Cabinet OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PUBLIC TRANSPORT REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS (AMENDED) Portfolio Holders: Wards Affected: All All 1 SUMMARY 1.1 On the 29 May 2012 the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed a series of recommendations identified by their Time and Task Limited Panel who worked with colleagues from North Norfolk District Council. These recommendations were presented to Cabinet for endorsement on the 18 June 2012. The Cabinet referred these recommendations back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to further identify how those recommendations could be achieved and prioritised. 1.2 This report presents those recommendations again with further information on how each recommendation could be fulfilled and by who. The recommendations have also been themed to provide a clearer understanding of what the recommendations are trying to achieve. 2 KEY DECISION 2.1 This is not a key decision and has not been published in the Forward Plan. 3 INTRODUCTION 3.1 In September 2011, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that Broadland Scrutiny Members would work jointly with Members from North Norfolk District Council’s Scrutiny Committee to review public transport arrangements for Broadland and North Norfolk. The joint Time and Task Limited Panel met for the first time on the 26 October 2011. 3.2 During the course of the review, the Time and Task Limited Panel members met with the Assistant Director Travel and Transport Services Environment, Transport and Development, Tracey Jessop and County Council Portfolio Holder for Planning & Transportation, Graham Plant. The Members also engaged with Community Transport Providers, Parish Councils and Bus Operators. 4 THE ISSUES 4.1 The Overview and Scrutiny Committee identified during their work programming exercise in early 2012 that there were concerns around access 11 September 2012 Cabinet to Public Transport across the district. Upon consultation with other Norfolk Authorities, North Norfolk District Council identified similar concerns and agreed to work with Broadland District Council as a Joint Time and Task Limited Panel to review the effectiveness of Public Transport. The Joint TTLP were tasked to undertake the following: Identify gaps in the public transport services provided (Bus, Rail and Water) Identify services that are under threat to continue or to be reduced Conduct a Rural Proofing assessment which can be presented to the County Council as evidence to support continuing services in rural areas and where applicable invest in them Review the impacts on access to the SureStart centre being set up in Cawston, accounting for the cuts proposed to the bus services Investigate access to bus stops in terms of older people and disabled people capabilities, identifying possible improvements to be made To identify specific problems with public transport services for the elderly and the disabled To investigate how opportunities for employment were restricted by access to public transport in rural areas 4.2 Over the course of four months the TTLP identified a number of recommendations to be endorsed by each Council. 5 DISCUSSION 5.1 While the Overview and Scrutiny Committee reconsidered their initial recommendations, they were made aware of the ongoing work being undertaken by Norfolk County Council during their own service review. To date the County Council has increased the investment in Community Transport, and are building capacity with third sector organisations to increase the volume of journeys that can be undertaken. They have established a new social enterprise called Norfolk Community Transport Association, which is offering significant economies of scale for back office activity like recruitment, insurance, health and safety, operational good practice, CRB checks, vehicle and legislative compliance, vehicle and driver pooling. 5.2 Members from North Norfolk District Council attended the Overview and 11 September 2012 Cabinet Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 31 July 2012 to continue their involvement with this review and agreed with our Committee that the recommendations remained relevant and achievable should they be delivered how suggested. 5.3 Following consideration the Committee did agree to withdraw the recommendation “District Councils to support Community Transport Providers with their long-term running to enable the service to remain sustainable and deliverable e.g. charitable trusts/cooperatives” as it is more relevant to North Norfolk Council than to Broadland Council considering the number of Community Transport Operations active within the North Norfolk district. 6 PROPOSED ACTION 6.1 The Cabinet are asked to endorse the following recommendations identified by the Joint Time and Task Limited Panel and supported by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (as amended). Recommendation How it could be achieved Responsible for delivery a. The Council could do more to raise the profile of Community Transport Schemes available including what the benefits are to using community transport Coordinated through community grants to such organisations. b. Ensure that transport providers are aware of the Bus Service Operators Grant and help them to meet the criteria to apply Information could be added to the Community Engagement pages on the Broadland Council website, a feature could be published in Broadland News and articles raising awareness placed in Parish Pages. CTP are local businesses, information could be advertised in Business Focus magazine to raise awareness. Theme Awareness Economic Awareness Development Team 11 September 2012 Cabinet c. d. e. f. g. Recommendation How it could be achieved Responsible for delivery Ensure that Parish/Town Councils are informed with the correct information about services available e.g. up to date bus timetables, factsheets on SureStart services and how to access them, community buses, particularly evening services and the Kickstart moped scheme; and encourage them to disseminate the information proactively District and County Councils to provide more positive advertising of the uses of public transport and how to access it. This to also include basic operator information and a link to ‘Travel Line’ on the Council’s website County/District/Parish or Town Councils to consult with communities to fully