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The Sustainable Travel Group
Welcome to:
Bus Operators’ Forum
23rd May 2014
Bus Forum
Introductions
Dave Smith (Chair)
Team Leader – Quality TeamAshley Holland
Team Leader – Contracts Team
Mark Watters
Team Leader – Business Development & Support
Peter Haines
Quality Officer – Quality Team
Janna Walker
Sustainable Travel Programme Manager
Bus Forum
Agenda
• Housekeeping– Please turn mobiles off, no fire drills expected
– Please hold all questions until the very end
• Review of the year• Presentation from Peter Haines
(Safeguarding)• Working Group Nominations 2014-15• Questions and Answers / Your Views session
Bus Forum
Review of 2013/14 (with the help of the Working Group)
• Changes to transport provision policies
(Mainstream, SEN & LBS)• Contract issues• DBS/CRB scheme• Training / Safeguarding
• East Midlands Shared Services
Bus Forum
School transport update
No change in Mainstream Transport Policy for September 2014 other than charges to parents increased from £252 to £425 (post 16) and £450 (denominational/faith school transport)
Significant changes to Mainstream Transport Policy proposed for September 2015 (Currently under consultation).
For pupils aged 5 -16 years of age living over the statutory walking distances of 2 miles for primary school pupils and 3 miles for secondary school pupils:
• Free transport to the nearest school with places• Free transport to the nearest Leicestershire School with available
places. School must offer an entry point which is compatible with the current school attended by the pupil
• Free transport to those pupils who live within the TEA (catchment) area where the school attended has not changed its age range or catchment area since May 2012
Bus Forum
For Post 16 pupils living over 3 miles • Assisted transport (not free) to the nearest 6th form
school or FE Establishment
• Assisted transport to the nearest Leicestershire 6th form or Leicestershire FE Establishment
• Assisted transport to the those pupils who live within the catchment area where the school attended has not changed it’s age range or TEA (catchment) area since May 2012
Bus Forum
BB2 Framework• Extension of current Framework for 1 further
year – to 31st May 2015• Details of your inclusion on our frameworks are
publicly available (on website)• We share mailing lists with other LAs – this
may generate more business for you and helps keep you informed of what each LA is doing
Bus Forum
Impact of Academies
• Academies changing their age ranges
• Decrease in the number of eligible children
• Decrease in the number of bus contracts required
• More commercial opportunities
Bus Forum
Example 1• Anstey Martin extending from 11 to 14 to
become 11-16• Pupils living in Anstey staying on at Anstey
Martin till age 16• Pupils living in Glenfield staying on at Anstey
Martin till age 16• Current requirement to take pupils from Anstey
and Glenfield to Longslade no longer required except for Post 16 pupils
• Impact: 2012/13 (5 buses) 2013/14 (4 buses) 2014-15 (2 buses)
Bus Forum
Example 2• Quorn Rawlins and Barrow Humphrey Perkins extending
age ranges. • New year 7 pupils from Mountsorrel now attending
Rawlins but no free transport because living under 3 miles
• Year 10 & 11 pupils staying on at Humphrey Perkins but no free transport because Quorn Rawlins is nearer.
• Fewer pupils requiring transport from Mountsorrel to Barrow and Quorn schools
• Year 10 & 11 pupils from Sileby staying on at Barrow instead of transferring to Rawlins
• Fewer pupils requiring transport to Quorn• Impact: Number of contracts required to Rawlins
reduced from 4 down to 2.
Bus Forum
Opportunities
• Schools left with lots of pupils without transport entitlement but still want transport provision
• Parents may make use of commercial school bus
Bus Forum
2014-15 Academic Year
• Planning since March 2014• About 50% complete• Contract confirmations taking place• eAuctions in June and July (est 20 contracts)
Bus Forum
TUPE Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)
• TUPE may apply• Notice to LCC• Provision of information• Agreement between operators• Tribunal / Costs• Seek Legal Advice
Supported Local Bus Services Policy Review - Background• County Council’s Supported Local Bus Service Policy review• Part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy saving £110m over the next 5 years• Consultation undertaken in 2012 and 2013• The latest consultation concluded in December 2013 and generated 665 official responses• We considered consultation responses and updated our analysis to put forward revised proposals to Scrutiny Panel and then to Cabinet• Cabinet approved these proposals 6th May 2014
Bus Forum
What are the changes?
Supported Local Bus Services Policya) The County Council will seek to meet the essential
transport needs of Leicestershire residents through the provision of transport solutions;
b) The delivery of these transport solutions will be subject to periodic tests on levels of use and affordability and value for money;
c) Passenger transport will be provided by a mix of conventional bus services for higher demand areas, supplemented by provision of less frequent services by minibuses and taxi type vehicles (in areas of low usage);
d) Fares on all services will be broadly comparable with the fares charged on commercial bus services.
What are the changes? (2)
Supported Local Bus Services Policy
Essential transport needs of residents are defined as follows (all subject to a test around value for money)
• Shopping and Personal Business;• Healthcare;• Social Activity and Wellbeing;• Work
• Other needs such as providing access to training and education, tackling congestion and reducing carbon emissions, will be met wherever possible, but would not be classified as priorities when determining the commissioning and design of transport provision.
• The type of transport solution provided would be on the basis of value for money and affordability in proportion to identified demand.
Changes to supported services
Service Current Changes Proposed Change Date
7Irregular service between Nuneaton and
Ashby (2 bus working resource)
2 hourly service between Atherstone -Measham (1 bus working
resource) CBP
23/24/25 Melton Area Services- Hourly 24 - hourly, 23/25 2 hourly
44Hourly between Fleckney and Market
Harborough Hourly peak - 2 hourly off peak
55/56Irregular (approx 2 hours) Service between
Grantham and Melton CBP
100/128 Hourly service between Melton and Leicester 2 hourly service with pm return for workers
113 Irregular (approx 2 hourly) Oakham - Melton CBP
129Irregular (approx 2 hourly) Ashby -
Loughborough CBP
155 Hourly Castle Donington - Coalvill 2 hourly
661 Taxi Bus 2 off peak return journeys n/a part of further project
Rural RiderInfrequent bus service to East Leicestershire
Villages Replace with DRT
Community Bus Partnership *
What is it?
• Like Community Rail Partnerships (CRP) but for bus services.
What are the principles of a successful CRP that could be applied to a bus service?
• Specific branded service/corridor.• Partnership between Operator, Local Authority and the community
to oversee the service, community involvement and set targets.• Incremental development over a period of time - allow 2-3 years.• ‘Friends of the Route…’ and community involvement.• High customer service standards .• Welcome creative and inventive involvement.• Raise profile in communities.• Professional support.
* Article by Paul Salveson in ATCO News Autumn 2013
How would it work with LCC rural bus services?• Create Community Bus Partnerships (CBP) that continue to build upon the positive engagement between LCC and active local communities that emerged as part of the consultation exercises.
• The service routes where community groups have the potential to develop into a CBP and become a ‘Friends of …’ are: 7 / 113 / 129 / 55/6
• Tender a new style contract for operator with participation requirements and incentive of extension if successful.
• Partnership would set targets; a key one would be to achieve an agreed increase passenger revenue or usage. If this target is not achieved then the bus service would be replaced.
• Three year programme with LA officer support to do this.
Community Bus Partnership Proposal
Local Bus Services
• Full details of changes to individual services can be found in the Cabinet Report online at:
http://politics.leics.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=3990&Ver
Bus Forum
Bus Forum
DBS (CRB) Update
• New DBS system now in place
• Requirements of bus operators and drivers
Bus Forum
Training Update
• Safeguarding (How to avoid allegations) – Peter Haines
• Other Training Courses
Bus Forum
Compliance – Issues of the moment 1
• Requirement of bus operator to provide updated information about their business (Selling, change of address, factoring arrangements, etc)
• Driver registration scheme – contractors are reminded to notify the STG when setting on drivers who are new to them, or indeed when drivers leave them.
Bus Forum
Compliance – Issues of the moment 2
• Safeguarding– Facebook™, Twitter™ and the internet– SMS text, Mobile phones
• ‘Guidelines’ leaflets have been updated and are available online on our website.
• Operators not contactable during office hours• ‘E’ cigarettes: not allowed
Bus Forum
Working Group nominations
• Remit of the working group:– For both the Authority and bus companies to gain an insight and understanding of the aspects of contract work that are important to them and work together to address any general issues that may arise
– For LCC to pass on information on relevant policy or legislative changes, duty of care issues and general information affecting the bus market
– To discuss new ways of working and to work in partnership
– To look at all aspects of LCC contract work for mutual benefit
– To share the discussion with all in the market via the published minutes
• Please contact Dave Smith or a member of staff in the STG with your nomination.
• We are looking for 1-2 people from up to 10 companies to form the 2014/15 working group to meet 3 times between now and April 2015.
Bus Forum
Q & A SessionPlease keep questions to a “general
interest” for all here today.
Views on?
Bus Forum
Working group nominations and further information
See us at the end of this meeting or make an appointment By phone: 0116 3050001 and ask for the Business Development & Support Team By email: [email protected] In writing:
Business Development & Support Team
Sustainable Travel Group
Environment & Transport Department
Leicestershire County Council
County Hall
Glenfield
Leicester LE3 8RJ
Our website: www.leics.gov.uk/highways/passenger_transport