Archived decisions

Contact: Jon Foley, ext 7559

1. Summary

1.1 In July 2002 the Department for Transport (DfT) invited local authorities to bid for funding to undertake personalised travel planning projects in their areas. The DfT's scheme aims to provide funding for a series of demonstration projects. Personalised journey planning projects are intended to provide tailored information on all forms of transport for those wanting to reduce their car travel. The County Council submitted a bid for funding, in partnership with three other major employers on Romsey Road in Winchester. The bid has been successful and this report sets out the proposed approach for this project which will run until 31 March 2004.

2. Background

2.1 Personalised journey planning (also known as individualised marketing) is a process where individuals are provided with tailored information (eg a personalised bus timetable) to assist them in using a mode other than the car to undertake a particular journey. It can also include the provision of other incentives, such as discounted public transport tickets. The objective of the approach is to encourage individuals to use an alternative to the car for a journey where this is a viable option.

2.2 This technique has been used successfully in a number of other locations, including Frome, Gloucester and Perth (Western Australia). Recognising the potential merits of the approach, the DfT invited submissions from local authorities who were interested in matched funding to deliver a project using this technique. The DfT is keen to pilot variations of the personalised journey planning principles and was looking for different applications of the approach. The DfT also made it clear that successful bids were likely to include a range of partners.

2.3 As part of its commitment to workplace travel plans the County Council has been working with a range of businesses in Hampshire and through this process the opportunity to develop a joint submission for this initiative with a number of employers in Winchester was identified. The Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Hampshire Constabulary (Headquarters) and King Alfred's College were approached and agreed to commit resources to the project. The County Council is also committed to this initiative as an employer under the auspices of the Staff Travel Plan. Furthermore, local transport operators - South West Trains, Solent Blue Line, Stagecoach and Uni-link - indicated a willingness to become involved in the initiative, together with a local cycle retailer. The participation of all these partners was included in the bid to the DfT.

2.4 In December 2002 the DfT confirmed that the bid had been successful.

3. Romsey Road Personalised Journey Planning Project: Summary of the Proposed Approach

3.1 The project will run until 31 March 2004 with the County Council, as lead organisation, responsible for overall project management. A steering group, including representatives from each of the partner organisations and Winchester City Council, will meet during the period of the project while representatives from the County Council will work separately on the implementation of the project with the individual partners to tailor the approach to the needs of each organisation.

3.2 Prior to undertaking the main project there will be a period of preparatory work which will include collating and producing transport information specific to the Romsey Road corridor, together with any associated marketing materials required. In addition, a pilot project will also be carried out to test the methodology. The `main project' will consist of four phases as outlined below.

3.3 The first phase of the main project will be to recruit participants (it should be noted there are some 8,000 people employed by the partner organisations). This will involve contacting staff at each of the participating organisations to explain the background to the project and asking those who currently drive to work if they would consider using an alternative form of transport and would be interested in participating in the project. A workshop may be offered to those potentially interested who require additional information. It is anticipated that the outcome from this will be a number of volunteer participants.

3.4 The second phase of the project will be to interview the `volunteers'. As part of the first phase, the volunteers would be asked to identify where they live and what alternative mode of transport they would be interested in using. Based on this, the interview would then be used as an opportunity to provide the individual with a personalised journey plan (ie how to get from 'A' to 'B' by a particular mode) and to provide any other incentives to use that mode (which could be a discounted or free bus ticket).

3.5 The third phase of the project would be the trial travel period itself. During this period the volunteers will be expected to undertake their journey using their `new' preferred mode. At various points during the trial period the volunteers will be contacted to review progress and to establish if they require any additional advice or support.

3.6 The final phase will be to monitor and evaluate the impact the project had on individual travel and to critically assess the overall process. This information will be fed back to the DfT as part of the partners' commitment to the demonstration project. The results of the monitoring will also be reported to this Panel.

4. Resources

4.1 The total cost of the project is estimated at £120,000. As lead sponsor, the County Council is contributing £35,000, with the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Hampshire Constabulary and King Alfred's College each contributing £5,000. The DfT has granted £50,000 as matched funding. The transport providers identified above will also contribute in the form of discounted travel tickets and other incentives for those individuals taking part. The project will be undertaken by County Council staff, with support from each of the partners.

5. Conclusion

5.1 The County Council is pleased to be associated with this new and innovative demonstration project and to be given the opportunity to inform the national debate. Furthermore, it will be important for the County Council to understand the potential local impact, in terms of personal travel habits, that could result from a project of this nature and to consider its application elsewhere.

Recommendation

That the way forward set out above be endorsed.

7786/JF