identify their needs and find ways of providing community bus sharing schemes and supporting voluntary drivers to provide the service to begin with, for example through Neighbourhood Planning exercises Support and promote the new river ferry service being provided from the old power station to Trowse (Broadland/City area) Encourage Community Transport Providers to use regular bus routes in addition to providing bespoke trips for individuals Encourage the County Council to provide the information of services available to parish Councils through their existing communication means. A letter from the Council leader to County Council should suffice Norfolk County Council Awareness District Council Leaders writing a letter to County Council Lobbying Provide a positive article on the Council website ‘Transport and Streets’ along with basic information that can be downloaded and link to the Travel Line website. Communications Team Awareness Build these questions as part of consultation process for parish plan and neighbourhood plans. Also consider using these points of reference when consulting on infrastructure needs for a community. Spatial Planning Awareness Raise awareness of the service on the Council website and within notices in Broadland News and Parish Pages. Feed this information back to providers when they are applying for funding. Communications Team Awareness Partnership and Funding Officer Awareness Theme 11 September 2012 Cabinet Recommendation h. i. j. k. l. How it could be achieved Responsible for delivery Theme Consider ring-fencing funding to support community transport schemes and encourage new providers to come forward. Schemes that would assist local businesses to pick up employees would be particularly supported Provide supported funding or sponsorship to community transport providers to obtain new vehicles Would have to be agreed Economic by the Grants Panel how Development much funding is put aside Team. and endorsed by Cabinet. Raise awareness of available funds through community newsletters and BroadlandDC Twitter account. Funding Partnership and Funding Officer working with Norfolk County Council grants officer to improve access to funding streams. District Council/ Norfolk County Council Funding Negotiate with Bus Operators to be consistent in how they provide information and what they include with it. A lot of information is bundled together which do not relate and causes confusion The Council to support and encourage Community Transport Providers to reach out to young people who need a service in the evenings in order to attend groups or clubs. Include these points of reference within same letter to Bus Operators outlining the Council’s feedback from this review. Initially consult parish councils to outline which information from operators is most useful. Identify operating CTP’s and make them aware of groups/clubs for Young People who would benefit from their services, engage through YAB. Merge with existing Leisure arrangements and advertising methods. District Council to compile a joint letter with Norfolk County Council appealing to Bus Operators. County Council should have existing information of which routes maximise patronage Parish Liaison Officer Lobbying Economic Development, Leisure Team Lobbying Economic Development and County Council. Lobbying Persuade Bus Operators to provide double decker buses on the most popular and logical routes to maximise patronage. For example X29 Norwich to Kings Lynn/Fakenham District Council Leaders writing a letter to County Council 11 September 2012 Cabinet m. n. o. Recommendation How it could be achieved Responsible for delivery Provide bus timetables at local shops/village halls/central notice boards/libraries/schools/do ctors surgeries and Parish Magazines not just parish councils. Providing the information where people are most likely to access transport. Timetables for Bus Operators and contact/time information for Community Transport Providers displayed together. This should include information within the bus stops of which buses stop there Ask the Leader to write to the Government outlining the consultation undertaken and request them to consider an alternative regulatory framework and public transport funding systems that is accessible to both voluntary sector and private sector Convey to County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport concerns about the information boards present at the key bus service stops that are frequently not working. In addition consider linking up Public Authority websites or media accounts to share up to date information about service delays e.g. Twitter accounts and websites. The Council writes to Parish/Town Councils informing them the expectation that information needs to be provided in these areas across the parish area. A letter to Parish Councils encouraging them to obtain the information and pass to their local shops/libraries. Parish/Town Councils Lobbying Compile a joint letter from each Norfolk Authority countersigned by all Leaders and MP’s and sent to Government as per recommendation Democratic Services Lobbying Compile a letter to the Norfolk County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport (Graham Plant) conveying this concern and asking them to be included within their review of public transport services. Implementation would be at discretion of County Council. District Council Leader Lobbying the County Council District Council Leaders writing a letter to County Council. Theme 11 September 2012 Cabinet Recommendation p. The Council to encourage Bus Operators to provide safer collection points in areas where the main roads are dangerous. q. Convey to any public transport provider that it is important for drivers to be courteous, welcoming and helpful. These simple behaviours are extremely valued by service users and can influence their use of the service Relax criteria to achieve funding for community transport schemes, providing bespoke support to applicants to help them to complete a successful application form r. How it could be achieved Responsible for delivery Consult with Parish Councils where their current collections points are and if they are hazardous. Outline this feedback in a letter to Bus Operators asking them to revise collection points. Include within main letter from Council Leader to Bus Operators, and site separately with Rail Companies, Taxi Firms and Ferry