Janet Finch-Saunders AM has called on the Welsh Government to utilise borrowing powers given to them by the UK Conservative Government to improve transport links for North Wales.
Janet said:
"One of the core tenants of devolution was to shorten the divide between north and south Wales.
"Indeed, the 1999 Welsh Labour Manifesto stated that “We believe that improved north/south links [are] essential to the future economic, social and cultural cohesion of Wales” and promised to “address the need for improved road links…and introduce a new faster rail service.”
"Their coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, promised the “improvement of the quality of the strategic [North-South] road network”.
"And the Plaid Cymru Manifesto of the same year featured as a key objective: the improvement of “links within Wales and between North and South”, promising “a fast rail service from the North West to Cardiff [as] an urgent priority”, along with “a decent "figure-of-eight" road network giving north-south links to the four corners of Wales and connections with the main east-west routes such as the A40, the A55 and the M4.”
"These promises were reiterated in the 2003 manifesto, along with a pledge to reduce “north-south journey times [as] a strategic priority” as well as “good quality links to the main UK networks” for crucial “access to markets from the mid and western areas.”
"That was the year that Labour said that “our rail network should make a major contribution to the economy, sustainability and communities of Wales, linking valleys to coast, north to south and encouraging the spread of prosperity across Wales.”
"Then in 2007, we read that “in a third term Labour will continue to prioritise investment in our transport infrastructure, including further improvements to North - South rail links.”
"And Plaid Cymru promised to “draw up a firm programme to upgrade North/West - South road links to be completed by 2015.”
"Yes! Plaid Cymru have been in Government here too, and failed on their promises. Despite ruling in coalition, these promises did not emerge, despite the One Wales agreement stating that “We will develop and implement a programme for improved North-South links, including travel by road and rail” and “We will reduce rail travel time between the North and South of Wales” – pledges that later cropped up again in Plaid’s 2011 manifesto.
"And, in 2011 Welsh Labour went quiet on the subject, with absolutely no mention in their manifesto that year of north-south transport links, and in 2012, oversaw the downgrading of the vital Holyhead to Cardiff service to just one express train a day.
"…And here we are 17 years on – 17 years of broken promised from Labour, Plaid Cymru, and the Lib Dems…
- The Wales Audit Office has recently criticised the Welsh Government for not doing enough to evaluate the benefits of its investment Welsh railways
- Arriva Wales have the oldest rolling stock in the UK – each train averaging 27 years old!
- The Cardiff-Anglesey air link subsidy has risen 27% in a year, now costing taxpayers over £1,094,216 annually
- And whilst the Welsh Government has reduced spending on motorway, trunk roads, rail and air combined in its 2016-17 budget by 1.7%, the UK Government has increased its transport budget by 3.6%, and the Scottish Government has increased spend on motorways, trunk roads and rail services by 4.6%.
"Now in 2016, Labour has promised to “unlock the…potential for North Wales by starting work on the development of a North Wales Metro system” and “deliver…upgrades of the A55”, yet there remains no detail, no plan and no vision whatsoever in the current Programme for Government.
"Meanwhile, the UK Conservative Government are actively exploring the electrification of the North Wales line, which could be expected by 2030, and are continuing their £70 billion investment into UK transport, to include the £10.7m investment for the Halton Curve, trebling the annual investment in roads, and committing £300 million earlier this year for major projects such as High Speed 3, and the Trans-Pennine Tunnel.
"Furthermore, they have also awarded the Welsh Government £900 million in borrowing powers to be used over 5 years to deliver much needed improvements to infrastructure, including the A55. Yet so far, the Welsh Labour Government has failed to utilise these powers to bring about any improvements in the North Wales region.
"BBC Wales recently ran an article about north to south Wales travel, entitled ‘A jigsaw piece missing’.
"For those of us – I mean myself as an Assembly Member, people wanting to do business, and visitors to the capital city – the home of devolution – who undertake this journey on a regular basis, we might argue there is more than just one piece missing.
"The forthcoming Wales Bill seeks to offer further devolved powers over transport, meaning that we will have the opportunity going forward to review what the Wales Audit Office has called a “complicated arrangement” between Welsh Government, Network Rail and the Department for Transport.
"They have also found that whilst “the Welsh Government wants a different operating model for the next franchise…[it]…has not yet established what that operating model is.”
