Contact: Tony Smale, ext 6926 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 On 11 January 2005 the Executive Member Environment considered a report regarding approval to a Project Appraisal for Low-Floor Accessible Vehicles to be used on bus services in the Hamble/Hound area, at an estimated cost of £100,000. The Executive Member approved the recommendation subject to the agreement of this Panel.

2. Scheme

2.1 In February 2001, the Eastleigh and Southampton Area Quality Bus Partnership (QBP) was established. This partnership seeks to bring about improvements to bus services in the Eastleigh and Southampton areas, including First Service 16.

2.2 In May 2003, subsidised bus services in the Eastleigh area were retendered and First won the contract to continue operating evening and Sunday journeys on Service 16. First is also paid a small annual sum to divert Service 16 via Butlocks Heath. These contracts are unaffected by the enhancement described in this project appraisal.

2.3 In September 2003, the County Council submitted an Urban Bus Challenge (UBC) bid to the Department for Transport (DfT) under its "Kickstart" initiative. Under Kickstart, bus operators are invited to nominate services which have the potential for growth, with the proviso that any enhancements are eventually self-financing through increased revenue from passengers. First Hampshire and Dorset proposed Service 16, and consequently this became the subject of a UBC bid. However, the 2003 bidding round was heavily over-subscribed and challenge funding was not forthcoming for this service. The DfT has not run a UBC competition in 2004.

2.4 Following the unsuccessful UBC bid, officers from the County Council and Eastleigh Borough Council held further meetings with the Commercial Director of First to explore ways in which some of the aspirations for Service 16 could be implemented. Fortunately, the high degree of commitment of the bus operator and the level of contributions accruing from housing and business developments in the Hamble area have meant that almost all of the UBC-bid aspirations can still be achieved.

2.5 Currently, Service 16 is operated using elderly Leyland Atlantean double-deckers and assorted other vehicles. All these vehicles have a high-step entrance, and as such are inconvenient for the mobility-impaired and those with buggies or shopping trolleys. They are inaccessible for wheelchair users.

2.6 The proposed grant will part-finance the purchase of four, new, wheelchair-accessible, single-deck vehicles of a modern design. First advises that the cost of these vehicles is around £85,000 each (total: £340,000). Thus the County Council contribution of £100,000 and Eastleigh's contribution of £50,000 represents under 45% of the total cost.

3. Details

3.1 Details of the individual measures for which approval is being sought are set out in the following paragraphs:

Agreement for Service Enhancements

3.2 Recent negotiations have resulted in the drawing up of a draft Agreement between Hampshire County Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and First Hampshire and Dorset. The main service enhancements proposed under this Agreement are:

(i) an increase in daytime frequency from the current two buses/hour to three buses/hour, with special consideration for the needs of local schools, new housing areas and new businesses (the UBC bid aimed at four buses/hour);

(ii) a new fleet of low-floor accessible vehicles, branded for use on Service 16;

(iii) a dedicated team of drivers who have undergone customer care training;

(iv) new marketing initiatives, particularly to encourage tourism; and

(v) continued investment in bus infrastructure and highway improvements.

3.3 One element of the draft Agreement is the need to undertake continuous monitoring of patronage levels to determine the level of growth achieved under the scheme. There are claw-back clauses in the Agreement to enable funds to be targeted elsewhere should the scheme fail to achieve its objectives.

3.4 The Commercial Director of First has set challenging growth targets for Service 16:

(i) 8% in year 1 (an additional 35,560 passengers);

(ii) 5.2% in year 2 (an additional 25,000 passengers); and

(iii) static in year 3 onwards; possible marginal increase if further marketing campaigns are carried out or additional residential development takes place along the route.

Awareness Measures

3.5 A launch event featuring one of the new buses in route-branded livery will raise awareness of the major improvement to public transport in the areas served by Route 16. The event will be accompanied by a media release and photo opportunities. Invitees to the launch will include community representatives and the managers of businesses that have contributed financially through developer contributions.

3.6 Ongoing work to develop travel plans with schools and businesses in the area will raise awareness of improvements to Service 16 to specific groups and elicit ideas for future developments of the bus service.

3.7 Countryside access initiatives in the Hamble Valley will emphasise the enhanced bus service to visitors.

3.8 Public transport publications in the Solent area will carry details of the improved service under its route-brand banner heading, and the high-quality bus stops along the route will also carry the route branding.

3.9 The operator is keen to market Service 16 more effectively and will explore discounts for bus users at attractions along the route.

4. Standards

4.1 All scheme details will comply with all relevant United Kingdom and European standards.

5. Statutory Procedures and Consultation

5.1 Section 106 of the Transport Act 1985, subsection (1) stipulates that:

"Any authority or any two or more authorities acting jointly, may make, in such cases and subject to such terms and conditions as they think fit, grants to any other person towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred by that person in providing, maintaining or improving:

(a) any vehicle, equipment or other facilities provided wholly or mainly for the purpose of facilitating travel by members of the public who are disabled; or

(b) any equipment or other facilities specially designed or adapted for that purpose which are incorporated in any vehicle, equipment or other facilities not provided wholly or mainly for that purpose."

5.2 Consultations with parish councils, schools, businesses and other stakeholders were undertaken during the development of the UBC bid, and letters of support from key establishments in the area were appended to the bid.

