How the Welsh Conservatives would improve transport in Wales

From day one of what? They don't have a snowball in hades chance of winning anything to do anything. Thank god. I'm amazed I typed that without swearing.

For a start, I think the chances of there being a Tory Welsh Government are vanishingly small, and hell's more likely to freeze over. As for Tories actually making public transport a viable alternative, that would mean a total reversal of Tory policies for pretty much the past half century. As for relieving congestion by building the M4 relief route, it wouldn't relieve anything for long, as it's long been known that traffic just expands to fill any new road space. The default 20mph limit introduced in Wales isn't without it's problems, but to claim that a very badly worded petition, that didn't make any sense should be a mandate to reverse the policy because nearly half a million people added their names to it is risible. Half a million is quite a lot of people, but even in such numbers they only represent just over a fifth of the entire Welsh electorate. That's not a majority, even if it is close to the proportion of voters that have elected quite a few Westminster governments for the Tories. Labour* isn't 'anti-car' and is on record in recognising the contribution made by the private car and acknowledges that in some circumstances, especially in rural areas, the private car is an essential. However, in the big cities cars are not essential to get around and their use is responsible for much local pollution, which causes the death of far too many citizens, and shortens the life of many others. Are we to understand that the Tories are advocating the slow death of vulnerable people and the poisoning of children? These Tory proposals would go quite some way to wrecking any progress made towards net zero. Encouraging pollution is never a good look, and that all the proposals above would achieve. *I'm not a Labour supporter,this accusation against them on the part of this Tory Shadow Minister is an undeserved slur.

The devil as usual, lies in the detail. And that’s what Natasha’s singularly light on. WHICH relief road will she build? And how will she ensure that she doesn’t just move the thrombus of Bryn Glas down the motorway? As for ‘prosperous well- invested public transport‘ ? Dream on Natasha! Tories spending money on public transport? Don’t make me laugh! Labour have taken 5 years of disruption just to lay the foundations of the South Wales Metro and I can’t see any Tory Senedd members using that to commute let alone coughing up government finance to finish the job. As for the third Menai crossing - where exactly are you going to place it? Far better in short term to implement the practicable a.m/ p.m contraflow. And how will you fund it? - like the A55 across Anglesey by PPI? - where effectively you put your road repayments in hock forever to vastly expensive private enterprise?

First of all the Tories would never win to be in charge to be in Government in Wales they might win some seats where the English migrants have come but they the Tories will always be in minority

Conservatives could improve transport in Wales by correctly calling HS2 an England only project and giving Wales our fair share. They have the power to do that today - yet refuse.

It's interesting they don't say what wlll happen to Cardiff airport, being the only major international airport in Wales. Perhaps, they are being led by their masters in London, who want to keep Cardiff airport down in favour of Bristol airport? Westminster policy is one of the reasons why it is dearer (higher taxes) to travel from Cardiff, why the airport struggles. https://jomec.co.uk/thecardiffian/2019/02/19/plans-to-make-cardiff-airport-flights-cheaper-being-blocked/ If the Tories were in charge - we would also say goodbye to the environmentally significant Gwent Levels. What also don't say is how much input local councils have on the 20mph decisions - a lot (councils can reverse the decision) - and how many areas in the rest of the UK are currently imposing 20mph zones. No calls for them to be scrapped too, is there. Their 'war on motorists' is a sham - don't listen to them.

Natasha, I saw your bullish performance on the Monmouth episode of Newsnight and I have to say I was disappointed at how the other guests allowed you to get away with spouting complete and utter nonsense. And here you are again. ULEZ sounds like a jolly good idea should you wish to have freedom from polluted air. There's no need to change the 20mph law. We only need to make sure the local authorities apply sensible exemptions on arterial routes. We don't need to change the policy on roadbuilding. We need the money your theiving colleagues in Westminster have stolen from the people of Wales and spent on HS2 so that we can transform our public and active transport infrastructure because that is what will actually reduce congestion. As in not building yet more capacity for traffic which is proven to increase traffic in the long term. Frankly, the narrative you seek to weave is an insult to the people of Wales. I only wish you were challenged more robustly when you speak such obviously errant nonsense in public.

