A Plaid Cymru government will make Wales a better-connected nation.
Better connections between people, businesses and communities in Wales are key to unlocking more of Wales’s economic potential. And boosting connectivity is ultimately about boosting living standards – making it easier for people to access family and friends, education and training, work and appointments, shops and services.
Our emphasis will be on creating an integrated transport network for Wales that is run for passengers, not shareholders, and is affordable and sustainable – with joined up timetabling, fairer pricing, smart ticketing and full integration of rail, bus and active travel.
With a clear focus on accessibility and safety, we will ensure public transport delivers passengers safely and reliably to their destinations.
We will work with Transport for Wales (TfW) to ensure that more of its funding goes to frontline delivery of improved transport services and infrastructure.
And as part and parcel of our new approach to strategic and spatial planning, we will introduce more transport oriented planning, aligning new development with public transport, walking, and cycling networks.
To support this we will implement a new framework for making decisions on transport infrastructure – one that focuses resources on a more manageable, phased portfolio of projects. The framework will assess the relative costs and economic benefits of proposed schemes, while ensuring fair treatment for all parts of Wales, improved environmental and health outcomes, and better performance and reliability across the transport network.
This framework will apply to all transport infrastructure, including roads, and it will inform a review of the existing criteria by which decisions on future road developments are made.
We will promote road safety and ensure that our roads are safely maintained. And we are clear about the pressing need to renew the process of developing solutions to improve the resilience of transport links across the Menai Strait and address congestion on the M4 around Newport.
We will embed inclusive street design principles into relevant standards and guidance for the design and delivery of new transport infrastructure.