APPENDIX B
Overview & Scrutiny Committee
TIME AND TASK LIMITED PANEL PUBLIC TRANSPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
Portfolio Holders: All
Wards Affected:
All
1
SUMMARY
1.1
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.
1.2
This report provides the outcomes achieved by the Joint Time and Task
Limited Panel and conveys their recommendations for the Committee’s
endorsement.
2
BACKGROUND
2.1
The Time and Task Limited Panel 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
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee
2.2
During their review the Panel have met with the Assistant Director Travel and
Transport Services, Tracey Jessop, from the County Council along with the
Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation, Graham Plant. They
discussed the proposed budget cuts and changes to bus services outlining to
them the potential impacts to communities, especially those within rural areas
already struggling with fair and reasonable access to services. The outcome
from the discussion was that Ms Jessop and Mr Plant took on board our
comments and fed them into the ongoing county consultation. Shortly
afterwards the proposed changes to bus service concessions for blind users
were withdrawn.
2.3
Three sets of questions were put together for three audience types:
Parish/Town Councils, Community Transport Providers and Bus Operators.
These sets of questions enabled the Panel to engage with various groups
about the impacts of bus services. The questions aimed to discover how
services are offered to the public and what challenges they face. The
feedback received was valuable; Community Transport Providers identified
that the priorities are identifying and maintaining a database of volunteers to
help deliver the service and achieving funding from the County Council and
District Councils.
2.4
Each Member of the Panel was allocated a Parish Council, a transport
provider and a bus operator to consult with. Evidence from those experiences
is appended to this report for information. Broadland Members have
contacted:
2.5
•
Norfolk LINk
•
City Boat river buses
•
Aylsham ACT
•
Anglian Buses
•
Coast Hopper
•
Norwich Dial a Ride
•
Parish Councils: Acle, Hevingham, Rackheath, Salhouse, Woodbastwick,
and Aylsham Town Council.
One Member contacted the Surestart Centre based in Cawston and was
informed that they do not expect service users to travel to Cawston, the centre
there is a ‘homing base’ for the Surestart staff who will deliver the service
across the district and visit the service users. After receiving this information
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee
it was agreed that there are no specific public transport concerns for this
centre or for service users accessing the service.
2.6
The Panel received a written briefing from the Norfolk Rural Community
Council Chief Executive, Jon Clemo, outlining what a rural proofing exercise
would consist of. The Panel were also informed that the NRCC are already
conducting a rural proofing exercise for the County Council contributing to
their overall review of bus services. To that end the Panel agreed that the
cost of the rural proofing exercise could not be justified and likely to duplicate
the information being gathered for the County Council. When the Panel met
with Ms Jessop she agreed to share the findings from the rural proofing report
that involve areas in Broadland and North Norfolk. This has been honoured
by the County Council and the information provided has been interesting but
not overly concerning.
2.7
Discussion regarding low level kerbs and raised kerbs at bus stops was
discussed at length with the County Council colleagues as well as assistance
for careers, mothers with pushchairs and blind people for getting onto buses.
Confirmation was given that the Capital Programme has restricted the
provision of raised kerbs in rural areas and given the increase in Demand
Responsive Transport (DRT) which picks up passengers from their homes
this has become a lower priority.
2.8
A copy of the Joint Panel’s project plan can be found with this report under
Appendix 1. The project plan outlines the activities of the panel in order to
achieve their objectives.
3
PROPOSED ACTION
3.1
Given all the information the Panel has learnt over the past 7 months, their
collective recommendations can be summarised as:
a) The Council could do more to raise the profile of Community Transport
Schemes available including what the benefits are to using community
transport
b) 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.
c) Provide supported funding or sponsorship to community transport
providers to obtain new vehicles
d) Ensure that transport providers are aware of the Bus Service Operators
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee
Grant and help them to meet the criteria to apply
e) 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.
f) 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/clubs/socialise with each other.
g) 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.
h) Provide bus timetables at local shops/village halls/central notice
boards/libraries/schools/doctors surgeries not just parish councils.
Providing the information where people are most likely to access.
Timetables for Bus Operators and times/contact information for
Community Transport Providers displayed together. This should
include information within the bus stops of which buses stop there.
i) Relax criteria to achieve funding for community transport schemes,
providing bespoke support to applicants to help them to complete a
successful application form.
j) 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 etc
k) 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
information operator information and a link to ‘Travel Line’ on the
Council’s website
l) 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.
m) The Council to encourage Bus Operators to provide safer collection
points in areas where the main roads are dangerous and instead take
the bus through village centres to collect patrons instead of bypasses
etc (where possible).
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee
n) 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.
o) 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.
p) Support and promote the new river ferry service being provided from
the old power station to Trowse (Broadland/City area).
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.
r) Encourage Community Transport Providers to use regular bus routes
in addition to providing bespoke trips for individuals.
s) Consider the provision of service delay information direct into bus
stations/bus stops and in addition, the Councils to provide those
updates on their social media outlets. This could be achieved through
partnership liaison with the Police, Fire Services, Highways Agency
and County Council.
3.2
Members of the Panel consulted with various community transport providers
and Parish Councils using a set of agreed questions, for information those
questions are included with this report as Appendix 2. Given the responses
received from those organisations as listed under paragraph 2.4, Members
feel that the level of responses was representative and the Panel extended
their sincere thanks to all those who contributed to this review. A summary of
all responses received accompanies this report under Appendix 3.
4
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
4.1
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 and Parish Pages and Broadland Business Focus. Leaflets from
community transport providers could be obtain from the providers directly and
supplied at community events across Broadland or relevant to those operator
areas at no cost to the Council.
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee
5
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
5.1
There are no legal implications associated with this report.
6
CONCLUSION
6.1
In conclusion the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are asked to support the
below recommendations agreed by the Joint Time and Task Limited Panel
and refer them onto Cabinet for adoption.
7
RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1
The Panel wish for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to accept the
following recommendations:
a) The Committee to agree the recommendations outlined under 3.1 in this
report and ask the Cabinet to endorse them
or
b) The Committee to agreed alternative recommendations asking the Cabinet
to endorse them
or
c) The Committee ask the Time and Task Limited Panel to revisit their review
and find an alternative conclusion
and
d) The Committee to recommend to Cabinet that the delivery of these
recommendations is reviewed in 12 months time to ensure implementation
Councillor P Balcombe
Chairman of Joint Time and Task Limited Panel Public Transport
Background Papers
Minutes from the Joint Time and Task Limited Panel 26 October 2011, 21 November
2011, 11 January 2012, 8 February 2012, 21 March 2012 and 25 April 2012.
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Overview & Scrutiny Committee
For further information on this report call Stacy Cosham on (01603) 430567 or
e-mail stacy.cosham@broadland.gov.uk
29 May 2012