Laura Anne Jones MS points out ticket pricing differences at the Senedd.

Watch Laura Anne Jones MS points out ticket pricing differences at the Senedd. - Tindle News on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Cabinet Secretary, can I just extend that wish from the MS for Blaenau Gwent and say

00:06that a review does need to be done into pricing and cost of tickets particularly, for the

00:13issue that was raised by the MS for Blaenau Gwent, but also what I'm just about to say

00:16now.

00:17Whereas we all, of course, welcome the opening of the new line between Ebbw Vale and Newport,

00:22the project obviously came to fruition because of funding from Welsh Government and the UK

00:27Government.

00:28It's a point that's not often made enough.

00:32Will you join me in welcoming the fact that a day return ticket from Ebbw Vale to Newport

00:37costs £8.70, but, however, a day return ticket from Abergavenny to Newport costs £13.20?

00:44These two journeys are almost exactly the same length, made with exactly the same train

00:49operator, yet the residents of one town are paying £5.50 more a day to travel more than

00:55the residents of the other.

00:56Can you explain why that is, please?

00:58Mark Reckless AMC1 Clwyd, I believe that a technical briefing

01:01is necessary for Members on this complicated matter, because the whole fare discrepancy

01:07issue was inherited by Transport for Wales from Arriva Trains Wales, so, too, the issues

01:13with the concessionary fare scheme as well.

01:15So, just in brief, to explain to Members with regard to the core values lines, Arriva Trains

01:21Wales introduced the third-off measure as a commercial decision.

01:25That was a commercial decision.

01:27It was not applicable to the subsidy that was provided.

01:31It was then subsequently rolled into the Transport for Wales contract, because withdrawing that

01:37sort of measure is very, very difficult, as Members, I'm sure, can imagine.

01:41I face calls from across Wales to introduce similar schemes everywhere, and I think it's

01:46absolutely vital, first and foremost, that we look at the discrepancy in fares, which

01:50Transport for Wales has been doing since it took over responsibility for the network,

01:56and that we also look to a longer-term view of how concessionary bus passes can be used

02:01in regard to the one network, one ticket, one timetable objective of Welsh Government.

02:06I don't want to rush into this.

02:08I think it's absolutely vital that we have a sustainable solution, and this is something

02:12that my predecessor worked hard on, to ensure that we have one network, one timetable, one

02:16ticket, that is applicable to the whole of Wales.