Services. Collectively the Parish Councils working together to compile one letter Lobbying Democratic Services Lobbying Include as part of the Grants Review conducted on an annual basis. Recommendation reported to the Partnership and Funding Officer for information. Partnership and Funding Officer/ Democratic Services Lobbying (internal) Theme 7 RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS 7.1 There are minimal resource implications within this report. The delivery of recommendations to improve advertising and raising awareness will require officer time, any literature about available services or grants or volunteer schemes can be included within existing Council publications like Broadland News, Parish Pages and Broadland Business Focus. Leaflets from community transport providers could be obtained from the providers directly and supplied at community events across Broadland or relevant to those operator areas at no cost to the Council. Recommendations have been delegated to existing Council functions or to Parish Councils within their community facilitator role. 8 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 8.1 There are no legal implications associated with this report. 11 September 2012 Cabinet 9 CONCLUSION 9.1 In conclusion the Overview and Scrutiny Committee have reconsidered their initial recommendations, they have identified how each recommendation could be fulfilled in consultation with officers and collectively agreed three themes the recommendations apply to. The Cabinet are asked to deliberate these recommendations and consider them for action. 10 OPTIONS 10.1 The Cabinet has the following options (1) Endorse the updated recommendations (2) Agree alternative course of action to be taken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Councillor Peter Balcombe Chairman of the Joint Public Transport Time and Task Limited Panel Martin Thrower Head of Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer Background Papers None For further information on this report call Stacy Cosham on (01603) 430567 or e-mail stacy.cosham@broadland.gov.uk 11 September 2012 Appendix 3 Public Transport Review Summary of Stakeholder Responses Parish Councils Respondent In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? Horning Parish Council (NNDC) What's good? Well, it exists! If only in a small way. The bus is not too expensive. There are concessionary fares. What's bad? Services are not coordinated to link with each other. Provision is by competition, not need. Bus and rail are not coordinated Fakenham Town Council (NNDC) The infrequency of the bus service and no alternative i.e. rail etc. The Coasthopper bus appears to be very popular How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport? It has to be improved and integrated better, a service to the rail station in Norwich and the airport, and better facilities in the buses How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? Coordinate as above. All providers should be able to sell a "through ticket" which would cover bus and rail. (In Switzerland we can buy tickets which will cover all parts of the journey rail, boat, bus from the rail station) More publicity of timetables, both on the route and for connections. Flexible "put down stops". More bus shelters, even modest ones! Overall services need to be more user friendly By looking at integration When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail, community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else? Bus firstly then rail Public Transport – means rail and community transport Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of using public transport? How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who? What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk today? In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities gain access to bus services? Select from previous answer! By getting all providers together to address the problems. This would have to be driven by NNDC. Like the Curate's egg, parts of it are excellent, but it doesn't hang together. See 6 above and by giving such support as is possible. Lack of transport after a certain time in the evening, if visiting the theatre etc. Very difficult in these new austere times, with finance tight. An entrepreneur is required, someone like Virgin boss, who can invest without worrying if some routes do not make a profit initially The quality is reasonable it caters for wheelchairs, etc. but should have facilities on board As an enabler and collation of information Respondent In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? North Walsham Parish Transport to and from Council (NNDC) Norwich is a strength; transport to villages is a weakness How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport? How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail, community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else? Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of using public transport? How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who? What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk today? Frequency and integration are the keys to persuading more people to use public transport. Better technology and clean bus shelters would be an improvement. "No one wants to wait in the rain for a bus that may or may not arrive". The technology would allow people to check the whereabouts of their bus. Whereas this technology is now commonplace in urban areas, it's most needed in the countryside. The verdict on this was divided between buses and trains, both of which we have in North Walsham. The view was expressed that older people think in terms of buses, and try to organize their travel around them, as they are free and more likely to take you into the centre of a town or city. The most problematic elements of public transport are frequency, reliability and, in relation to buses, the attitude of some drivers which can be brusque and unhelpful. As above, the provision is better in market towns than in villages, where it can be non existent. Here it was suggested that while district councils have no direct responsibility for transport, they might lobby more vigorously and, in particular, they might do a better job of understanding the services in their area and monitoring them. In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities gain access to bus services? Respondent Aylsham Town Council (BDC) In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport? How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail, community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else? Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of using public transport? How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who? What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk today? Good Fares – joint ticketing using Bure Valley Railway, currently being explored following Urban Delivery report approved BDC cabinet. Day tickets More services into the villages – especially early morning for commuters. Would save residents coming into towns to “park and catch the bus” and would therefore leave more car parking for shoppers. Better service to NNUH other than having to go into and out of Norwich – many people in this area rely heavily on Aylsham Care Trust voluntary drivers Predominantly bus, but it is possible – if you have time – to get from Aylsham to Norwich by train, using the Bure Valley Railway and connecting to Poppy line at Wroxham. Car sharing does happen, more should be made of the liftshare scheme. Community buses are a lifeline in the villages for shopping trips. Kickstart scheme that provides mopeds has assisted people in rural areas to travel to employment more cheaply, especially if in younger age groups where cost of cars – and in particularly insurance – are very high in comparison with wages for inexperienced workers or those in lower skilled posts Timings – other than from main centres. E.g. I live in Banningham and work in Aylsham – this is not possible by public transport especially if add evening meeting requirements into the mix. Lack of use of services through villages has led to their demise. Fuel costs may reverse this trend More “joined up thinking” – liaison between authorities at all levels, community groups, and the voluntary sector. “Grow Your Community” project (BDC) with focus on Aylsham has collated information in this way Service and quality good from main points, not so from the villages, although easier to access if drive into Aylsham, park and pick up the bus Regular daily service from Aylsham to Norwich and Aylsham to Cromer. Also service to North Walsham using bus that goes to Paston college and does come through some of the villages en route Sanders coaches to/from Carrow Road on matchdays are very popular! Now use a double decker service – used to be single decker. Also accepts concessionary passes! Bad From a NorthNorfolk perspective, it is difficult to get to Norwich and Cromer direct – people can wait by the roadside on the A140, but this is dangerous. For both Broadland and NorthNorfolk, buses to and from North Walsham are infrequent. Cannot easily use public transport to work unless working in Norwich/Cromer Evening services could be improved North Norfolk – regular through services to Norwich/Cromer Better service to N Walsham and across county – especially with relocation of some hospital services from Aylsham to N Walsham With particular reference to the relocation of SureStart from Aylsham to Cawston – access to the office will be difficult other than by car In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities gain access to bus services? The “Grow Your Community” project in Aylsham has already started to expand the District Council’s role as a facilitator. Respondent Acle Parish Council (BDC) Barshams (NNDC) In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport? How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail, community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else? Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of using public transport? How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who? Some main towns and villages have excellent public transport e.g. Acle. Smaller communities often served by much fewer services with much longer journey times as bus routes seek to maximise passenger numbers at the expense of useful journey times Address points 1 and Transport must be 2 above available at the times people want to use them. Commuters need to know they can either get to work or to another transport hub at the beginning and end of the day and shoppers need services that allow them the choice of more than one service out of and back to their starting point. Bus and rail; how good the park and ride services are for people able to access them Access to services from rural locations. Rather than providing long rural routes that go right into Norwich maybe shorter route services from rural locations into the Park and Ride sites could be an answer then increase the number of buses from the Park & Ride sites. ALL problems can be overcome with the right amount of funding or the better distribution of existing budgets. This will involve all financial contributors to the transport 'pot'. Maybe there are some new contributors available? How about major employers who could benefit from their staff access to public transport making some contibution possibly in the form of company subsidised season tickets Good, where people have access to transport, West and North Barsham have none. People use it where it is available. Local access Public consultation Good points are frequency of buses in/around Fakenham. Bad point is that double deck buses should be used on X29 to Norwich and aren’t! Public transport exists to Norwich and King’sLynn, but have to get the 4 miles to Fakenham first. Go to more places and with times suitable for all. Nothing to Swaffham etc Difficult as it is likely that buses coming to smaller villages would not be cost effective. Extension of NNR and MNR to create the Norfolk Orbital Railway BUS, the nearest train station is 20 miles away, sadly. Pick up points, Inconvenient times, Delays Bus firms. Government needs to invest more in Railways! What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk today? In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities gain access to bus services? Generally good. Ensuring the provision of suitable transport services by liaison with other providers, NCC bus companies etc. and funding provision of services and ticket schemes where appropriate and affordable. The District Council should NOT pursue in any form at all wasteful but possibly vote winning transport schemes of any sort Good where it exists, but many villages do not have public transport. Impossible to please all, but fuel costs are now so high that some pensioners will be forced to stay at home as they cannot access public transport on foot. X29 Fakenham to Norwich/29 to King’s Lynn. Frankly, poor. Being able to get out of their homes is the only social contact some people have in their lives, and allow them to maintain their independence Survey the prospective use of transport to see what is needed. Give rural communities timetables etc so that potential users are aware of what exists currently Respondent Great Snoring (NNDC) In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport? How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail, community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else? Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of using public transport? How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who? What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk today? In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities gain access to bus services? No good points except ramps installed for wheelchairs but no buses Buses need to be regular so people can use them everyday to go to and from work More regular services should be provided so people want to use them Bus, mainly rail but it is necessary to go in a car in order to be able to go on a train Lack of flexibility Poor There is no public transport in Great Snoring Provide transport to this village Pilot bus/taxis that go off-route on request etc. Carry out surveys to see if that is more cost-effective for the operators. Some rarely use public transport since the hub for accessing it is nearly three miles away You need more buses at more times, but if people don’t use them then they won’t run, so the solution is in our hands It is really a county level problem, so although the district councils can comment it is a county problem Difficult to get any public transport information Better marketing and information relating to the services which do exist Remove the subsidy for bus passes (over 60s) on the Coast Hopper and re-direct the funds to rural buses The fact that it takes an extra three hours to get to where you want if you go by public transport The necessity to drive to the bus stop (2½ to 3½ miles away) or the train (25 miles to either mainline station) and then have to park Try to find effective private enterprise alternatives Needs a complete rethink by both national and local government. A 100% increase in council tax for 2nd homes and the removal of the subsidy from the Coast Hopper would help funding issues Little public transport and it is limited. Use powers to alter funding and raise new funding from 2nd home increase in council tax. Use council powers and lobbying abilities to central government, to make the regulatory framework easier, within which the private operators run the system. Reduce bureaucracy. Give operators the tax breaks they need etc. Realise that councils will not be able to do anything themselves, as they do not run buses and trains Respondent Walsingham (NNDC) In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport? How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk? Good: Coast Hopper service – Norfolk Green to be congratulated on this excellent example of a regular, reliable service, using clean, level-entry buses, driven by courteous and considerate drivers. Provide more appropriate bus services in rural locations. Make savings on main routes by reviewing timetables where services are unjustifiably frequent, or which duplicate routes, e.g. Sheringham / Holt, Sheringham / Cromer. (Please see item 2 above) Bad: Sanders buses – at best unable to tick many of the foregoing boxes. Loss of subsidy for community transport from County to provide transport to Heritage House at Wells means that many elderly are unable to attend the Day Centre Charge fees to outof-county bus pass holders who use buses in Norfolk – this is especially applicable to the Coast Hopper buses that get overcrowded with pensioners on holiday in North Norfolk When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail, community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else? Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of using public transport? How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who? Buses The lack of positive advertising to bring awareness of the many benefits of using public transport. As fuel costs rise this is particularly poignant Market research to (As 1 above) establish which routes and timetables would be supported, together with wide publicity about the purpose of the exercise. Involve all stakeholders, i.e. NCC, NNDC, Parish / Town Councils What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk today? In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities gain access to bus services? Any initiative would be welcomed. Isolation of the old and the worst off when transport is not provided and any initiatives which would allow them to keep in touch with the wider world would be useful Provide at least a limited service for villages which no longer enjoy any form of public transport General Comments made: Horning Parish Council (NNDC) As oil prices rise and £ v $ continues to deteriorate, the cost of personal transport will become out of reach for many in the rural community. Furthermore, carbon emissions from single occupancy cars will become unsustainable. Although now is not an opportune time to act, it is now that we need to start the planning for the next decade. This will to include the structure of provision and publicity to change the perception of public transport. How about a few free "try it" tickets? Whatever you think, do it now! (Or at least soon) North Walsham Parish Council – footnote The mayor and the deputy mayor shared the view that public transport was of great importance and that it would be a good thing if more people were to use it. They believe, as do many others in the town, that we need a later train on Friday and Saturday nights on the Bittern Line. They are both passionate advocates of the North Walsham Area Community Transport Association and believe it to be a great asset for North Walsham and its surrounding villages. They would like to see its services increased rather than reduced. One of the interviewees commented that community transport is often regarded as a service for the