"Clearly, such a model must be outlined and agreed upon ahead of the Welsh Government being given the green light to take over the Wales and Borders rail franchise from Arriva Trains Wales in 2018, and to go ahead with its plans for an integrated Wales and Borders and Metro contract in 2017. In doing so, it will be vital that the opportunity is taken to address the current issues, by ensuring:
- Increased and high quality train stock
- Suitable Wi-Fi provision
- Faster journey times
"And the Welsh Conservatives shall be scrutinising developments closely…
"North Wales HAS the assets, it HAS the people and it HAS the entrepreneurship, businesses and ideas. It’s Welsh Government must recognise that it holds responsibility wider than the Cardiff Bay bubble, and take real action – using the borrowing powers from the UK Conservative Government – to improve and upgrade transport links within, to, and from our glorious North Wales!"
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders AC wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddefnyddio'r pwerau benthyca maent wedi cael gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol San Steffan i wella'r cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth ar gyfer Gogledd Cymru
Dywedodd Janet:
Un o ddaliadau craidd datganoli yn ymwneud â lleihau’r rhaniad rhwng gogledd a de Cymru.
Yn wir, roedd maniffesto Llafur Cymru ar gyfer 1999 yn dweud hyn: Rydym yn credu bod gwella cysylltiadau gogledd/de yn hanfodol i gydlyniad economaidd, cymdeithasol a diwylliannol Cymru yn y dyfodol.Ac roedd yn addo mynd i’r afael â’r angen, y pryd hwnnw, am wella cysylltiadau ffyrdd a chyflwyno gwasanaeth trên newydd, cyflymach.
Roedd eu partneriaid yn y glymblaid, y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, yn addo gwella ansawdd y rhwydwaith ffyrdd strategol rhwng y gogledd a’r de.
Ac roedd maniffesto Plaid Cymru yr un flwyddyn yn nodi gwella cysylltiadau yng Nghymru rhwng y gogledd a’r de fel amcan allweddol, gan addo gwasanaeth trên cyflym o’r gogledd-orllewin i Gaerdydd fel blaenoriaeth frys, ynghyd â rhwydwaith ffyrdd gweddus "ffigur wyth" i roi cysylltiadau gogledd-de i bob cwr o Gymru a chysylltiadau â’r prif lwybrau o’r dwyrain i’r gorllewin, megis yr A40, yr A55 a’r M4.
Cafodd yr addewidio yma eu ailadrodd yn manifesto 2001, ynghyd ac addewid I lleihau amseroedd trafielio gogledd-de fel flaenoriaeth strategol, yn ogystal a gaddo cysylltiadau da efo prif rhwydwaith y DU ermwyn cale mynediad angenrheidiol ir farchnadoedd yn ardaloedd y canolbarth ar gorllewin.
Dyna oedd y flwyddyn pan dywedodd Llafur dylai bod ein rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd yn gwneud cyfraniad sylweddol I economi, cynaliadwyedd a cymunaedau Cymru, yn cysylltu dyffrynoedd efo’r arfordir, y gogledd efo’r de, ac yn annog ffyniant economiadd ledled Cymru.
Arol huna, darllenwyd yn 2007 bod Llafur, mewn trydydd tymor, am barhau I rhoi flaenoriaeth I fydsoddi yn ei seilwaith trafnidiaeth, yjn cynwys fwy o welliant I cysylltiadau tren Gogledd – De.
Ac hefyd, addawyd Plaid Cymru I greu rhaglen cadarn I uwchraddio cysylltiadau ffordd Gogledd/Orllewin – De yw cael ei gwbwlhau erbyn 2015.
Do! Mae Plaid Cymru wedi bod yn y Llywodraeth yma hefyd, ac wedi methu ar ei addewidion. Er llywodraethu mewn clymblaid, gwelsom ni ryn or addewidion yma, er bod Cytundeb Cymru’n Un yn deud eich bod am ddatblygu a gweithredu rhaglen argyfer gwell cysylltiadau rhwng y Gogledd ar De, yn cynnwys teithio ar drenau ac ar hyd ffyrdd, ac eich bod am lleihau yr amser trafeilio ar dren o Gogledd I De Cymru – addewidio y gwelsom eto yn manifesto 2011 Plaid.
Ac yn 2011 aeth Llafur Cymru yn ddistaw ar y pwnc, efo dim son o gwbwl yn eu manifesto y blwyddyn yna am cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth gogledd-de, ac yn 2012 gwelsom israddio yr cysylltiad holl bwysig rwng Caergybi a Gaerdydd I un tren cyflym yn unig pob diwrnod.
Dyma ni, 17 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach—17 mlynedd o addewidion wedi eu torri gan Lafur, Plaid Cymru a’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol...
- Yn ddiweddar, mae Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru wedi beirniadu Llywodraeth Cymru am beidio â gwneud digon i werthuso manteision ei buddsoddiad yn rheilffyrdd Cymru.
