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The panel of independent commissioners who will recommend how to build a sustainable and integrated transport system for north Wales have been announced by Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters.

In February, the Deputy Minister announced plans to establish the North Wales Transport Commission led by Lord Terry Burns. 

During a visit to an innovative transport initiative in Denbighshire he announced the membership of the group and the areas it will focus on.  The Deputy Minister had the opportunity to see the electric powered Fflecsi bus first hand, which will provide a service in the Ruthin area.  Funded by the Welsh Government, it is Denbighshire’s first ever zero emissions, 100% battery operated 16-seat minibus.

In common with similar schemes in other parts of Wales, Fflecsi is a demand-responsive service, with passengers able to book their journey an hour beforehand.  It will introduce a bus service for many people in Ruthin for the first time.

The Deputy Minister recently said:

I’m pleased to be in Denbighshire to announce the commissioners who will form the North Wales Transport Commission, and what they will focus on.  The new Ruthin Fflecsi bus service is an excellent example of what can be done to improve transport links in rural areas in a sustainable way.  For many people, this is the first time they will have access to a bus service they can use from where they live, and provide a real alternative to using a car for journeys in the area.

The North Wales Transport Commission will build on the great work already being delivered by the North Wales Metro programme such as this Fflecsi service, and consider the needs of all communities; both urban and rural, along the coast and inland.

It will be based on the successful model of the South East Wales Transport Commission, where after a year of hard work we’re starting to see our plans for an integrated public transport network become a reality.

This is the opportunity to ensure that North Wales has the transport network which meets its needs for the future, and deals with the challenges we face with the climate emergency.

I’m very pleased to announce the six commissioners who will take forward this work and provide recommendations to me next year.  They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and I look forward to working with them.

Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths recently said:

This is good news for North Wales.  I’m pleased Lord Burns is chairing this commission, following his expert work in south east Wales.  This has the potential to bring effective and innovative recommendations on how to build a sustainable transport network for the whole of the region.

The six commissioners are:

• Professor John Parkin, Professor of Transport Engineering at the University of the West of England and Deputy Director of the Centre for Transport and Society
• Ashley Rogers, Commercial Director of the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council
• Dyfed Edwards, Deputy Chair of the Welsh Revenue Authority and former Leader of Gwynedd Council
• Dr Georgina Santos, Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University and economist interested in environmental and transport economics and public policy
• Sue Flack, Former Director of Planning and Transport at Nottingham City Council, now independent transport consultant specialising in integrating planning and transport
• Stephen Joseph OBE, Advisor and former Director of the Campaign for Better Transport.

The Commission will be supported by a Welsh Government and Transport for Wales Secretariat. From this, the Deputy Minister has appointed Advisory Members to the Commission given their particular expertise. They are:

• Glyn Evans, Active Travel Lead: North Wales, Transport for Wales
• Ruth Wojtan, North Wales Metro Strategic Development Project Manager

The Commission will be taking an evidence-led approach to produce recommendations that will help deliver a high-quality integrated transport system for north Wales, improving the way we travel while cutting emissions. The conclusions of the Welsh Government’s roads review will form part of that evidence base for the Commission’s recommendations, which are due to be presented next year.