Archived decisions

1. Name:

Passenger Transport

2. Purpose:

The Passenger Transport Group within the Environment Grouping provides the Passenger Transport service. The aims of the service are best summarised as working towards the goal of a high quality, high frequency public transport network and adopting a strategic approach to public transport service planning.

3. Proposed improvements

The following is a summary of the outcomes of the review.

1. That there should be work undertaken with stakeholders to allow a judgement to be made, firstly on whether the County Council's current level of activity in relation to this service is appropriate and, secondly, where adjustments to provision should be made. This work will be closely related to the County Council's Bus Strategy which is required as part of the Local Transport Plan process.

2. That work should be undertaken to identify additional sources of funding to allow expansion of services and facilities to meet the County Council's overall transport objectives in terms of increased use of public transport as an alternative to the private car as part of wider transport policy.

3. That work should be undertaken to build more effective working partnerships with operators. This is vital as 80% of bus network services and the entire rail network services are provided by commercial operators and progress in raising overall perceptions of these services is going to depend largely on success in gaining the operators' commitment. Whilst initially a voluntary approach will be taken, there are potential contractual approaches, which may need to be invoked during the lifetime of the Action Plan.

4. That there is a need to look for more innovative, flexible and efficient ways of meeting public transport needs as an alternative to the conventional bus service, particularly where needs are disparate in nature geographically.

5. That there is a need to review the approach taken to public transport information and publicity and to implement an approach which provides a more effective way of presenting and communicating this material to both users and non-users.

6. That there is a need to review the current minimalist approach taken to the maintenance of public transport infrastructure and find a way forward in partnership with commercial providers, parish and district councils and operators. This will improve the `shop window' of the public transport network and the quality of the environment while waiting for the bus.

7. That there is a need to develop an equitable community transport sector across the county and to ensure that such provision effectively crosses county and district boundaries.

4. Progress on implementing the improvement plan

1. Work has been completed (on target) with stakeholders as to whether the County Council's current level of activity in relation to this service is appropriate and, secondly, where adjustments to provision should be made. This work has been reflected in a revised draft Bus Strategy which is being prepared for consultation. The Strategy will primarily reflect the outcomes of the Best Value review in relation to bus services, but will be adapted to reflect the Council's involvement in the Government's Public Service Agreement initiative which commits the Council to achieving a 10% increase in bus use by 2010. The Strategy will be the subject of consultation with district councils, transport operators and other stakeholders during the Summer of 2003.

2. There has continued to be good progress in attracting new funding during 2002/03, albeit against a continuing background of increasing revenue support costs which has put great pressure on budgets which maintain existing services. Bus Challenge funding has come on stream in Test Valley and in Leigh Park and allowed the introduction of demand-responsive services (see below). Developer contributions have led to improved services in Basingstoke, Farnborough and Fareham. Countryside Agency funding through the Parish Transport Grant system has provided funding for a town service in Totton and the Rural Transport Partnership initiative has funded a taxi-share scheme on Hayling Island. Funding from the Rail Passenger Transport Partnership has allowed the commissioning of a new rail station at Chandlers Ford which will open in the summer of 2003.

3. Several improvements to the public transport network have been implemented as the result of strengthening Quality Partnership agreements with operators. A study has been completed (on target) which engaged with operators and District Councils to consider the potential for further schemes countywide together with more detailed scoping work on the ten most promising routes, with the aim of assisting in the justification of future investment in such routes by both bus companies and the local authorities through the Area Transport Strategies.

