Decision details

Purpose of report: is to present a bus improvement study which considers the health of the bus service in York and which assesses whether or not the service is fit for purpose. The bus improvement study will make recommendations for alterations and improvements which might be made to the bus service itself as well as to the arrangements for managing the service.

Cabinet Member is asked to give consideration to the report recommendations and the courses of action proposed.

Consideration of this report was delayed until October so further work can be undertaken. This item will now be considered in November as further detailed work needs to be completed before a decision can be made.

RESOLVED:

(1)                  That The Quality Bus Partnership (QBP) in York should be retained but reformed with new terms of reference and underpinned by new agreements between CYC and bus operators aimed at improving services.

(2)           That CYC should formulate a clear policy statement about bus services in York and the Council’s expectations of bus operators in delivering those policies.  This should form part of the Local Transport Plan for York.  This should include consideration of the various means of regulating bus services set out in para 6.39 of the Bus Improvement Study.

(3)         That CYC should ensure additional resources available to ensure that change is delivered through the QBP.

(4)         Review the bus network so that it can best meet the needs for travel in York.

(5)         That CYC should continue to use integrated transport, traffic and parking management to ensure that the priorities in CYC’s movement strategies are achieved. This should include considering opportunities for a bus station in York city centre.

(6)         CYC should continue to monitor progress on the bus network and undertake appropriate preparatory work so that it can apply for a Quality Contract Scheme (QCS) in York if bus services in the city continue to be patchy and inconsistent or if the Bus Strategy targets are not met.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION:

1.   The QBP should be reformed in York with a clear strategic focus and new terms of reference, focussed on improving service quality and patronage growth, to recognise the greater CYC led intervention through the Better Bus Area Fund.  A key function of the QBP will be to formulate a series of bilateral agreements between operators and CYC which will be designed to ensure all bus services in York are provided to a consistently high standard – in order to improve customer satisfaction and drive patronage growth.  These bilateral agreements will be reviewed on an annual basis, informed by passenger surveys, such as those undertaken nationally by Passenger Focus.

As part of the reform process it might be appropriate to consider membership of the QBP, with large local employers and other transport operators (e.g. Northern Rail) encouraged to contribute to the group to better integrate it with the wider York employment and transport context.

As part of moves to put the QBP on a more formal footing, it will be appropriate to consider how Statutory Bus Quality Partnerships and Qualifying Agreements can be used in York to co-ordinate operators better than at present and protect CYC/ DfT investment under the Better Bus Area Fund.

The QBP should also present and consider key performance data at its meetings – for example, for congestion, delays to services and timekeeping.

2.           There are inconsistent patronage targets for bus services in York in the key policy documents relating to developing bus services in the city.  Bus operators claim they do not have a clear statement of CYC’s objectives for the bus network.  Consequently, CYC needs to provide a clear “Bus Strategy” setting out their targets for the network as a whole and clearly outlining their expectations of operators and what CYC will do to facilitate and promote bus travel.   The Strategy needs to consider areas such as vehicles and emissions standards, ticketing and ticket prices, network standards, reliability, passenger information, provision for wheelchairs and buggies on buses and customer service as a route to the wider outcomes expressed in the city’s LTP and other policy documents.  The policy statement should be developed in consultation with the bus operators through the Quality Bus Partnership and should include a framework to monitor progress against, with a timescale for delivery based on that given in Figure 1 of the report (which can be found on page 8).

3.           Public transport staff in CYC are already fully utilised managing the existing bus network and delivering the Better Bus Area Fund project.  In order to ensure that development of the QBP is given the high priority it requires, the partners in the QBP will work together to ensure that the reformed partnership is resourced to make adequate progress with the partners’ ambitions for bus services in York.

4.           CYC should consider whether there is scope to reconfigure the bus network in York to improve its coverage of the city, both in terms of its geographic reach, the times during which the network is in operation and the times when the frequency is lower in the early morning and the evenings.  It is recommended that this is progressed through a general review of York’s bus network, against its social and commercial objectives and funding constraints.  This should also consider integration between park and ride and stage services. Other options for integration should also be considered, for example with home to school services and Community Transport or taxi operations in areas or at times of low demand, and the potential for new integrated ticket products, including smartcards, to assist passengers making cross city journeys involving more than one operators, or who live on routes served by different operators in the daytime and in the evening.

5.           A number of the BBAF proposals demonstrate scope for improving road layouts (e.g. by reallocating road space to buses on some routes) and ensuring that car-park pricing is used to ensure the costs of bus and car use in York are competitive. 

The Bus Improvement Study (Annex A) suggests that there is substantial support for having a bus station in York.  CYC should consider locational options for a bus station in York city centre, including sites currently being redeveloped and/ or which the Council would be able to release for development.  These should include the site adjacent to the Rail Station which would be released by the removal of Queen Street bridge and relocation of some (or all) rail station long stay parking, and seeking to secure commitments to this by the station operator and Network Rail (as part of the current franchising round).

6.           If the QBP fails to achieve the Council’s aspirations, a QCS in York offers a further option for improving bus services in the city.  It is proposed that operators should be challenged to deliver the benefits which could be achieved through a QCS through partnership with the city over the duration of the BBAF (as set out above). However, a QCS should remain a live option for implementation post BBAF if CYC is not satisfied with progress against clearly stated objectives.  To this end the city needs to develop a clear supporting policy framework (see recommendation 2, above) so that the need for any necessary remedial action can be clearly justified.