Natasha Asghar, Member of the Senedd for South Wales East, met with local family-run bus engineering group, ‘Bulwark Bus and Coach Engineering Ltd’ to discuss large vehicle engine maintenance, the future of electric buses and apprenticeships in the sector.
Christopher Gwynne, the company’s owner, took on responsibility of the business from his father; the pair having decades worth of experience in the industry, between them.
The meeting covered everything from the transition to electric and cost pressures in the industry, to the shortage of young apprentices in the sector.
Commenting on the productive meeting, Natasha Asghar MS, said:
“Buses underpin the school transport sector, as well as the tourism industry and Welsh economy. Without our highly skilled engineers, we quite simply wouldn’t be able to get from A to B.
“It was fantastic to meet with Christopher and his team, but devastating to hear of the negative impact a shortage of young apprentices is having on his business and the industry more widely.
“I would urge Welsh Government officials to meet with businesses such as this, which in Christopher’s case underpin all that is great about family-run expertise; if they want to actually be in-touch with the current challenges those in the sector are facing.
“The transition to electric and clean alternatives is expensive - businesses in the sector, particularly smaller enterprises, must be provided with ample support to make these transitions. After all, the Welsh Government are reliant on them to meet their Net Zero targets.”