On the ground, further investment in facilities on a number of routes. Improvements to the Leigh Park to Portsmouth service have resulted in a 33% growth in passenger usage. Construction has begun of the Blackwater Valley Bus Route 1 scheme. Bus lanes, priority signals, new roadside infrastructure will complement Stagecoach's easy access, branded vehicles. This is a major partnership scheme including Surrey County Council. Work to implement the South Hampshire Rapid Transit (SHRT) 2 Bus Priority scheme on the A3 is also under construction. Phase 1 of this high quality bus priority scheme is complete, and a unique brand for the service has been developed and will be implemented during 2003/04. State of the art roadside infrastructure, including CCTV at several locations will follow. In the Eastleigh area as part of the QBP, improvements to bus stops have been delivered including new `named' bus stop poles with information, new passenger shelters and raised boarding kerbs. Solent Blue Line are investing in a number of new vehicles in Eastleigh. A new Quality Partnership has been signed in Basingstoke which will lead to investment on a series of routes (see below).

4. Fifteen new demand responsive services have been introduced during the past year, exceeding the target in the Improvement Plan. Twelve of these services are demand-responsive minibus services operating in and around Andover, Lymington and Leigh Park (Havant) marketed under the CANGO banner. Certain of these routes replaced conventional bus services and others are innovative services allowing new public transport links. These services are fully accessible and are largely operated on a bookable basis with the passenger being assured of pick-up location and approximate time. The new services have proved popular and the services in Andover are carrying over 50% more passengers than the previous bus services. The remaining three services are taxi-share operations in Eastleigh, Lovedean and on Hayling Island all of which have been provided as flexible and cost-effective alternatives to conventional bus services.

5. A draft Passenger Transport Information Strategy was prepared by June 2002, about three months behind target. This work was partly based on work undertaken with focus groups by a specialist market research consultancy which established a fuller picture of customer needs to add to the views obtained during the original Best Value consultation. The outcomes contain twenty areas for action and work is currently being undertaken to formulate an implementation plan. In July 2002 the County Council entered into a formal partnership with local bus operators and Southampton and Portsmouth, to take forward its information commitments under the Transport Act 2000. This partnership will form the basis for taking forward the implementation plan.

6. Progress has been made this year with regard to bus shelter maintenance, in line with the Improvement Plan targets. A sample audit has been carried out of bus shelters countywide that are not owned by advertising companies or Parish Councils. This audit has provided a strong base from which to develop new proposals. These proposals would bring shelters up to a common standard of repair, and include a programme of ongoing cleaning and maintenance for the future. Substantial consultation will be required to implement these proposal, particularly with District Councils.

7. The issue of equity in community transport action has been addressed through the Community Transport Development Plan which seeks to identify the baseline level of provision and resources that will be required in each district. This has been achieved through needs analysis that will consider accessibility, social inclusion, community cohesion and geographical isolation. The draft Development Plan was completed on target by March 2002 and has now been developed to include an implementation plan for the next ten years which is currently the subject of consultation with potential funding partners.

5. Plans for future implementation

(What we will do to improve further)

1. The draft Bus Strategy will be the subject of consultation with stakeholders during Summer 2003 and will be finalised by Autumn 2003. The Strategy will then be implemented on an incremental basis which will need to reflect progress towards targets, overall funding available and developments within the commercial bus market.

2. The Council has been successful in winning a major Rural Bus Challenge Bid which will allow the roll-out of further CANGO services in and around Alton, Basingstoke and Romsey during a two-year period from Summer 2003. A bid has been submitted to the Countryside Agency for an award under the Parish Transport Grant scheme to improve services in rural areas of Hart district. The EU-funded MIRACLES project in Winchester will bring about a QBP for three bus services. The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the Winchester bus fleet and attract new passengers. Measures include trialling alternatively-fuelled buses and improved publicity.

3. Further work will be undertaken on the Quality Partnership schemes on the A3 south of Waterlooville and in the Blackwater Valley. The Basingstoke Quality Partnership will start to lead to improvements, initially to Line 1 which links Hatch Warren and Tadley via the Town Centre, Hospital and the Rail Station. Low-floor vehicles will be introduced in the Summer of 2003 and infrastructure improvements are also programmed to start during 2003/04. In addition, a programme of direct marketing will be undertaken on selected Quality Partnership routes to build on the improvements made, with the aim of further increasing ridership.