6. Policy Considerations

6.1 The proposals are consistent with the County Council's transport strategy.

Hamble Area Transport Strategy

6.2 Extensive public consultation was undertaken as part of the Hamble Area Transport Strategy in 2001. Of the comments relating to public transport issues, the following were noted:

(i) the inadequate frequency of buses to Southampton;

(ii) the use of old, large and noisy buses; and

(iii) poor interchange between bus and train at Hamble Station.

6.3 110 questionnaires were returned from the consultation exercise. Those who "agreed" or "strongly agreed" with issues raised were:

(i) 71% that bus priority measures should be used to improve reliability;

(ii) 87% that the need for bus links between Hamble and other settlements be reviewed;

(iii) 79% that better bus shelters and real time information should be provided; and

(iv) 58% that Hamble Square be remodelled with better facilities for passengers and buses.

Healthy Eastleigh 2000

6.4 This multi-agency study found that residents along the southern coastal strip use the two Southampton hospitals for most hospital visits, and a large proportion of residents used GP surgeries in Woolston and Southampton.

6.5 A pilot share-taxi scheme has been introduced in the southern parishes to improve access to hospitals, but the take-up is fairly low.

Other Studies

6.6 The Travel Plan for Hamble School showed that around a third of the 1,400 pupils used Service 16 to get to/from school and many more could make use of the service. Replacement of the inadequate shelter at the school is an aspiration under the QBP.

6.7 The Hamble Valley Integrated Access Study looked at how public transport, including bus Service 16, could play a part in enabling Southampton residents and others to access country walks, events and attractions in the area.

Current Users of Service 16

6.8 An analysis of patronage on Service 16 over two separate periods in the summer of 2004 reveal that 71% of passengers are making journeys either to/from or wholly within Hampshire County Council territory, the remainder being travellers wholly within the city. In addition to shopping trips, the service is used by commuters, schoolchildren and those accessing doctors' surgeries in Netley and Woolston.

Borough of Eastleigh Transport Strategy

6.9 The Borough of Eastleigh Transport Strategy acknowledges particular transport problems on the Hamble Peninsula and resolves to work with the County Council and operators to secure improvements.

Best Value Performance Indicators

6.10 Environment Department best value performance indicators (BVPIs) which could be favourably affected by the scheme include:

(i) BV 102 - passenger journeys on buses per year; and

(ii) BV 104 - respondents satisfied with local bus service.

7. Environmental Impacts

7.1 The scheme will have a positive impact on the environment by influencing a modal shift towards public transport use and through the introduction of new vehicles complying with the latest engine emission standards.

8. Land Requirement

8.1 No land acquisition required. All works to be confined within existing public highway limits.

9. Alternative Arrangements

9.1 Tendering the grant competitively to all operators of local bus services in the Hamble/Hound area was considered and rejected as impracticable.

9.2 There are only two such operators in the area, First and Solent Blue Line. First's Service 16 to/from Southampton is the more popular service in the area. Solent Blue Line's service 9A to/from Eastleigh attracts only around one-third the number of passengers boarding/alighting in Hamble or Hound, and in any case service 9A has benefited from low-floor accessible vehicles following the County Council's placing of new subsidy contracts with the company in May 2003.

10. Local Member's View

10.1 The local Member, Councillor House, has been involved with the development of the scheme and fully supports the proposals.

10.2 Eastleigh Borough Councillor David Airey, the Member for Netley Abbey with responsibility for transport, is particularly supportive of the proposals.

10.3 Members of the Bursledon, Hamble and Hound Local Area Committee recently approved the Borough's contribution of £50,000 towards the overall grant of £150,000 for the purchase of new vehicles on Service 16, thus demonstrating their commitment to the scheme.

11. Equalities

11.1 This is a key element of the grant. Vehicles purchased will comply fully with regulations developed by the Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee and enshrined in the PSV (Accessibility) Regulations 2000.

11.2 In terms of accessibility by public transport, virtually the whole of the urban strip from Portsmouth to Southampton rates at least "medium". The exception is the triangle including Netley and Hamble which is rated "low".

12. Sustainability

12.1 The measures introduced by the scheme will reduce the environmental impact of transport, increase accessibility to urban facilities and improve economic efficiency through better transport provision.

12.2 Increased patronage of the bus service should ensure that there are fewer pressures on the County Council's bus subsidy budget in future years. Although a reduction in the current level of subsidy cannot be guaranteed, it is confidently expected that the enhancement will reverse trends towards decline which, if left to continue, could result in future increases in subsidy support.

13. Value for Money

13.1 First in Hampshire and Dorset has a particular interest in the scheme's success. The Company has developed the new timetable and branding, and is match-funding the enhancement programme.

13.2 Continuous monitoring of patronage levels will be used to determine the level of growth achieved and hence the overall success of the scheme. Routine contact with parish transport representatives and other community groups will help gauge public satisfaction with the service enhancements.

13.3 Although the grant of £100,000 is aimed at improving accessibility for the elderly and disabled, there are obvious benefits for the whole community in the overall improvement to public transport secured by the funding.

13.4 Importantly, a major improvement to a local bus service will result from this one-off payment with no additional calls on the County Council's bus subsidy budget for ongoing revenue support.

Recommendation

That the Panel advises the Executive Member for Environment that it endorses the Project Appraisal for Low-Floor Accessible Vehicles to be used on bus services in the Hamble/Hound area, at an estimated cost of £100,000.

9148/TS