APPENDIX C
Appendix 2 – Public Transport Review. Questions
Time and Task Limited Panel – Review of Public Transport
Questions submitted to stakeholders and organisations
To the Public and/or Parish Councils:
1. In your opinion what are the good and bad aspects of public transport in
Broadland/North Norfolk? (delete as appropriate)
2. How do you see a way forward to get people to use public transport?
3. How could we improve our current system of public transport in Broadland/North
Norfolk? (delete as appropriate)
4. When you think about public transport what do think about most – bus, rail,
community schemes, car sharing, water buses or something else?
5. Other than the cost of travel, what do you feel is the most problematic element of
using public transport?
6. How do you think that problem(s) could be overcome and by who?
7. What do you think of the quality of public transport in Broadland/North Norfolk
today? (delete as appropriate)
8. In your opinion, what is the role of the District Council in helping rural communities
gain access to bus services?
To Community Transport Operators:
1. Community Transport projects are heavily reliant on volunteers; has your scheme
witnessed any problems with recruitment and retention?
2. Do you believe the proposed changes in the Transport Bill may help address these
problems?
3. Aside from volunteer recruitment and retention issues, are there any other problems
that you frequently encounter?
4. Do you engage with other similar schemes operating in the County?
5. How do you promote your community transport scheme to the community?
6. How do you fund the scheme within your area, including the promotion, service
operation and purchasing of new vehicles?
7. In your experience what are the main problems that established schemes
encounter?
8. How willing do you find local groups are to be involved with community transport
projects?
9. If these services ceased to operate, what would be the implication for people living
in these communities?
10. How do community-based schemes fund the purchase of vehicles, and have any of
them experienced difficulties in raising the necessary capital?
11. Do you believe the funding of community based schemes could be simplified at a
local and national level?
12. Are there any community based transport schemes either in Broadland/North
Norfolk or from another area that you feel are particularly successful?
Appendix 2 – Public Transport Review. Questions
a. If so, can you explain why these groups have succeeded?
13. What do you think the District Council could do to assist the sustainability and future
of community transport?
To Private Sector Operators
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?
2. Cost is frequently raised as a barrier to using public transport, especially for
younger people, how can this situation be improved?’
3. Why have there been so few cases of subsidised routes becoming commercial,
enabling the subsidy money to be reinvested into other routes?’
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?
5. What do operators think they could do better than they do now?
6. Do you engage with other transport schemes operating in the County?
7. What could the District Council do differently to what we do now that would help to
increase patronage of your service?
To County Council Planning and Transportation Department Manager and Portfolio
Holder:
1. Please can you brief the panel on progress that has been made against the service
review since July 2011
2. Please confirm whether bus services in rural areas have moved towards a more
Demand Response Transport model?
3. How will you continue to encourage bus use when making the many necessary
cuts? Please demonstrate with an example
a. Is there evidence that it is no longer viable for some people to work as a
result of the cuts to services?
4. What has been the impact on disabled workers since the changes to concessionary
fare times?
a. How are you supporting disabled people to access their employment through
other means e.g. bespoke community transport?
5. What specific savings have been made since making the changes to the terms of
concessionary fares?
6. What have been the achievements or progress made by the Community Transport
Provider Forum since its creation?
7. Is it possible to distinguish between disabled and elderly bus pass users?
a. Can it be established what groups are more reliant on the service?
8. Any plans for a bus usage audit to determine how many users are disabled and the
frequency of their use – monitored over a set period of weeks?
Appendix 2 – Public Transport Review. Questions
9. Could you please provide the Equality Impact Assessment carried out after
consultation to highlight any outcomes or actions arising from it
10. What has been the outcome from the volunteer driver campaign?
a. How will these numbers be maintained?
b. How will additional volunteer schemes continue to be facilitated?
11. Can you provide a list of which organisations are accessing the £480k ring-fenced
funding for Community Transport?
12. What is the status of the Norfolk Community Transport Association – has it been
endorsed?
a. If not, when is it likely to be set up?
13. What efforts are being made to link them into existing community transport forums?
E.g. Community Rail Partnership?
14. Can you demonstrate any impacts on retail businesses since the closure of park
and rides in Postwick and Costessey, late night restrictions of use?
15. Can you demonstrate the impacts of the closure of public amenities at park and
rides e.g. complaints received from bus users?