Conservatives clown Natasha Asghar MS proclaims with fanfare what the Welsh Conservatives would do in power to improve transport in Wales. What a bloody nerve she has. Have I just awoken from bad dream , or in Wales case, a bloody nightmare. Is this the same Conservative party that's been in power for the past 14 years in London in which they've reneged on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. Scrapped the Swansea to Cardiff rail electrification manifesto pledge countersigned by LWC Andrew RT Davies and then WS Alun Cairns. May I remind that Conservative cuckoo that her party also lied about "unblocking the nostrils of the dragon " when they promised to build the M4 relief road after Welsh Labour scrapped the project. Her cult leader, and a big one at that, Boris Johnson promised the Conservatives would build it after electioneering in 2019 in Newport. It's nearly five years since that lump o lard wobbled into Monmouth and still nothing's been done? Not a pick or shovel in the ground. I can confidently predict that Rishy Sunak's rail electrification will not happen in North Wales too. All the Welsh Conservative are to Wales is a ball & chain. They are not government material. We need a new change of direction and the narrowminded anti-Wales cretinous Conservatives would be a step backwards. Also, if & when cardboard Conservative Keir Starmer & UK Labour are elected either in May or November will not fund any projects in Wales unless England benefits first. I have a suspicion they will only devolve powers sought by Welsh Labour if they accept that they will not fund any infrastructure builds and not to push Labour before any general election. Afterwards , well they can kick and scream all they like. Keir Starmer & Blue Labour are in power. Wales can go screw. As you were. Poverty rules and Wales is the fool.

The fact it has taken the creation of the new metro , with EU as well as Senedd funding , to replace Victorian era track and signalling on the Treherbert line, shows what investing they have done here while they have been able to. Track and signalling is reserved to Westminster and done by Network Rail, who they control. They have always had the money and power to upgrade our infrastructure, but refuse to do it.

Jesus wept, this is incoherent nonsense. Knock-about in the Senedd is one thing but if this is their considered critique of the official opposition then we should all worry. Take just one example, she says That in the last 11 years £200m has been spent 'propping-up Cardiff Airport' and the Conservatives "would have re-invested this cash into transport projects which directly benefit people’s lives, such as building an M4 relief road, a third Menai crossing and the Chepstow bypass". So let's put to one side the closure of the airport that would result, and the knock-on closure of the BA Maintenance facility that relies on the runway (with more than 500 jobs plus supply chain down the pan). She says the money would have been spent on a new M4 (circa £2 Billion), a new Menai crossing (circa £400m) and a bypass around Chepstow (circa £100M). This is so poor. Why are they never challenged on it?

If the Cons really wanted a "prosperous, well-invested and reliable transport network" they would have made HS2 an England only project and given Wales the cash to provide a prosperous, well-invested and reliable transport network. It was in their power all along but have no such intention.

Very little about their plans for public transport here.

Give Wales it's money back you stole for HS2 and give it the crown estate land back too.

There is no way those plans will help Welsh Transport And the environment. Wish she had gone for the Mayor of London!

Massive irony - the word conservative suggests someone that would have environmental protection at their heart yet your creed is to destroy, to ignorantly pave over, to obliterate all that is good ... just to make a fast buck.. The place I grew up in was a paradise, now 3 bypasses later its akin to living in a couldron of noise and traffic fumes. I really wish I could swear on here because I really want to let rip with my response to you and your ignorant, manure laden comments. War on motorists? What about the war on nature and by extension and eventual conclusion ... all of us?!

Nothing she said was logical. It was all disingenuous waffle.

Good on Nation Cymru allowing all sides of the political spectrum to voice their views. Most on here will not agree with her however that does not mean she should not be allowed to speak. I certainly would not want Wales to become a one party state like Russia were opposition is gagged

Great opportunity for us to show them how we feel in the comments. They are so high and mighty they will never look here though. Piece written, job done for the plebs, move on to the next charade.

Give us the HS2 money, allow us to change air tax at Cardiff airport, give us control of the rail infrastructure in Cymru, give us control of the Crown Estate in Cymru. No? Well you don't work for us then. Head back to Llundain.

I’ve tripped over so many untruths in the first two paragraphs I can’t be bothered to carry on reading.

It's a chance to hear what they have to say. Example. She touts the war on motorists from labour. That is a policy the Cons pushed at their conference and a ploy they are trying to drive a wedge issue. They forget the absolute cost people are facing in reality, that is cost of maintenance, fuel, insurance, tyres, breakdown costs, all have rocketed under the conservative party, there is a war on the motorist, but it is under Tory policies in real time now. The 20mph limit has not cost me anything, their national policies cost me a lot of money every year. Another example. They are saying that if they get to power, they will spend millions reverting to 30. So day one they blow my taxes. Another example. The relief road will just become another car park, we see that on other motorways that have been expanded. It will overrun on costs and delivery, we see that with Tory projects around the UK. HS2? Hinkley? Sieve through that word salad posted and you can see they will not deliver.

