Topics

Roads and transport

Roads, potholes, parking, buses, cycling, walking and speed limits.

This month

Councils dealt with active travel routes, school transport, road maintenance and parking this month. Welsh Government bus reform and transport funding sit behind many of these items.[10][2][5][14][17]

What's happening

Conwy cabinet approved closing Ysgol Betws y Coed and Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan from 31 August 2027. It approved exceptions to the home to school transport policy, so pupils get transport from September 2027. Blaenau Gwent cabinet approved its Home to School and Post 16 Transport Policy 2027/2028 for publication.[6][7][2]
Pembrokeshire cabinet approved the revised Winter Maintenance Plan for 2026/27. It noted a pilot of extra salt storage at Rhyd and Fishguard depots and asked for a further report after the winter.[8]
Carmarthenshire planning committee deferred the Tycroes convenience store application for a site visit because of concerns about highway impacts and safety. Scrutiny committees in Denbighshire and Bridgend had road maintenance and resurfacing items on their agendas.[1][3][5]

Pressing issues

School transport appears repeatedly. Rhondda Cynon Taf scrutiny reviewed changes to its policy, Caerphilly scrutiny had a motion on school transport route safety, and Powys cabinet considered transport for pupils at secondary schools in England.[9][4][11]
Open consultations include Pembrokeshire's Haverfordwest Active Travel Route, closing on 22 November. The Welsh Government's consultation on the street works and road works safety code closes on 14 December.[12][13]

The policy context

The Bus Services (Wales) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 2 February 2026. It moves responsibility for planning bus services from local authorities, who keep local highways, learner travel and most bus infrastructure.[14][15]
The Finance Committee estimated the net cost of the Bus Bill at about £623.5 million between 2025-26 and 2054-55.[16]
The Welsh Government awarded £115.9 million to local authorities through the Regional Transport Fund for 2026 to 2027. £58.5 million of this is for making it easier to walk, wheel and cycle.[17][18]

Written in November 2026 from council records since 20 September 2026, open consultations and official sources. Written automatically, then checked: every point names its sources and every figure appears in them. Follow the links to check anything before relying on it.

Sources

1. Carmarthenshire meeting, 22 October 2026 Demolish former takeaway and build convenience store, Tycroes
2. Blaenau Gwent meeting, 19 October 2026 Home to School and Post 16 Transport Policy Review 2027 – 2028
3. Denbighshire meeting, 15 October 2026 ROAD MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
4. Caerphilly meeting, 13 October 2026 Notice of Motion - School Transport Route Safety, Educational Access and Equality.
5. Bridgend meeting, 12 October 2026 Condition of Highways and Status of Road Resurfacing Programme
6. Conwy meeting, 6 October 2026 Closure of Ysgol Betws y Coed
7. Conwy meeting, 6 October 2026 Closure of Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan
8. Pembrokeshire meeting, 5 October 2026 Winter maintenance plan for 2026-27
9. Rhondda Cynon Taf meeting, 5 October 2026 UPDATE REVIEW OF THE CHANGES TO THE COUNCIL’S SCHOOL TRANSPORT POLICY
10. Vale of Glamorgan meeting, 5 October 2026 Biglis to Dinas Powys active travel route: Compulsory Purchase Order
11. Powys meeting, 2 October 2026 Transport for Powys pupils attending secondary schools in England
12. Consultation: Have your say: Haverfordwest Active Travel Route
13. Consultation: Updating the Safety at street works and road works code of practice
14. Bus Services (Wales) Act 2026
15. Can Wales finally join the dots on public transport?
16. senedd.wales Welsh Parliament Finance Committee Financial implications of the
17. More than £115m to improve local transport across Wales
18. More than £115m to improve local transport across Wales

What councils do

Councils look after local roads and pavements, street lights, parking and road safety, and support bus services that wouldn't run otherwise. Motorways and trunk roads are the Welsh Government's.

Who decides

The Cabinet member for transport leads. Traffic orders, such as new speed limits or parking restrictions, are advertised before they're made.

Having a say

Report potholes and broken street lights to the council or through FixMyStreet. You can object to a proposed traffic order during its notice period.

In numbers

Welsh councils plan to spend £107 per person on this in 2026-27.
It ranges from £62 in Vale of Glamorgan to £166 in Anglesey.
People killed or seriously injured on the roads: 38 per 100,000 people across Wales (2025).

How each council is doing

By council, last 12 months

How many agenda items on this topic each council dealt with, and how many had a decision recorded.

Council	Items	With a decision
Neath Port Talbot	75	40
Monmouthshire	66	28
Cardiff	60	55
Gwynedd	59	41
Powys	47	28
Wrexham	46	43
Carmarthenshire	44	36
Conwy	44	42
Swansea	42	33
Vale of Glamorgan	40	19
Flintshire	39	9
Newport	35	9
Pembrokeshire	34	28
Rhondda Cynon Taf	25	22
Ceredigion	25	24
Merthyr Tydfil	24	24
Denbighshire	22	18
Caerphilly	19	0
Blaenau Gwent	13	12
Bridgend	11	0
Torfaen	10	7