LONGER term agreements with bus operators in Wales look set to be the way forward for the Welsh Government in order to provide support in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Welsh Government has set up a bus emergency scheme to respond to the impact of the pandemic on the industry, and now it is looking to extend it until July 2022.

A Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council report on the proposal says that the longer term arrangements could be put in place by the end of this month.

Phase two of the bus emergency scheme will be used to address the loss of what is called “fare box revenue and the additional costs associated with responding to the Covid-19 pandemic”.

These include the implementation of social distancing measures on buses, which have inevitably led to vehicles having to carry fewer passengers.

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The report says: “Under the terms of the agreement, operators will be required to provide bus services that meet local needs under the direction of the lead authority for each region, working with and on behalf of its constituent local authorities.”

Councils throughout Wales will be required to prioritise the routes that the funding should be applied to.

The priorities for funding include supporting students in getting to and from school, increasing the frequency of bus services when demand exceeds the available capacity, improving job accessibility for those reliant on public transport, and ensuring social inclusion.

The current phase of support is due to end in March, and without another agreement bus companies could be left without vital support to keep businesses going during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Bus operators are required to continue the routes they largely used before the coronavirus pandemic started to have an impact in Wales.

The report will be considered by Blaenau Gwent council’s regeneration scrutiny committee tomorrow, and by its executive committee on January 13.