Reading this article with crazed references to ULEZ and congestion charges, which don't exist in Wales. Natasha Asghar sounds more like a conspiracy theorist that a serious politician.

To quote Asghar: "That would involve scrapping Labour’s default 20mph speed limit scheme, axing congestion charges, resuming road building and ruling out ludicrous ideas like reintroducing the dreaded Severn Bridge tolls and the dreaded ULEZ." Firstly: scrapping the default 20mph speed limit. Surely that should be up to councils to apply exemptions to the 20mph limit? She's obviously (not) a great believer in local democracy. Secondly: what congestion charges? There aren't any in Wales as far as I know (and certainly none in the area I live in). And if any are introduced then surely that should be up to local authorities as they would be better placed to decide such things - again she's obviously (not) a great believer in local democracy. Thirdly: the reintroduction of Severn Bridge tolls. There aren't any plans to re-introduce Servern Bridge tolls and she knows that. She's just telling outright lies now. Fourthly: ULEZ charges. Currently these haven't been introduced in Wales and the former first minister Mark Drakeford made it clear that they would only be introduced in Wales as a last resort if other measures to clean up our air quality failed. Again another lie from Asghar - unless of course she's got confused with London, after all she did try to get herself nominated as the tory candidate for the Mayor of London (which just goes to show how loyal she is to Wales). As for the supposed 'war on motorists' bollox, it's far more accurate to say that motorists have declared war on pedestriasns, cyclists, bus passengers, safe streets and the environment ever since the invention of the car. But again, don't expect any accuracy from Asghar, a nasty piece of work.

The CONservatives are obsessed with the private motor vehicle. Other, more environmentally friendly modes of transport are available, but these are only paid lip service at best in the piece.

Martin Shipton is hardly right-wing. Sure, he's no raging leftie, but he's definitely a social democrat at the very least!

After reading all the comments on here, I nearly slipped up and started to feel sorry for her. Only for a nanosecond though. Severn Crossing charges are just another myth like the 20mph “blanket speed limit”.

"Labour’s war on motorists". "Labour’s default 20mph speed limit scheme". "congestion charges". "the dreaded Severn Bridge tolls". "the dreaded ULEZ." Jeez, where to start with all this utter bilge. Does she really think we're stupid enough to believe these ridiculous soundbites?

My taxes go to HS2, everyone in Wales paying tax is funding it. Guess I want to see a benefit for my taxes spent in Wales on rail projects. Instead I see rolling stock that have to have diesel engines on a mainly electric line because they would not electrify past Cardiff. Other countries have built high speed links at a fraction the cost.

It is called the "Barnett consequencial", where a percentage of money spent in England is given to the devolved Govs, of which, Scotland and N Ireland have received theirs, but we are denied due to the England/Wales classification of the project.

Because HS2 was designated an England an Wales capital project inspite of the fact that not a single kilometre of HS2 track was to be built in Wales.

I think 🤔 she might suggest a national ban on “ Sudden U turns “

Remind me, what party cancelled the electrification of the railway, to Swansea? What party refused to build the Swansea lagoon? And some voters, want to return to Westminster full control.

Tories have zero chance of getting into power in Wales or at Westminster. People need to look beyond the party and have a sensible debate on transport. Labour being anti motorist with their 20 mph and no new road building is damaging and needs to be removed. If it was targeted the 500k who signed the petition would have accepted it a lot more. Wales is too rural to be reliant on public transport. People rely on their cars to go about everyday activities and will continue to do so whatever the cost. There needs to be different strategies for each part of Wales. Public transport doesn't even work in Cardiff let alone elsewhere. We have had no bus station for years, the council are killing city centres & local villages with parking charges and the only winners are Amazon who pay a fraction of the tax that they should be. Bike and bus lanes just add to congestion and delays, traffic lights are configured to stop vehicles at every opportunity. The metro is just an improved railway which is expensive to use. There are no easy answers but the publics opinions need to be taken into account before these idiotic plans are rolled out

I am not a Labour voter or supporter, but, could somebody explain to me why people blame our government for roads being designated 20mph, when it is local councils, of all political shades, who are responsible for deciding which roads are 20mph, and all were open to public consultation before desicions were made, secondly how is it a Labour war on motorists, when Tory councils all over England, have and are implementing the 20mph limit there, with little or no objections. And the petition , why should our government listen to Tory councilor from Sunderland in England who was influencing it on several Facebook accounts, and people from all over the world signing it?

RCT council is Labour. They love the car and hate walking and cycling. Politics love the NO2 pollution