Agenda item

A copy of the Panel’s Final Report has been circulated to all members via the Members’ Information Service. Members are asked to please bring their copy to the meeting.

The Commission considered a Final Report of the Scrutiny Review Panel on the Council’s 95% bus policy. A copy of the Report is filed with these minutes.

The Chairman invited Mr. Slater CC, the Chairman of the Panel, to introduce the report to the Commission. Mr. Slater commented that the Review had been a challenging process, the Panel having met on 10 occasions. The Final Report presented to the Commission would, subject to approval, be used as the basis for the Council’s consultation exercise starting on 16 April.

The Director of Environment and Transport reported that the Panel had been given a remit to look at a policy that originated in 2002 which committed the Council to provide, in conjunction with the commercial bus network, a day time (Monday to Saturday) bus service of an hourly frequency or better, within an 800 metre walk, for 95% of the residents of the County. It was felt that this policy was no longer affordable or appropriate and that any new policy had to be more flexible to meet more adequately the demands of users.

Arising from the discussion, the following points were noted:

• There might be a perception amongst the public that a ‘Demand Responsive Transport’ service would be available at any time on demand. The Environment and Transport Department was aware of the need to manage the message of the consultation exercise carefully in order that members of the public were adequately informed of the new services on offer. A route specific consultation exercise would be carried out, including some work on buses to ensure that those without access to the internet or leaflets were also consulted;
  
  
• The consultation provided an opportunity to respond to the needs of users and any changes to services would be fully communicated to them. Usage of services would be continually monitored to ensure they were fit for purpose. New services would be given time to embed within communities;
  
  
• Routes marked in green on maps in the appendices to the report were those that would be supported by the County Council as conventional bus services under the proposed new policy.  Some would be unchanged from that presently offered, whilst others might include some changes as and when required for reasons such as providing drivers with breaks, which would significantly reduce costs;
  
  
• The Council was interested in providing a Real Time Information service that had previously existed through the “Star Trak” scheme, though this had been abandoned following the withdrawal of City Council funding;
  
  
• The consultation exercise would end on 8 July, following which the results would be reported to the Commission.

RESOLVED:

(a)                           That the Review Panel be thanked for its work on this matter and the recommendations of the Panel as set out in the report be noted;

(b)                           That the Cabinet be asked to agree that the proposed new policy recommended by the Panel be approved for consultation;

(c)                           That the Panel be requested to reconvene to consider the outcome of the consultation and make final recommendations regarding a new policy which would guide the Council’s approach to supporting the bus network.