NDM8859 Debate: Learner Travel

NDM8859 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Welcomes the Welsh Government’s commitment to work collaboratively with all partners and develop a cross-government approach to explore opportunities for improving learner travel provision in Wales.

2. Recognises the Welsh Government’s desire to see a cross-party approach that responds to the challenges faced in delivering learner transport, demonstrated through the upcoming learner travel summit.

3. Welcomes the Welsh Government’s ongoing commitment to listen to and engage with children and young people on transport-related issues.

4. Welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Welsh Government’s forthcoming consultation on the updated learner travel guidance documentation, which will be published following the learner travel summit.

5. Supports the Welsh Government’s commitment to introduce a young person's flat fare rate for local bus services in Wales, which provides an additional and more affordable means of access to education, training, employment and services through the public bus network.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Believes that no learners should face transport barriers to access education.

2. Regrets that:

a) the current learner travel provision is not adequate, and that this negatively affects attendance which disproportionately affects children in Wales's most deprived communities, exacerbating educational inequality; and

b) the issue of school transport is regularly raised with the Welsh Language Commissioner as a barrier to accessing Welsh-medium education.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) implement the recommendations of their 'Learner travel in Wales analysis and evaluation: recommendations report December 2023'; and

b) ensure that school transport provision is included in the upcoming bus Bill.

Learner travel in Wales analysis and evaluation: recommendations report December 2023

Amendment 2 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure has not been substantially updated since its introduction in 2008.

2. Notes the difficulties that young people in rural areas have in accessing public transport for education and training.

3. Regrets that the Children’s Commissioner for Wales described the Welsh Government’s review of the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure as totally inadequate.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to implement free bus travel for 16–24-year-olds.