Written question WQ98322
- Asked by
- Delyth JewellPlaid
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
Has the Welsh Government carried out an equalities impact assessment, commissioned evidence or carried out an assessment showing whether bus use has increased or decreased because of the use of bus stops that feature cycle tracks?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
As set out in the aims of ‘Travel for All’, Welsh Government is committed to making sure that access and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do to make everyone feel safe and welcomed when using the transport network in Wales.
Impact assessments and monitoring of local transport schemes fall under the remit and responsibility of local authorities and this includes any schemes where cycle routes run alongside bus stops
As part of the actions set out in our Travel for All approach, published in July 2025, we are undertaking an accessibility audit of all bus stops in Wales (around 24,000 in total) to create a baseline understanding of all our bus stop infrastructure in Wales. This will help us in prioritising investment decisions around improving the provision for all bus users in Wales.
We recognise that the layout of cycle tracks interacting with bus stops is an area where some users and user groups have raised concerns because they feel that some design solutions could pose particular negative impacts for disabled people, and specifically those with visual impairments.
We are currently working with TfW and partners to review and strengthen our Active Travel Act Guidance, with a particular focus on inclusive planning and design. As part of this process, we have been working closely with stakeholders, and in particular with those representing disabled people and people with vision impairment over the last year to explore issues relating to bus stop design and other matters, listen to their concerns and address them.
The formal consultation has now closed and we will analyse the feedback gathered through all engagement and the online consultation and continue to work with stakeholders and partners such as Active Travel England and the newly formed Disabled People’s Travel Panel to ensure our Guidance reflects best practice and ensures a consistent and balanced approach, taking into account the needs of pedestrians, passengers and cyclists in how the interaction between cycle tracks and bus-stops is dealt with.
An Integrated Impact Assessment was published alongside the consultation on the draft revised Active Travel Act Guidance. The draft revised guidance and the IIA can be found here: Active Travel Act Guidance (ATAG) | GOV.WALES