4. Further demand-responsive services will be introduced during 2003 following the Rural Bus Challenge awards mentioned above. These will be in the north-west of the County, centred on Burghclere and in the Alton area. These innovations will both follow the pattern of the initial CANGO services with a mix of new operations and conversion of existing services.

5. The implementation plan for the Passenger Transport Information Strategy will be subject to consultation with partners during Summer 2003 and the outcomes will be reflected in service planning activity for 2004/05.

6. The proposal for the future responsibilities for maintenance of shelters together with funding arrangements will be the subject of consultation with District Councils during Spring 2003. Subject to agreement, the proposals could be reflected in service planning activity for 2004/05.

7. Following consultation with potential funding partners, work is in progress on the final version of the Implementation Plan which will be completed by September 2003. Subsequently, partners will be invited to endorse the Plan and become funding partners with effect from the 2004/05 financial year.

Contact for further information

Martin Robertson on 01962-846997

Service name

Road Safety Services

(Education, Training and Publicity), (Safety Auditing)

Proposed improvements

Road Safety (Education, Training and Publicity) Services

· Increased awareness and take up of road safety campaigns by community through review of Hampshire Road Safety Councils' communications, membership and campaign strategies

· Improved prioritisation of road safety programmes and strategies through improved understanding of casualty patterns and relationship to demographic and other factors

· Development of a suite of performance information which will drive continuous improvement in the road safety service

Safety Auditing Services

· Increased awareness by County Council staff of safety auditing procedures and implications

· Implementation of safety auditing monitoring system to better assess benefits of service

· Minimisation of litigation risk through records management systems review

· To maintain an efficient safety auditing service in line with increased Local Transport Plan capital programme

· To seek further improvements to service, benchmarked against other similar authorities

Progress in implementing the Improvement Plan

Road Safety (Education, Training and Publicity) Services

· Comprehensive restructuring of Hampshire Road Safety Councils' communications, membership and campaign strategies completed in Q1, 2002, which has resulted in increased membership for most Road Safety Councils and a more structured and data-led focus to communications and campaign prioritisation. The process of seeking continuous improvement, in which all Road Safety Councils are engaged, is likely to lead in 2003 to a closer fit between local campaigns and key County Council and Department for Transport casualty reduction priorities, as contained in the Hampshire Road Safety Strategy, featured in the Hampshire Local Transport Plan.

· Increased deployment of GIS based casualty mapping systems has supported the acceptance and delivery of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Safety Camera Partnership operational case, together with the second Local Transport Plan Annual Progress Report to Government. Through the latter, the County Council has retained its assessment as an "above average" authority, where the strength of the casualty reduction strategy has been noted by Government.

· The County Council has continued to support the benchmarking activities of the South East Counties Service Improvement Group (SECSIG) Road Safety Sub-Group. The Group has employed casualty rate performance indicator data to assess top and bottom quartile performers against service delivery methods in key areas. This will enable the County Council to exchange best practice techniques with neighbouring authorities and to be confident that any service delivery changes considered as a result of this process are likely to lead to measurable improvements in casualty rates.

Safety Auditing Service

· Update and induction training takes place for staff into Safety Auditing principles, together with awareness raising of the existence of the service to other County Council departments.

· Monitoring of safety audit effectiveness is taking place through the benchmarking work of the SECSIG Road Safety Sub-Group.

· Documentation control to minimise litigation potential is a cross-cutting issue raised through the Review, to be considered through wider issues of highways documentation management.

· The maintenance of an efficient service has been addressed through additional safety auditing services procured through the County Council's Local Transport Plan delivery partnership with Atkins.

· Further service improvements associated with safety auditing functions are being sought through the benchmarking work of the SECSIG Road Safety Sub-Group.

Future Plans

The County Council proposes to continue to support the activities of the South Eastern Counties Service Improvement Group (SECSIG) Road Safety Sub- Group, in furthering continuous improvements of the County Council's Road Safety (Education, Training and Publicity) and Safety Auditing Services. That group will continue to benchmark both output performance indices and best practice processes in seeking continuous improvements to services. This approach has been welcomed by the Audit Commission's Best Value Inspectorate in its desktop audit of the County Council's Road Safety Services Best Value Review, in that this is likely to offer a sound basis for seeking further improvements to service quality and value.

