwiliad yn awgrymu bod unigrwydd ac unigedd yn gallu cael effaith sylweddol ar iechyd corfforol a meddyliol unigolion. Roedd y Groes Goch Brydeinig yn dweud hyn: