Contact: Keith Willcox, ext 6997 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report outlines the services provided by the Passenger Transport Group and details the work undertaken in the Winchester area.

2. Background

2.1 The Passenger Transport Group has 70 staff and 700 school escorts in the Design and Implementation Branch reporting to the Assistant Director (Design and Implementation). The Group, comprising five teams, is highly diverse with a wide customer base. The Group deals with the following:

(i) passenger transport strategy;

(ii) passenger transport infrastructure;

(iii) information provision;

(iv) community transport;

(v) subsidised bus services;

(vi) finance and contracts;

(vii) social services transport;

(viii) mainstream home to school transport provision; and

(ix) special educational needs transport.

2.2 The £20 million home to school transport provision is undertaken by the Group on behalf of the Education Department.

2.3 The Group's aim is to produce a top class passenger transport network, and service provision for the residents and scholars of Hampshire and visitors to the county, allowing a greater modal shift towards passenger transport in a safe, efficient, reliable and affordable manner.

2.4 The overarching objectives are as follows:

(i) make public transport as widely available as possible;

(ii) maximise the use of passenger transport;

(iii) seek innovative approaches to transport provision;

(iv) ensure social inclusion with regard to public transport;

(v) ensure continuing improvements in quality of service;

(vi) maintain successful partnerships and build others;

(vii) ensure effective consultation; and

(viii) provide an efficient and innovative home to school transport service, on behalf of the Education Department.

2.5 The Group is facing an exciting and challenging time. It needs to further address some concerns, eg the improvement of Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) 103 Public Transport Information and BVPI 104 Local Bus Service, whilst in parallel playing a major role in the implementation of the Community Strategy, Corporate Objectives and in the development of Local Public Service Agreement 2, as transport is a cross-cutting issue. During 2005/06 there is a need to implement the Passenger Transport Strategy which will feature prominently within the Local Transport Plan 2 (LTP). There is also a need to maintain the high standard of school transport provision for the County Council.

3. Strategy

3.1 Very strong progress has been made with the Winchester Quality Bus Partnership. Improvements include the introduction of new easy-access vehicles to Routes 1 and 5, an increase in frequency to every ten minutes on Route 5, upgraded passenger facilities at bus stops, stop-specific information at every bus stop and improvements to bus access at Winchester rail station. Together these improvements have so far achieved growth of over 11% in passenger numbers on Route 5.

3.2 Development work is under way to identify locations that will maximise the benefits from improved public transport information and facilities in rural communities in central Hampshire. Works under consideration include parish notice boards displaying transport and local information and improved bus stop poles with information provision. A number of parish councils in the Central Hampshire Transport Strategy Area have been contacted and responses are being collated. Funding will come from the 2004/05 capital programme under the Central Hampshire Transport Strategy heading.

3.3 Improvement works to the `upside' platform at Winchester rail station have been completed. A new ticket office and passenger waiting facilities have been provided. Financial assistance for the project was provided by the County Council, as part of the programme of `Improvements to Interchange Facilities at Rail Stations', jointly funded with South West Trains.

4. Community Transport

4.1 Community Transport schemes play an important role in meeting locally the transport needs of organisations and individuals which cannot be easily met through the existing conventional bus network.

4.2 A report is being considered by the Executive Member for Environment in October which recommends funding to replace one of the existing mini-buses operated by Winchester Area Community Action. The vehicle is being funded through the Local Transport Plan capital programme and forms part of the County Council's overall approach for supporting and developing community transport schemes in Hampshire.

4.3 Mini-buses like the ones operated by Winchester Area Community Action offer older people, disabled people and younger people the opportunity to access a range of services and facilities within their local community.

5. Operations

5.1 Every four years the County Council retenders all subsidised bus services in and around Winchester City.

5.2 Currently the total cost of the Winchester area contracts is £733,819, of which £550,819 comes from the local bus subsidy budget and £183,000 from the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant from the Government.

5.3 The Winchester area contracts were renewed in April 2004, with an increase of just over 2% on the previous costs. No major changes were made but Saturday buses were restored for Shawford village, Compton End and part of Littleton. This retendering programme also saw the restoration of the through off-peak service between Winchester and Salisbury. The contract for Service 68 (Winchester-Stockbridge) was awarded to Wilts & Dorset Bus Company Limited which has branded its buses on this route as `The Cathedral Connection'. Previously passengers travelling between the two cities had to change at Stockbridge or Over Wallop, with connections not guaranteed.

5.4 In August 2004 Services 240 and 241, serving outlying villages around Alresford, were replaced with a CarShare scheme, using a taxi. Stagecoach in Hampshire, which previously operated these services, was no longer able to continue due to changes elsewhere on County Council bus contracts. The low passenger usage on these once-a-week services suggested that the CarShare scheme, which has been successful in other areas of the county, was the best solution. If it proves successful, similar schemes could be implemented in other areas where the low passenger numbers are putting even subsidised bus services at risk.

5.5 Changes to Solent Blue Line's network at the end of September will see its Winchester services re-numbered. Service 9/9A (to be 49/49A) between Eastleigh and Winchester is supported by £105,000 per year, in addition to the costs mentioned above. Solent Blue Line's commercial Service 47 (Southampton-Chandler's Ford-Winchester) will become Bluestar 1 and will have a 15 minute daytime frequency, compared to 30 minutes at present. Evening and Sunday buses will be half-hourly, instead of hourly. There will also be a late night service in the early hours on Saturday and Sunday.

5.6 As part of Solent Blue Line's review, Service 7 will be split into two parts; Southampton to Bishops Waltham and Bishops Waltham to Petersfield. The journeys that operate from Bishops Waltham through the Meon Valley to Petersfield receive funding amounting to £108,000 per year.

5.7 In Denmead there have been repeated complaints about the lack of low-floor buses on the commercial bus routes serving this village. Two Community Transport solutions have been provided, offering limited journey choices, but there is still the aspiration to convert the commercial services to low-floor operation.

6. Special Needs Transport

6.1 Since 2000 the Passenger Transport Group has been managing a special project known as `Spend to Save'. This project looks at innovative transport solutions for school transport, with a view to improving quality whilst reducing costs. There are two key areas within this project, firstly the `school transport mini-bus scheme' and secondly `complete transport reorganisations by school'. Total savings county-wide to date are £1.4 million.

6.2 Schools in the Winchester area that have been involved in these projects over the period are:

(i) In 2002 Osborne School took delivery of two mini-buses from the mini-bus scheme. The savings realised from this were £11,125.

(ii) In 2004 Osborne School expressed an interest in taking delivery of a wheelchair accessible mini-bus. This is currently under discussion, and is likely to be delivered early in 2005.

Each of these schemes continues to be very popular and successful.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

8950/KW