Contacts for further information

Tim Cheesebrough on 01962 847114 (all services)

Ernie Sage on 01962 846886 (Road Safety service)

Ian Medd on 01962 847075 (Safety Auditing service)

Service name

School Crossing Patrol Service

(as transferred from County Education Department to Environment Department April 2002)

Proposed improvements

The Outcome Report resulting from the Review of the County Council's School Crossing Patrol service was submitted to the County Council's Best Value Review Panel (Education) in October 2000 and approved by the Education and Planning and Transportation Committees in November 2000.

The Best Value Review Panel had recommended a comprehensive action plan to improve the delivery of the service, including a key recommendation for its transfer from the Education Department to the Environment (formerly County Surveyor's) Department.

A detailed service improvement and transfer plan was subsequently agreed by the two Departments, which led to the transfer of the service in April 2001.

The key service improvements contained in the action plan are summarised as follows:

· Transfer of the service to the Environment (formerly County Surveyor's) Department and to be under the control of the Executive Member for Environment.

· Establishment of a new service management team within the Environment Department in order to manage the day-to-day delivery of the service, along with transfer of crossing patrol staff personnel support arrangements to the Environment Department.

· Establishment of a programme for site and staff health and safety risk assessments.

· Improved arrangements for induction and training for all crossing patrol staff, together with ongoing supervision and support for those staff.

· Determination of a service improvement plan by January 2001, covering such matters as vacancy management, absence management and SCP staff Performance Development Reviews.

· A review of and replacement programme for Crossing Patrol staff equipment and uniforms.

· A review, where appropriate, of highways infrastructure and traffic management arrangements at crossing patrol sites and having regard to the risk assessment of individual sites and the development of Schools' Travel Plans.

· Improved day-to-day liaison between the Crossing Patrol Service and locally supported schools.

· A review of performance of the new service within 18 months of service transfer.

Progress in implementing the Improvement Plan

· The service was fully transferred to the Environment Department on the target date of 1 April 2002.

· A service management team had been appointed ahead of the service transfer date and managed the service from that date. The Team achieved its full complement of three officers in January 2003, with temporary consultancy support employed to assist the service during 2002. Staff personnel support arrangements also transferred to the Environment Department on 1 April 2002.

· As part of the service transfer plan, a comprehensive independent health and safety site risk assessment inspection programme was undertaken during the year 2001 and the early part of 2002, for all previously established crossing patrol sites. The findings of that programme have been examined and followed up as appropriate by the new Environment Department management team. The service improvement action plan is tackling identified deficiencies through a prioritised defect rectification programme. It is intended that the new service team will review those site assessments from now on an annual basis.

· A new staff interview and induction programme was introduced shortly after service transfer which will be developed further in association with amended recruitment arrangements also instituted with service transfer. All new crossing patrol staff receive full on-job training from the service management team, with ongoing support and monitoring arrangements for existing staff, all of whom have been contacted by the new management team.

· The service improvement plan was drawn up and jointly agreed by the County Education and Environment Departments during Q1, 2002. This improvement plan has been deployed to implement the service transfer, action the findings of the independent risk assessment programme, manage the service budget and instigate programmes for improved training and uniform and equipment replacement. Additionally, a new programme of prioritised vacancy management and advertising has been instigated, having regard to the findings of the sites risk assessment programme which is placing much greater emphasis on local recruitment involving schools, parents and local communities.

· A review of uniform and equipment quality and renewal was instigated as a matter of priority following service transfer. A comprehensive programme of uniform and equipment replacement has been completed, with staff now issued with full summer and winter uniforms to latest standards of retro-reflectivity. All staff have also been issued with County Council identification badges summarising their legal powers under the Road Traffic Act.

