Summary and Overview
4.The Act places on the Assembly a general duty (“the general transport duty”) to develop policies for the promotion and encouragement of safe, integrated, sustainable, efficient and economic transport facilities and services to, from and within Wales and to carry out its functions so as to implement those policies. It requires the Assembly to prepare and publish a Wales Transport Strategy setting out how it proposes to discharge the general transport duty. It amends the provisions of the Transport Act 2000 (“the Transport Act”), under which local authorities in Wales (as “local transport authorities”) are required to prepare local transport plans, so as to provide a means whereby the Wales Transport Strategy can be implemented at a local level.
5.The Act enables the Assembly to ensure that the transport functions of local authorities in Wales are discharged in a way which reflects the patterns of travel within Wales. The Assembly will be able to direct local authorities as to the manner in which they are to discharge their functions in relation to local transport plans and to direct two or more authorities to enter into arrangements relating to the discharge of their transport functions generally, including arrangements for joint working. The Assembly will also be able, by order made by statutory instrument (which will be subject to the Assembly’s procedures for making subordinate legislation laid down by the Government of Wales Act 1998), to establish, if necessary, joint transport authorities to discharge specified local authority transport functions on a regional basis.
6.The Act confers on the Assembly specific powers to give financial assistance to local transport authorities (including any joint transport authorities which are established) and in respect of airport facilities in Wales and air transport services serving Wales.
7.The Act also gives the Assembly the power to secure the provision of public passenger transport services. In order to do so, the Assembly will be able to enter into direct agreements with the providers of such services.
8.Finally, the Act empowers the Assembly, by order, to establish a Public Transport Users’ Committee for Wales which would consider and make recommendations to the Assembly about any matter relating to public transport services or facilities to, from and within Wales.