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A decision made (07/09/2007) regarding: Bus Service - 2007/8 Winter Timetable.

Decision Reference: MD-T-2007-0081
Decision Summary Title :	DS Bus Service – 2007/8 Winter Timetable		Date of Decision Summary:	21 August 2007
Decision Summary Author:	Caroline Anderson – Director of Transport		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Bus Service – 2007/8 Winter Timetable		Date of Written Report:	21 August 2007
Written Report Author:	Caroline Anderson – Director of Transport		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Approval of changes to Connex bus services for winter 2007/8
Decision(s): The Minister approved: the minor operational changes to the Winter 2007/8 timetable as set out in Appendix A to the accompanying report; replacing the Sunday 19.00 Route 15 service with one at 20.20 that the winter service will end on Saturday 15 March 2008; and making the winter timetables freely available at an estimated maximum cost of £6,000.
Reason(s) for Decision: Minor timing changes are required to facilitate the bus operations from the new Liberation Station. The change to the Route 15 Sunday service allows a more regular service to be provided. Bringing the end date of the Winter schedule earlier allows a full assessment of the integrated summer network to be made before agreeing proposals for spring/summer 2008. Potential bus passengers should not have to pay to access timetable information, free timetables may increase patronage and in the future it is anticipated that advertising will help cover the cost.
Resource Implications: These proposals will not impact on the cost of the Connex contract but a budget of £6,000 has been identified to allow timetables to be freely available.
Action required: Advise Connex of this decision. Prepare a media release to advise the public of these changes.
Signature:		Position:
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Bus Service 2007/8 - Winter Timetable.

TRANSPORT & TECHNICAL SERVICES

BUS SERVICE - 2007/8 WINTER TIMETABLE

Purpose of the Report

To seek the Minister's approval to the proposed 2007/8 winter timetable.

Background

The 2007 Spring/Summer timetable ends on Saturday 29 September 2007. The Minister has already agreed not to run the K services at the beginning of the winter timetable as the Island Explorer will continue running until the end of the school half term holidays, 3 November (Ministerial Decisions MD-T-2007-0018 & 0042 refers).

The move from the Weighbridge Bus Station to the new Liberation Station will also coincide with the start of the Winter timetable and this has necessitated some minor operational adjustments. Furthermore the opportunity has been taken to improve the timings on the Route 15 on a Sunday evening and also bring forward the end of the winter period.

Discussion

The new Liberation Station requires Connex to operate the bus service in a different manner from the current Weighbridge bus station which has lay-over facilities for any vehicles not operating at any time. This is not possible in the Liberation Station and drivers will be required to drive to the Albert Pier to take their meal breaks. For this reason, a number of small operational changes to the timetable are required and these are listed in Appendix A. All are within the current licence conditions as no change is greater than 10 minutes. In addition, the opportunity has been taken to reverse the current destinations of the Route 3 17.15 and 17.20 departures which provides a better service through to Rozel. (The first bus is often full but passengers travelling to Rozel have no option but to travel on this earlier bus - this reversal provides an option and should spread passengers between the two services).

Comments have previously been made concerning a 2 hour gap in services between 19.30 and 21.30 out of the Bus Station on the Route 15 on a Sunday evening. Cancelling the 19.00 departure and replacing with a departure at 20.20 alleviates this problem. This timing change is outside the licence conditions and comments were sought from the public in accordance with the Motor Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935 as amended, Section 24 (1) (c). No objections were made by the deadline so the Minister is recommended to approve this change.

The Winter timetable historically runs until the last Saturday in May and covers the spring (K) services introduced from mid March. However, with the introduction of the Island Explorer in 2007, it is too early to assess the effectiveness of this full integration of Island bus services. Furthermore, Easter 2008 falls very early (Good Friday is 21 March 2008) and any recommendations as to what services to provide at that time would also have had to be made now. For these reasons, it is recommended that the Winter 2007/8 timetable runs only until Saturday 15 March 2008 which would have coincided with the spring commencement of the K services. Although the Minister agreed in May that the Autumn K services would not be run, no decision has been taken in relation to the Spring services which need to be considered along with the start dates for the main summer and leisure (Island Explorer) services.

The Summer 2007 timetables were distributed free to all households at a cost of £13,000 including both printing and distributing. The Minister is keen that timetables remain free to anyone who requires one - they currently cost 50p from the Connex Information Office - so it is proposed that the winter timetable be made freely available but not posted to all households. The estimated cost of this would be a maximum of £6,000 and this can be funded from the budget for buses. In the future, it is anticipated that additional advertising will be sought to help cover the cost of printing the timetables and it is also recommended that further consideration be given to circulating next year's summer timetable to all households.

Comments

No major revamping of the winter timetable has taken place at this time. The changes are mostly for operational reasons and it is hoped that the assessment of the integrated summer network will bring forward enhancements to the network which may also influence the late winter/spring schedules.

The additional cost of extending the Island Explorer service to 3 November (as agreed in previous MD) is £86,550 which can almost be offset if the autumn and spring K services are withdrawn (a saving of £83,850), However, the Minister has so far agreed only to withdraw the autumn K services (which is a saving of £19,350) leaving a balance of £67,200 in 2007 financial year. This has been balanced by increased income during the year. Following the assessment of the summer integrated network, the department will recommend services to cover the spring period up to when the main summer services are implemented. It is hoped that some efficiency savings will be found to supplement the current spring services and possibly bring forward the start date of the summer leisure network.

Any additional services over the Christmas period to support either the Drink-Drive campaign or the Fete de Noue will be considered at a later time.

Current indications suggest that the integrated summer network has been a success as far as both revenue received and comments from the public. However there is little doubt that some duplication exists on some of the routes and that other areas are less well covered. A full assessment of the summer schedule will be made this autumn and it is hoped that proposals for the spring/summer 2008 timetable will be agreed by Christmas so both the public and tourism attractions/destinations will have early knowledge of the service to be provided.

No change in the fare structure is being proposed at present. A revamping of the fare stages and pass prices was implemented in April 2007 when the Island Explorer was launched. Next year, bus fares will be subject to the Goods and Services Tax so some adjustment will be required if income is to be maintained. It is recommended that this fare review be undertaken during the last quarter 2007 with a view to implementation for the spring/summer timetable. This review should also encompass student fares on school and scheduled services.

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve:

the minor operational changes to the Winter 2007/8 timetable as set out in Appendix A;

replacing the Sunday 19.00 Route 15 service with one at 20.20

that the winter service will end on Saturday 15 March 2008; and

making the winter timetables freely available at an estimated maximum cost of £6,000.

Reasons for Recommendation

Minor timing changes are required to facilitate the bus operations from the new Liberation Station.
The change to the Route 15 Sunday service allows a more regular service to be provided.
Bringing the end date of the Winter schedule earlier allows a full assessment of the integrated summer network to be made before agreeing proposals for spring/summer 2008.
Potential bus passengers should not have to pay to access timetable information, free timetables may increase patronage and in the future it is anticipated that advertising will help cover the cost.

Resource Implications

These proposals will not impact on the cost of the Connex contract but a budget of £6,000 has been identified to allow timetables to be freely available.

Actions Required

Advise Connex of this decision.

Prepare a media release to advise the public of these changes.

Written by:	Caroline Anderson - Director of Transport

Approved by:	John Richardson - Chief Officer

File Ref: 35/9

21.08.07