elderly, but that its long term survival would depend on its extending its work in the direction of young people. Kettleston (NNDC) I find it difficult to answer this questionnaire under these headings, but I reply in case what I say can be sifted for useful facts or opinions. I am retired, living alone, without a car for the last three years, in Kettlestone. The village now has two buses a week running through it – on Thursday to Fakenham and back (three years ago it had, I think, six a day) – and on the main road, about half a mile from my house, there is the hourly service between Holt and Fakenham. I use the Thursday bus regularly for shopping. The Thursday bus is also used fairly regularly or occasionally by two or three other villagers. I also sometimes catch the bus on the main road if I want to travel further afield, and that, though it usually picks up or drops passengers from Little Snoring, is seldom, as far as I know, used by people from Kettlestone, at least not at the times I use it. At the moment I am more like a hermit than a gadabout and I adapt to what is available. But I can see that if I were less able or were someone with greater family commitments the present supply of public transport would be difficult, intolerable or impossible. There is a circle by which poor service makes for fewer users and fewer users encourage a poorer service, as I think has happened in Kettlestone – though the bus companies' records and the councils who contract with them may well be able to point out that the Kettlestone service was not well used when it was generous – but I suspect it would take a lot of persuasiveness and time to make any service attractive to those who have become used to making their own arrangements. It has become the fashion to say that there is no money in a very rich country, that we can't afford it and therefore something must be reduced or abandoned. There was a time, I think, when we debated what was desirable and, when we agreed on that, then decided how and to what extent we could afford it; and I think that was a better way to do things. Why should there be a rural bus service? Is it hoped to encourage use widespread enough to be an alternative or preferable to private cars, or is it intended to provide some mobility for those who would otherwise be limited? If it is the latter, as I am sure it is, then Kettlestone is minimally served , but I do not know that a small improvement would be much appreciated or used. I do not expect much change to be made from a personal beef, but here it is. By careful planning and exact timing, and maybe some luck, I could get to Norwich or Wells and back, but the current service makes it easy enough for me to get only to Fakenham or Holt, Lynn or Cromer; and I should appreciate a rejigging of routes and timetables to widen my horizon. The route from Cromer to Lynn was once run by one company and it was possible to have through tickets on the same bus. But now that the route has been divided I have to change, and sometimes wait, at Fakenham. The connection between the services is now guaranteed one way only and when the bus from Lynn to Fakenham was delayed I have missed my bus to Little Snoring by a few minutes and had to wait an hour for the next. Rackheath `Parish Council (BDC) Woodbastwick Parish Council (BDC) The Parish Clerk to Rackheath also serving Salhouse was unable to gather information within the time allowed however, I have spoken to a couple of Parish Councillors for Salhouse who were prepared to state that public transport appears to be satisfactory in the morning and the afternoon but is sadly lacking in the evening. Due to cutbacks. Speak to Councillor S. Buckle for a full explanation The Clerk to the Woodbastwick Parish Council states that public transport is unknown in this area and she has no information as to anybody requiring it Community Transport Operators Respondent North Walsham Area Community Transport Association (NWACTA) Community Transport projects are heavily reliant on volunteers; has your scheme witnessed any problems with recruitment and retention? You are right that NWACTA is heavily dependant on volunteers as are most other CT schemes in Norfolk including community car schemes. The available “pool” of good volunteers has been shrinking for some years, as we demand higher standards of training and more rigorous vetting. We have recently been fortunate to benefit from an NCC/RDC initiative, which brought us 3 good people. It is important not to have too many because if not used they drift away. Driving for CT is an excellent voluntary activity where people can see the result of their labours in the vulnerable people they help Do you believe the proposed changes in the Transport Bill may help address these problems? Aside from volunteer recruitment and retention issues, are there any other problems that you frequently encounter? Do you engage with other similar schemes operating in the County? How do you promote your community transport scheme to the community? As you know the government have been pushing to get the voluntary sector to take over more public sector provision. It’s a good deal for the government because we take no profits and pay no shareholders. Also it reduces the amount the sector needs in funding. (See question 6) Most of the recent changes to the transport act, for example enabling CT schemes to register routes which carry the general public (around here it’s Poppy bus) are towards this end. Most problems are covered in other questions however for the CT sector across Norfolk to survive and work together we will probably need some standardisation of methods and charges. NCC are setting up a county wide forum which hopefully will address these issues. Yes we do and we have a national body the Community Transport Association, which lobbies the government for not-for-profit transport providers and keeps up with new legislation. Locally I chaired a North and West Norfolk Transport Forum for a number of years concerned with sharing good practise and campaigning for the sector. Our problem is that we have not sufficient human resources to continually promote our activities. New services are advertised using what media we can and a good splash can get us started with a dozen or so new members but over time the numbers reduce and we have the unfortunate fact that our buses are going through villages where there is need, but