- Trenau Arriva Cymru sydd â’r cerbydau hynaf yn y DU, gyda phob trên yn 27 mlwydd oed ar gyfartaledd
- Mae’r cymhorthdal i gyswllt awyr rhwng Caerdydd ac Ynys Môn bellach wedi codi 27 y cant eto mewn blwyddyn, gan gostio mwy na £1 miliwn bob blwyddyn i’r trethdalwyr.
- Ac wrth i Lywodraeth Cymru dorri 1.7 y cant oddi ar ei gwariant ar draffyrdd, cefnffyrdd, rheilffyrdd a theithiau awyr yn gyfunol yn ei chyllideb ar gyfer 2016-17, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi cynyddu ei chyllideb ar drafnidiaeth 3.6 y cant, a gwelwyd cynnydd o 4.6 y cant yng ngwariant Llywodraeth yr Alban ar draffyrdd, cefnffyrdd a gwasanaethau trên.
Nawr, yn 2016, addawodd Llafur ryddhau potensial gogledd Cymru drwy ddatblygu system metro gogledd Cymru, ac uwchraddio’r A55, ac eto nid oes unrhyw fanylder, na chynllun na gweledigaeth o gwbl o hyd yn y rhaglen lywodraethu gyfredol.
Yn y cyfamser, mae Llywodraeth Geidwadol y DU yn mynd ati i archwilio’r gwaith o drydaneiddio rheilffordd y gogledd, gan barhau ei buddsoddiad o £70 biliwn yn nhrafnidiaeth y DU i gynnwys y buddsoddiad o £10.7 miliwn yn nhroad Halton, treblu’r buddsoddiad blynyddol yn y ffyrdd, ac ymrwymo £300 miliwn yn gynharach eleni ar gyfer prosiectau mawr, megis rheilffordd ‘cyflym 3’ a’r twnnel ar draws y Pennines.
Ar ben hynny, maent hefyd wedi rhoi £900 miliwn mewn pwerau benthyca i Lywodraeth Cymru, i’w ddefnyddio dros gyfnod o bum mlynedd, i gyflwyno gwelliannau mawr eu hangen i’r seilwaith, gan gynnwys yr A55. Eto i gyd, hyd yn hyn, mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru wedi methu defnyddio’r pwerau hyn i sicrhau unrhyw welliannau yn rhanbarth Gogledd Cymru.
Yn ddiweddar roedd gan BBC Wales erthygl ar deithio o ogledd Cymru i’r de, o’r enw ‘A jigsaw piece missing’.
I’r rhai ohonom—ac rwy’n golygu fi fy hun fel Aelod Cynulliad sy’n teithio bob wythnos, pobl sydd am wneud busnes yma yn y brifddinas, a rhai sy’n ymweld â chartref datganoli yma ym Mae Caerdydd—sy’n gwneud, neu’n ceisio gwneud, y daith hon yn rheolaidd, efallai y byddem yn dadlau bod mwy nag un darn ar goll.
Mae'r Bil Cymru yn ceisio cynnig mwy o bwerau datganoledig dros drafnidiaeth, sydd yn golygu ein bod am gael y cyfle i adolygu be mae Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru wedi galw’n “drefniant cymlaeth” rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Network Rail ar Adran Trafnidiaeth.
Maen nhw hefyd wedi darganfod bod Llywodraeth Cymru, er eu bod eisiau model gweithredu gwahanol ar gyfer y fasnachfraint nesaf, tydi’r Llywodraeth heb benderfynu eto be fydd y model gweithredu.
Yn amlwg, mae angen i'r fath fodel gael ei drafod ai benderfynu ar cyn i Lywodraeth Cymru cael y cyfle i gymryd drosodd masnachfraint Cymru ar ffiniau gan Drenau Arriva Cymru yn 2018, ac i fynd ymlaen efo’r cynllwyn i gael contract integredig ar gyfer Cymru ar Ffiniau ar Metro yn 2017. Wrth wneud hynna, bydd yn holl bwysig bod y cyfle yn cael ei chymryd i ddelio efo problemau sydd yn bodoli ar hyn o bryd, gan sicrhau:
• Cynnydd a gwell safon y stoc o drenau
• Cysylltiad wifi addas
• Amserau trafeilio cyflymach
A bydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn craffu'r datblygiadau’n ofalus…
Mae gan ardal gogledd Cymru asedau, mae ganddi bobl ac mae ganddi entrepreneuriaeth, busnesau a syniadau. Mae’n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gydnabod yn awr fod ganddi gyfrifoldeb am ardal lawer ehangach na swigen Bae Caerdydd, a bod yn rhaid iddi roi camau go iawn ar waith, gan ddefnyddio’r pwerau benthyca gan Lywodraeth y DU i wella ac uwchraddio cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth o fewn, i ac o ardal ogoneddus gogledd Cymru.