Community Transport puts the community at the heart of all it does, taking a ground-up approach to developing demand-responsive, accessible transport solutions that work for everyone. Services offer so much more than just a journey, empowering people by opening up opportunities for those who would otherwise be excluded.


We have nearly 100 members in Wales delivering a huge variety of services and support, from community-owned buses and volunteer car schemes to Dial-a-Ride, car clubs and active travel, and wider community support like befriending, community pantries, and sports and social clubs. 

The Community Transport sector sits at the very heart of urban, rural and island communities from Ynys Môn to Monmouth, Wrexham to Pembroke Dock, and is absolutely vital in ensuring Welsh people are healthy, independent, and connected.

Team Wales is here to help you, our sector and our partners with advice, advocacy, consultancy, information, research, resources and support:

We enable regulatory and legislative compliance, promote innovation and best practice, provide grassroots development support and deliver high-quality training, to ensure passengers can connect with the people and the places they love safely, legally, and with dignity. 

We work on national, local, regional and devolved policy issues, working in close partnership with the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, Bus Users UK, the WLGA, Sustrans Cymru, Building Communities Trust, and a number of Universities, Local Authorities and Health Boards. 

We build alliances and collaborations with those who share our values of accessibility, inclusion and sustainability and our belief that everyone in Wales, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to local transport which meets their needs.
CTA in Wales is a member of WCVA, the IWA, and the Coproduction Network for Wales.

We currently have a number of areas of focus in Wales:


Llwybr Newydd – the Wales Transport Strategy
The publication of ‘Llwybr Newydd—a new Wales transport strategy’ was an exciting moment for everyone involved in transport in Wales, and in particular for the Community Transport sector. Through this transport strategy, the Welsh Government have made a public commitment to work in partnership with every element of the transport sector to develop a truly integrated, accessible and sustainable transport network for Wales. Llwybr Newydd set out “a vision for transport in Wales that shows how we can rebuild connections between people in the short term, while reshaping our transport networks to respond to the challenges of climate change”. CTA Cymru continue to work closely with colleagues in the Welsh Government to deliver our members’  vision that by 2045, community transport is recognised, embedded and valued as part of an integrated transport network for Wales.


Roadmap to Franchising
The Welsh Government’s delivery partner Transport for Wales (TfW) are the lead organisation for much of the implementation of Llwybr Newydd, with one key aspiration being to transform the Welsh bus network to put passengers before profit, improve connections across the country and make bus journeys a more viable option for more people. Team Wales are working closely with colleagues across TfW and the Welsh Government to ensure this vision is delivered in a socially just and inclusive way, looking at how routes and networks can be designed in partnership with the communities and community-led organisations to ensure no-one gets left behind. Find our more here. 


Aneurin Bevan Transport to Health 
Transport to health is one of the top concerns we hear about talking to Welsh residents, as the fragmented and expensive public transport network means people can really struggle to make their health appointments at GPs, hospitals, and other health centres. We’ve been working with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board since 2021 to tackle this challenge, by supporting them to invest directly in growing community-led and sustainable transport options across Gwent and south Powys. Find out more here.


Funding
The Welsh funding landscape is a huge challenge, with costs increasing all the time and very little core funding coming into the Community Transport sector. Our team work closely with operators and community-led groups to identify funding needs and develop fundraising strategies bespoke to their requirements, and can also provide help with reviewing, evaluating or even developing funding bids as part of our capacity-building case work.

Our Wales Spotlight newsletter is sent to our growing network of members, partners, stakeholders and supporters every month. It features news, policy updates, events, members corner, funding opportunities and more. Please sign up here to be part of our movement and keep up-to-date with our work.

CTA in Wales Latest Updates and News 

Here you will find the latest news, resources and updates relating to CTA in Wales. If you have any questions and want to content the team directly, please email [email protected]

Click here for funding support in Wales information.