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 Gosport 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 Passenger Transport 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 service, on behalf of the Education Department.

2.5 The Group is facing an exciting and challenging time. The Group 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. There is also a need to maintain the high standard of school transport provision for the County Council.

3. Strategy

3.1 A programme of improving the quality of passenger infrastructure in the Bridgemary area of Gosport was implemented in April 2004, using developer contributions. A number of new bus shelters, new bus stop poles with integral information cases, raised boarding kerbs and pavement `build-outs' have all improved access to local, high-frequency bus services.

3.2 In September 2004 a Project Appraisal was approved for the installation of Real Time Information at the busiest bus stops along the Fareham-Gosport corridor. Electronic bus departure information screens will be installed at Gosport bus station, similar to those installed at Fareham bus station. Implementation of both projects is planned for 2004/05. A Quality Bus Partnership (QBP) will be established as the `vehicle' to deliver these improvements and seek added value from First, Gosport Borough Council and Fareham Borough Council.

4. Operations

4.1 The County Council's subsidised local bus service contracts are normally retendered every four years. The current contracts in the Fareham and Gosport area were let in May 2001 and will expire in April 2005. A consultation process is underway to obtain views on the future shape of the subsidised bus network in the area. Gosport Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council and other stakeholders have been included in this consultation process.

4.2 The total annual cost of local bus subsidy contracts in the Gosport and Fareham area is £483,755 (includes Nitebus services). Of this total, approximately £200,000 per annum relates to services wholly within Gosport Borough and from Gosport to Fareham, and the remainder is for services wholly within Fareham and from Fareham to Portsmouth/Southampton. All local bus services in and around Gosport are operated by First Hampshire and Dorset, which submitted the lowest bids for contracts for supported services.

4.3 The County Council assisted Gosport Borough Council in setting up a six month trial contract for innovative Nitebus services N1 and N2 in April 2004. Passenger loadings on these services are encouraging, and it has been agreed to:

(i) extend the contract until April 2005; and

(ii) include these services in the retendering process mentioned above.

4.4 Both the Borough Council and County Council have been involved in the trial of a small bus over Forton Lake lift bridge, with a view to introducing a regular bus service for the new housing and heritage area at Priddy's Hard. However, there are technical problems with the use of the bridge which need to be overcome before further progress can be made. Options for bus services into both the Priddy's Hard and Cherque Farm developments will be built into the bus subsidy tender specifications for possible introduction in April 2005, provided funding can be found.

4.5 Improvements to the A32 bus corridor are planned under the QBP with First. An `Infomotion' campaign already undertaken resulted in a 6% increase in bus patronage. In this year's budget are real-time information screens for the route and the installation of electronic departure displays at Gosport Bus Station. Other projects under the QBP are on hold pending further progress on the South Hampshire Rapid Transit scheme.

4.6 Home-to-school transport in the Gosport area is principally provided by the commercial bus network. There are occasional instances where bus passes or taxi places are provided for mainstream schoolchildren, for example for medical reasons or where a child is unable to obtain a place at the catchment school and has been allocated to a nearby school.

5. Special Needs Transport

5.1 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. In the Gosport area Haven Early Years School took part in a transport review in 2004 and savings on contract transport of £13,800 were achieved. The scheme continues to be very popular and successful.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

9052/KW