Agenda item

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways introduced the report and explained that following a 13-week comprehensive consultation, the passenger transport strategy was ready to be implemented.  The Cabinet Member stated that he supported all forms of passenger transport including subsidised buses and community transport and he looked forward to an expanded network of services and routes.

The strategy would be based on what the Cabinet Member referred to as the ‘seven pillars of wisdom’ which included; providing transport between the larger areas of population with community transport providing services to smaller villages; improving the infrastructure such as bus shelters and the provision of real time information; the County Council playing an active role in publicity, encourage more flexible ticketing and also the integration of public transport with rail transport.

The consultation received 2500 responses, with almost half the responses from retired residents and 2/3 from people who lived in urban areas. 90% wanted a bus information service. The results showed that people wanted the County Council to support services, even if they were little used and a number of respondents who used buses for work, school or healthcare appointments said they had no alternative form of transport. Only 1% of respondents felt that cycling was an alternative for their bus journey. In reality the only alternative for buses was cars.

Now the consultation had been completed a review of all services would be carried out to look at best value and to score services based on seven categories. The Cabinet Member felt that passengers needed to make use of buses or they would disappear and bus companies needed to ensure their services were reliable and punctual.

Members of the Cabinet made the following comments:

·       The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills pointed out that the Council had a statutory duty to provide transport for children attending school (dependent on the age of the child and the distance) and also for SEND transport. Around £30 million a year was spent on passenger transport so it was right that the money was spent wisely and services were sustainable.

·       Cabinet Members thanked the transport officers for their work with the consultation and preparing the Strategy and the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways was thanked for his work on the consultation and the seven pillars were welcomed.

·       It was suggested that a consideration of transport needs and services should be included in the planning process, especially when considering areas of low-cost housing.

·       There were some concerns around the use of the deprivation index as some divisions which appeared well off had pockets of high deprivation and that was at risk of being masked. This issue had been highlighted by the Rural Services network. It was hoped the process would not be as mechanical as it first appeared.

·       Community transport was commended and recognised for being useful in rural areas and helping against social isolation.

·       Members were pleased that the whole system of transport would be considered and not just buses.

·       It was important that links to other transport networks outside the County were considered.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(a)  adopted the proposed Passenger Transport Strategy, which had been informed by a robust and comprehensive public consultation;

(b)  authorised the Director of Economy and Infrastructure to implement the Strategy and formulate operational policies with an appropriate implementation schedule having regard to the Strategy and in consultation with the above Cabinet Members with Responsibility in relation to any strategic impacts; and

(c)  authorised the commencement of a full review by the Director of Economy and Infrastructure of the Council's Passenger Transport network in accordance with the adopted Strategy, which would incorporate Home to School Transport, Public Transport, Community Transport and Social Care Transport.