· The findings of the sites risk assessment programme have been examined and prioritised in order to improve highways infrastructure where likely improvements to the safety of children, parents and SCP staff are to arise. These findings are being addressed both through the County Council's highways maintenance programme and through the separate Local Transport Plan supported Safer Routes to School/ School Travel Plan programme.

· The new School Crossing Patrol Service management team made contact with all schools early in 2002 in order to introduce the new service arrangements. There have been further contacts will all affected schools since over detailed operational arrangements, including detailed discussions with some schools where significant issues of crossing patrol recruitment or infrastructure need have been identified.

· This first review report has been produced some 11 months after service transfer - ahead of the 18 months reporting period.

Future Plans

The new service management team recognises that the service's greatest asset is its highly dedicated and professional team of crossing patrol staff. It is recognised therefore that continuous service improvement will only arise if the views of Crossing Patrol Officers are fully taken into account in future service improvements and changes.

As a consequence, a feedback questionnaire was send to all serving staff in late 2002, to enquire as to their views of the success of various aspects associated with the service transfer.

For each issue staff members were asked to inform the County Council whether changes made had resulted matters being much better through to much worse. Xxx Crossing Patrol staff (xx% of the workforce) responded with the following summarised results:

· Has the support service from the County Council to the individual officer improved since service transfer in April 2002?

o 77.5% of respondents responded that the support was much better or better, with 0.6% of respondents perceiving support to be worse.

· Are the new uniforms and equipment issued better than previously?

o 94% of respondents indicated that the new uniforms were better or much better, with 3% of respondents viewing the replacements as worse.

· Are new arrangements for reporting safety concerns at a site to the County Council now easier and better dealt with?

o 45% of respondents felt the new arrangements to be better or much better, with 46% perceiving matters to be about the same and 5% perceiving matters to be worse or much worse.

· What is your overall impression of the new service?

o Some 80% of respondents feel the new service is either better or much better than the former arrangements, with only 0.6% perceiving the arrangements to be worse.

Overall therefore, there is clear support from the County Council's existing Crossing Patrol staff for the key changes made as a result of service transfer and that they perceive the service to be better managed and delivered than previously. This will underpin the Environment Department's future actions to better manage vacancies and continue to revitalise recruitment. A key area for further work is the County Council's ability to respond to SCP staff's identified highway infrastructure concerns and defects. Although new arrangements are beginning to have an effect, further progress does need to be made in this important area.

Contacts for further information

Tim Cheesebrough (report author) 01962 847114

Ernie Sage (Road Safety Services Manager) 01962 846886

Tony Ennew (School Crossing Patrol Coordinator) 01962 847163

Name of review

TRANSPORT NETWORK IMPROVEMENTS - delivering the transport capital programme from the point of scheme inception through design, consultation, implementation and final project monitoring.

Proposed improvements

Improvements are sought to the service in four key outcome areas:

1 Integrated joint working/working smarter

This involves target reductions in fees, reducing the bureaucratic costs, learning from experience and integrated team working.

2 Providing fit for purpose solutions

To ensure projects achieve intended aims by;

· engaging with the community during scheme development;

· designing-in factors that provide added value and are inclusive of all sectors of the community;

· giving consideration to whole life costs and sustainability to better reflect the total impact of projects; and

· meeting key corporate objectives.

3 Providing an effective and responsive service

Key improvements in this area include the engagement of the public and the local communities and providing good communications and buy in to achieve a more cost effective and responsive service delivery.

4 Effective people delivery

People are a scarce and valuable resource and through the review the loss of staff, recruitment and satisfaction ratings have been targeted to seek a lower turnover, more attractive working conditions and greater involvement with young people as future key staff resources.

Progress in implementing the Improvement Plan

1. Integrated joint working/working smarter

Benchmarking of costs has been achieved through the partnership with Atkins. A study by the DFU has provided comparison of costs and external benchmarking through the SE and SW BV BM clubs has given data to consider improvements. This will be ongoing.

Schemes have been grouped to reduce consultation costs and achieve more efficient use of management resource.

