2008 Spring and Summer Bus Services

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A decision made (20/02/2008) regarding: 2008 Spring and Summer Bus Services - Confirmation.

Decision Reference: MD-T-2008-0011
Decision Summary Title :	2008 Spring and Summer Bus Services - Confirmation		Date of Decision Summary:	14 February 2008
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:
Written Report Title :	Confirmation of 2008 Spring and Summer Bus Services		Date of Written Report:	14 February 2008
Written Report Author:	Caroline Anderson Director of Transport		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)
Subject: Confirmation of the proposals for 2008 spring and summer leisure and scheduled bus services.
Decision(s): The Minister, following consultation in accordance with the provisions of Article 24 of the Motor Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935, approved the following changes to the spring and summer schedules: The Island Explorer will run from Saturday 5 April 2008 through to Saturday 11 October 2008 and also for the four days of the Easter weekend (21 to 24 March inclusive) and the weekend of 29 and 30 March; The spring K services will not run in 2008; A new Sunday circular service will be implemented to cover St Lawrence, St Mary and St John from 23 March 2008 to 18 May 2008; The 7a and 8a services will be modified on the existing summer schedule as follows: Reduce the 8a from every 30 mins to every hour. Cut every 7a service except the 17.15 commuter departure, which will become a route 7 service. The changes to the Island Explorer routes as detailed in the previous report appended to MD-T-2008-0001
Reason(s) for Decision: The proposals further integrate the leisure and scheduled services to achieve improved services for the travelling public and only two submissions were received.
Resource Implications: These proposals will save about £30,000 on the current contract costs
Action required: Advise Connex of the decision. Draft a media release advising of the Minister’s decision. Advise the two people who submitted comments of the Minister’s decision.
Signature:		Position:
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

2008 Spring and Summer Bus Services - Confirmation.

TRANSPORT & TECHNICAL SERVICES

CONFIRMATION OF 2008 SPRING AND SUMMER BUS SERVICES

Purpose of the Report

To seek the Minister’s approval to the 2008 spring and summer bus services.

Background

The Minister approved ‘in principle’ the proposals put forward by Connex for the 2008 spring and summer services on 4 January 2008 (MD-T-2008-0001 refers). As this represents changes in an omnibus licence, under Article 24 of the Motor Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935, the Minister had to consult on the proposals prior to a final decision being made.

Comments

The proposals can be summarised as follows:

The Island Explorer will run from Saturday 5 April 2008 through to Saturday 11 October 2008 and also for the four days of the Easter weekend (21 to 24 March inclusive) and the weekend of 29 and 30 March;
The spring K services will not run in 2008;
A Sunday circular service will be introduced to cover St Lawrence, St Mary and St John from 23 March 2008 to 18 May 2008;
The 7a and 8a services will be modified on the existing summer schedule as follows:
- Reduce the 8a from every 30 mins to every hour.
- Cut every 7a service except the 17.15 commuter departure, which will become a route 7 service.
To amend the Island Explorer red, blue, green and yellow routes as detailed in the previous report.

An advertisement was placed in the Gazette section of the Jersey Evening Post on 15 January 2008 and also all Constables and Parish Halls were contacted with details to display.

The department received two submissions as follows:

Mr Ian Everson detailed a number of timing issues that he perceived in a letter dated 12 January 2008. Further to this, a meeting was held with Mr Everson, Connex and TTS to discuss the issues in detail. Although the comments were acknowledged, and some of them may be helped by minor tweaks in the summer service timetables, most are difficult to resolve given the nature of the routes. For instance, if two separate services were to be rescheduled to allow a reasonable headway on the outward journey, they would return at similar times. Connex and TTS undertook to continually refine the integrated network to ensure duplication is minimised and the service to the public is maximised.

Mrs E Satchwell wrote on behalf of a number of St Ouen residents complaining that the cessation of the red and blue circular routes would mean that St Ouen residents could no longer travel direct to Red Houses, St Brelades Bay and St Aubin. The proposals would mean that the journey is now broken at Jersey Pearl and a passenger wishing to continue would have to transfer buses at the point which may entail a wait of 30 minutes. This is one of the disadvantages of the proposals but it is felt that the new routes will benefit the majority of the travelling public, especially visitors, and will increase income on those services. However, it is recommended that the success of this particular proposal be monitored and a decision taken after the 2008 season as to whether the two interlinking routes are preferable to the circular routes.

Given the fact there have only been two comments concerning these proposals, it is recommended that the Minister approve them without alteration for implementation on 16 March 2008.

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to:

Agree that the Island Explorer will run from Saturday 5 April 2008 through to Saturday 11 October 2008 and also for the four days of the Easter weekend (21 to 24 March inclusive) and the weekend of 29 and 30 March;
Agree that the spring K services will not run in 2008;
Introduce a Sunday circular service to cover St Lawrence, St Mary and St John from 23 March 2008 to 18 May 2008;
Modify the 7a and 8a services on the existing summer schedule as follows:
- Reduce the 8a from every 30 mins to every hour.
- Cut every 7a service except the 17.15 commuter departure, which will become a route 7 service.
Agree the changes to the red, blue, green and yellow routes as detailed in the previous report.

Reasons for Recommendations

The proposals further integrate the leisure and scheduled services to achieve improved services for the travelling public and only two submissions were received.

Actions Required

Advise Connex of the decision.
Draft a media release advising of the Minister’s decision.
Advise the two people who submitted comments of the Minister’s decision.

Resource Implications

The proposals will save about £30,000 on the current contract costs as detailed in the previous report appended to MD-T-2008-0001.

Written by:	Caroline Anderson

Approved by:	John Richardson