The Welsh Government’s new National Transport Plan has been published for consultation by Transport Minister, Edwina Hart.
It sets outs priorities for roads and public transport projects in the next five to 30 years for the whole of Wales, and will sit alongside Local Transport Plans being published by local authorities.
Mrs Hart said: “Transport has a critical role to play in improving Wales’s economic competiveness and delivering our social ambitions.
“This Plan aims to provide a fresh approach to transport planning, which will allow greater flexibility and ensure our investment best serves the needs of businesses, people and communities. We need a transport system that provides excellent national and international connections, enabling access to markets, employment, education and services.”
Five key priorities, identified in the Welsh Government’s Wales Transport Strategy, inform the National Transport Plan. The priorities include economic growth, access to employment, tackling poverty, sustainable travel and safety and access to services.
Individual projects are prioritised to start in the short-term (next five years), medium-term (up to 10 years) or longer-term (next 20 to 30 years).
To mark the publication of the draft Plan the Minister visited work on the Gilwern to Brynmawr section of the A465 dualling project and on the new Ebbw Vale town train station. Both projects are included in the short term projects listed in the National Transport Plan and will form part of the Cardiff Capital Region Metro.
Some of the other short and medium-term projects include improvements to the A55 also known as the North Wales Expressway, north to south rail journey time and capacity improvements, the A438/A489 Newtown bypass as well as the implementation of recommendations from the 2014 Bus Policy Advisory Group Review to introduce quality standards to improve bus services.
Mrs Hart added: “These proposals demonstrate our commitment to developing an efficient integrated transport system that will improve access to jobs and services and deliver economic growth throughout Wales.”
The draft National Transport Plan and details of the consultation can be found here. The consultation closes on 11 March 2015.
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