Early engagement of contractors in the design process is in hand and is expected to provide less variations and claims on site.

Post completion reviews and monitoring of outcomes rather than outputs are now providing learning for new projects and improved targeting of resources.

The outcome of these initiatives will emerge over the next few years and will be monitored as part of the capital programme management. Timescales for projects mean that only a few anecdotal early wins will be reportable now but as data emerges more comprehensive information will be available.

2.Providing fit for purpose solutions

A Sustainable Construction Framework is currently being developed to provide guidance on sustainability issues for application on transport scheme design and implementation.

The use of materials in construction has been reviewed and guidance on material options to reduce construction costs is now available through the Highways Laboratory.

Customer satisfaction surveys are now undertaken to provide evidence of the outcomes of projects and advise of scheme delivery. Surveys now include the delivery process and the outcomes. These are used to review success.

LTP monitoring is being reviewed as DfT requirements are increased. The County Council's annual monitoring report was classed as `well above average' in England in 2002.

3. Providing an Effective and Responsive Service

Several communication options have been tested as part of this process. These include the development of e-gov initiatives such as the use of the internet and web sites, planning-for- real workshops and exhibitions. Not one system has proved universally popular or effective and all have their critics.

Outcome consultation is also being tested to gauge the satisfaction of the customer when provided with factual outcome information. This is fed back to the Design and Implementation teams for future learning.

Consultants have been employed to provide advice on consultation practice. Better practice is now employed and consultation advice (charter) is now available to assist staff. This area continues to require improvement and is a cross-cutting issue that will be taken forward as a key business planning issue.

The Cabinet /Executive style has changed Member involvement in projects with a greater need to engage Members during the development process rather than at committees. The new Highway Management Advisory Panels and Transportation Panels provide an opportunity for greater Member briefing but local Member engagement outside formal meetings at County/District/ Parish levels need development if ownership is to be achieved.

4. Effective People Delivery

IIP has enabled improved focus on staff development and team plans and has been achieved throughout the workforce.

A learning and development group has been set up to develop training needs and engage local educational establishments.

Joint training and development with Atkins now provides a broader base for learning and developing new skills.

Engaging young people through 6^th form colleges and further education is being explored to provide talented young people with opportunities to develop through the County Council. This is being approached at graduate and GCSE level students to encourage early capture of recruits and opportunities to develop within the County Council.

The introduction of market supplements for recruitment and retention has been introduced with mixed success. The pay and rewards package will provide a new impetus for staff to stay and develop within the County Council and provide an incentive in a very competitive industry.

Future Plans

1. Through the County Surveyor's Society (CSS) national benchmarking is being established. County Council officers play a major role in this initiative and continue to encourage widespread sharing of best practice.

Partnerships with the private sector provide good benchmarking and sharing of cost information. These partnerships will provide a key source of future benchmarking and efficiency saving.

Key performance targets will be featured in future business planning.

2. Through the County Surveyor's Society (CSS), national benchmarking is being established. County Council officers play a major role in this initiative and continue to encourage widespread sharing of best practice in tandem with partnerships with the private sector.

Key performance targets will be featured in future business planning.

3. Surveys have indicated that communication, engagement and understanding are key to a successful service. This will be a key issue for the service/business plans of the future and the development of an open culture which engages all parts of the community.

Staff development will need to provide a new culture of sharing in scheme design and flexibility of approach to enable all partners to achieve their objectives where possible.

Guidance to staff will be improved based on learning and further methods will be trialled.

4. People development will continue to be a crucial focus for this area of work due to national shortages of qualified staff. The development of young people in the business and good learning and development opportunities will enable the County Council to attract resources. This will be a key feature of business plans and extra effort will be needed in the marketing of the service which will require significant financial commitment.

Good progress has been made in understanding the issues and the rolling out of action plans to tackle these issues will be undertaken.

Contact for further information

Key contacts for this area of work are:

Stuart Reynolds, David McKibbin, Brian Marsden and Terry Williams.