the people don’t know they can get on our bus. How do you fund the scheme within your area, including the promotion, service operation and purchasing of new vehicles? Traditionally CT schemes benefited from local authority support for their core funding mixed with capital and revenue grants from organisations such as the Rural Development Commission then later the Countryside Agency for project funding. These agencies no longer exist and the Lottery has all but withdrawn recently (in my opinion) so CT schemes and the voluntary sector in general are resorting to adopting the business model of trying to generate budget surpluses by taking on contract activity. Continued Questions….. In your experience what are the main problems that established schemes encounter? How willing do you find local groups are to be involved with community transport projects? If these services ceased to operate, what would be the implication for people living in these communities? North Walsham Area Community Transport Association (NWACTA) It is going to get worse for rurally isolated people as more cuts are made to the rural bus subsidy and less public transport is available to them. NNDC should help us to spread the word that, as much as possible, CT can help people get to essential services While there is an acceptance that public transport in rural areas needs ongoing subsidy to operate, community transport is seen as having a lower cost base because of the use of unpaid volunteers. In my experience there has always been reluctance from funding bodies to invest in core activities. Some CT schemes employ staff to provide their services and all of them suffer from ever higher running costs and an inability to replace vehicles CT provides low cost transport solutions for many groups supporting vulnerable people across all disciplines and there is good interaction between organisations How do community-based schemes fund the purchase of vehicles, and have any of them experienced difficulties in raising the necessary capital? The criteria for using free (PTS) hospital transport have recently been tightened leaving many more people stranded. CT schemes including community car schemes will try and help but can only do so much. Any reduction in these important door to door services will increase feelings of isolation and social exclusion and reduce health well being for vulnerable people Do you believe the funding of community based schemes could be simplified at a local and national level? Are there any community based transport schemes either in Broadland/North Norfolk or from another area that you feel are particularly successful? Pressure on district and county budgets will impact on support for the voluntary sector in the coming years. Better evidence of the value and social return derived from demand responsive, accessible transport will help the sector to survive. The Government have dedicated some money to county councils to help build sustainability in community transport and we look forward to seeing how this is spent What do you think the District Council could do to assist the sustainability and future of community transport? This question was not answered General Comments Norwich River Bus Service In brief a proposed ferry service from a regeneration site, once occupied by the electricity power station across the River Wensum to a development site in Trowse, standing in for bridge. The ferry service has plans to carry passengers from Trowse to New Mills( near to Oak Street Norwich) and return. Dredging by New Mills ( the turning point for the ferry service) is proving to be a sticky point with the Norwich City Council and the Broads Authority Private Companies Norfolk Green on behalf of Coasthopper Service These responses are global views but with specific reference to Coasthopper, 29, X8 and X29, all of which provide core transport services in North Norfolk. 1. Public transport is often seen as the ‘last resort’ option; what do you think could be done to improve the public perception of public transport and, therefore, increase patronage? Insofar as we are concerned I cannot accept that our routes are seen as the choice of last resort, although I accept that the political perception is misguidedly so. Given that our fare-paying (ie not free travel over-60s) customer base is consistently growing by between 8% and 15% a year, there are two scenarios that are causing this. Firstly, that there is a striking growth in deprivation in the area (of which I see no evidence) or that the premise behind this question is arguable or wrong. We achieve this growth by tailoring service patterns and offers to meet demand, and then advertising our product as widely as we can afford, putting a higher percentage of overall spend into advertising than does the industry generally 2. Cost is frequently raised as a barrier to using public transport, especially for younger people, how can this situation be improved?’ We have a policy of charging affordable fares. Our preference has always been for fuller buses at lower fares as we believe that that serves the market best. According to concessionary reimbursement consultants MCL (first employed by the Districts when responsible for reimbursement) and now the County as it moved to being their responsibility, our fares are adult 25% below the average of the County's other operators. We have provided a universal 20% off for all 16 to 19 year olds across our network since 2005. This is at all times, not just for those in education, and is based on a no-ID card basis. We were first in the UK to do so, and now at last some other operators are starting to follow suit. The combination of our adult fare policy and this means that the cost of travel for a 16 to 19 year old on our buses is about 40% below the average of other operators in the county who do not offer such a discount. Insofar as our business model is concerned, therefore, I do not believe that there is much of an issue (we receive very little comment to that effect) and I think there is little more that we can reasonably and affordably do. 3. Why have there been so few cases of subsidised routes becoming commercial, enabling the subsidy money to be reinvested into other routes?’ I don't accept this in respect of our operations, with two general exceptions below. Nor do I recognise the point nationally. Insofar as our operations are concerned, in the past two years we have commercialised a number of routes or part-routes that have saved the three County Councils with which we contract a total of £0.5m between them. If the Counties have decided, as they mostly have, to not reinvest the savings, that is a matter for them to answer for. Further, the Panel should not ignore that as passenger revenues rise from increased ridership, so, as contracts are re-tendered at five year intervals, this leads to real term reductions in the contract price, accruing further savings to the county concerned. So even if the route remains contracted, it doesn't mean that the County does not benefit; it is a matter of taking a series of steps towards commerciality. There are two general exceptions. One is, as in April 2012 and again in April 2013, central government decides to change the rules to force up our operating costs (eg the reduction in grant from this April to offset part of the fuel duty paid on bus routes, which has increased duty by 58% this month). Secondly, if an operator is marketing its services so as to grow passengers, government requires local authorities not to fully reimburse operators for new free travellers thereby generated. As a consequence these types of measures by government militate against commercialization 4. To what extent do the operators see themselves as competitors to each other as distinct from colleagues with a common aim of maximising ridership? The answer is both but with a much heavier bias towards being competitors with each other. There is a widely held belief in the industry that this is not right but it results from excessive attention to the industry over a lot of years. Only last December, the Competition Commission concluded the most major inquiry into the market ever undertaken, and, controversially concluded that buses do not compete with other forms of transport, rather they compete within a distinct market of bus users. I do not accept this any more than my industry colleagues, but the corporate and personal penalties for ignoring it by co-operating with each other "too much", which can lead to fines of 10% of company turnover, are disproportionate and excessive. Further, the industry regulator, in a case in Wales, has fairly recently then determined that the named person on the Operator Licence may not be a fit and proper person to run a bus company and barred from doing so for up to life. These draconian and largely unnecessary European requirements ensure that operators are extremely cautious about what the authorities might, in retrospect, determine to be undue and therefore anti-competitive co-operation 5. What do operators think they could do better than they do now? There are many things that operators could do better, so long as they can afford to do them better. However, as an industry we do not exist in a vacuum. The past decade was characterised by central government consistently and repeatedly increasing costs through excessive regulatory zeal, impacting all labour-intensive industries (such as NHS, Royal Mail and buses) negatively. Now, the current government is busy stripping out subsidy, creating a double hit. Reducing profits in this way feeds through to reduced investment, whether in hardware such as fleet, or innovation in service design and pricing. The method central government requires for free travel reimbursement also impacts. The Department for Transport issued a press statement only last month crowing that it had changed how we are paid, and congratulating itself on the windfall (its words) it had created for local authorities. That windfall simply means less investment by operators. Few businesses in any sector will invest in "doing things better" in such a massively hostile trading environment created by elected representatives (actually mostly by the European Commission). Further, all the public signals sent by government are pro-motorist, and added to decisions by them not to invest capital in bus schemes for rural areas, leads to the conclusion that private motoring is the preferred means of rural transportation 6. Do you engage with other transport schemes operating in the County? We do, to the extent that they exist, but in practice it is to a very limited extent indeed 7. What could the District Council do differently to what we do now that would help to increase patronage of your service? District Councils have responsibility for well-being policies, planning and parking policies. In the matter of the first mentioned, they are uniquely placed to use their powers to maximise use of buses, which are now largely easy access design, including for wheelchairs, by minimising use of taxis or non-emergency ambulances for outpatient clinic or hospital visits. As the planning authority, your guidance to developers is crucially important. It is my experience that ensuring that private sector developers are guided appropriately but that this rarely is the case for public sector developments, from village surgeries to district council offices, which are increasingly not well located with regards to either existing bus routes or sustainable new ones. The North Norfolk District offices at Cromer are possibly the most extreme example of this. The local framework plans set the scene, and I noted in the North Norfolk draft plan no regard was had for local bus service provision or termini, rather it majored only on parking capacity and protecting land for a future possible rail route, sending a very clear signal to bus operators that their contribution to the local economy, or environmental improvement, was not wanted. This does nothing to encourage investment. As the parking authority, you face conflicting pressures from raising revenue for yourselves and from businesses wanting below-cost or free parking as a means of boosting their businesses. Whichever level of parking charge is chosen, there is rarely or ever any regard for the impact on the sustainability of local bus services. On the Coasthopper route there is also the matter of restricting parking in places where local bus service punctuality or access can be severely undermined, such as at Salthouse and Cley. Whilst this may be a highway authority (ie County Council) matter, there is scope for the Districts to be much more proactive. In all these three areas, Districts could do significantly more to assist retention of local bus services to the benefit of local residents