Bus Service Spring 2013: Confirmation

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A decision made on 15 March 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-T-2013-0029
Decision Summary Title :	Spring 2013 Bus Service Confirmation		Date of Decision Summary:	07 March 2013
Decision Summary Author:	Public Transport Planner		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Confirmation of Bus Services from 31 March 2013		Date of Written Report:	7 March 2013
Written Report Author:	Public Transport Planner		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Confirmation of bus services to take effect from Sunday 31 March 2013
Decision(s): The Minister approved the following: That the revised bus timetable will run from Sunday 31 March 2013 until Sunday 26 May 2013, with further alterations and enhancements expected to be proposed to commence in time for the peak Summer period; and The changes to bus routes as detailed in the report.
Reason(s) for Decision: Numerous comments from businesses and members of the public were received following advertising in the Jersey Gazette and at Parish Halls, prompting some alterations to the original proposals. As a result it is considered that the revised timetable will provide an overall improvement in services for the public. Additional bus frequency and the continuation of established seasonal links are prominent in these proposals, which represent the second stage in a series of improvements aimed at generating additional usage in order to achieve Sustainable Transport Policy targets.
Resource Implications: The proposed bus service timetables differ from the provisional timetable included within the HCT Group’s final tender submission, approved by the Minister on 06 July 2012 (MD-T-2012-0052 refers). However there are no additional costs relative to the agreed contract price.
Action required: Advise CT Plus Jersey of the decision and issue Omnibus Service Licences to take effect from the first day of the bus operating contract. Prepare a media release outlining the service changes that will take effect from 31 March 2013.
Signature:		Position:
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Bus Service Spring 2013: Confirmation

TRANSPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

CONFIRMATION OF BUS SERVICES FROM 31 MARCH 2013

Purpose of the Report

To seek the Minister‘s approval of a revised bus timetable from 31 March 2013, to be operated by CT Plus Jersey Ltd.

Background

The Minister approved ‘in principle’ the proposals for the revised bus timetable on 10 January 2013 (MD-T-2013-0005 refers). 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.

Discussion

1. The proposals can be summarised as follows:

A. Revised timetable with additional frequency on services 1, 1A, 2 and 12

Enhancements were proposed on these routes using driver and vehicle resources that in previous years were allocated to the former ‘Explorer’ network of bus routes.

B. Amendments to services implemented on 2 January 2013

Following early experience with the timetable implemented at the start of the new bus contract, alterations were found necessary to assist buses in operating punctually.

Initially, all other bus services in the existing ‘winter’ timetable were expected to continue unchanged until a further planned timetable change on 26 May. A pledge to operate an enhanced Saturday timetable on Bank Holidays had already been publicly made by CT Plus in 2012, addressing concerns expressed in previous years that service levels have been too sparse on the relevant dates.

2. An advertisement was published in the Gazette section of the Jersey Evening Post on 14 February 2013, with a deadline for comments of Friday 01 March. A press release was issued to coincide with the advertisement and all Constables and Parish Halls were subsequently contacted with details to display. In addition to the above, the following changes were proposed:

Extra departures on services 8 and 9, to provide enhanced frequencies to locations served in previous years by the former Explorer network of bus routes
Additional journeys on Sundays on services 25 and 27
Splitting service 15 at peak times into two sections, to minimise service unreliability caused by congestion affecting buses running across St Helier, and the suspension of ‘express’ services via Victoria Avenue in order to maximise bus capacity on the St Aubin Inner Road
A new X12 service with one morning / one evening journey, to operate as a ‘commuter express’ concept to shorten journey times between La Moye, Red Houses, Beaumont Hill and St Helier
Shortening the route of service 20 to improve punctuality by reducing the time required to operate each round trip
Minor adjustments to some journeys on other routes in response to customer feedback

3. Comments were received by e-mail or post from around sixty respondents. Appendix 1 summarises the issues raised. The most common subjects prompting a representation were:

(a) The change to service 20 meaning the withdrawal of buses from Grande Route du Mont a l’Abbe. Although understood to be a sparsely-used section, numerous representations objecting to the proposal were received including from one gentleman who collected around thirty-five signatures from residents in the vicinity

(b) The non-operation in 2013 of the former Explorer network, which was objected to by numerous visitor attractions

(d) The Victoria Avenue journeys on service 15 that would revert to operation on the St Aubin Inner Road, it being felt that there was currently a perceived (if not necessarily actual) faster service

4. The reaction of the tourism industry to the proposals was covered in the media and led to a meeting, arranged by Jersey Tourism, in which the sector’s aspirations were discussed between representatives of visitor attractions, Jersey Heritage, LibertyBus and TTS:

Dedicated tourist ‘network’ linked together key locations without the need to change buses on the south coast
Branding was easy to communicate to visitors
Proposals left wider gaps between journeys than desirable
Sunday service insufficient
Increasing risk of being unable to meet passenger demand nearer the summer season

5. The following solutions were discussed by TTS and CT Plus:

Reinstate service 20 to Grande Route du Mont a l’Abbe, while keeping a proposed alteration at the other end of the route (shown in Appendix 2)
Implement a ‘libertyLink’ network, loosely based on Explorer services operated during 2012, at the expense of the enhancements proposed on services 1A, 2, 8, 9, and 12
Appropriate publicity to highlight all journey options on the 3/13 group of services, including through journeys where services link together at Durrell
A pledge to consider the possible reinstatement of ‘express’ journeys on service 15 at peak times, at a future planned timetable change, after passenger travel demand patterns have been comprehensively analysed

In addition, although committed to the concept of cross-town bus services to maximise the range of destinations served without the need to change buses, following feedback from passengers CT Plus propose that service 15 be split into two sections at all times, rather than just weekday peak periods. The eastern section would be known as service 16.

Comments

There is no additional cost to TTS associated with the proposals. The parent company of CT Plus, HCT Group, has confirmed that the level of service to be provided is equal to the resource levels allowed for within the bus operating contract during the period of operation of the Spring timetable.

In common with the consultation for the 02 January alterations, the number of comments received concerning bus service change proposals is considerably higher than in previous years. As the public transport network evolves, it will be desirable to review and where necessary revise the consultation process to employ different methods of engaging with customers. CT Plus initiated a series of public meetings held at Parish Halls, and this may be a useful means of informing the process in advance of future bus timetable change dates.

The ‘libertyLink’ concept was broadly well-received by tourism representatives in the second meeting on 6 March 2013. However, it is being implemented at the expense of some improvements that had been proposed for parallel routes. It will be important for CT Plus to market ‘libertyLink’ appropriately and emphasise that it is not intended for the sole use of visitors, which was a common perception of the old Explorer services.

The Spring timetable has a validity period of only eight weeks before a planned change for the peak summer season is due to commence. Therefore some of the planned Spring enhancements that have now been replaced by the ‘libertyLink’ network will materialise at that point. There will be an opportunity to increase services on ‘libertyLink’ too, though care will be required to ensure that these are as integrated as possible and avoid wasteful duplication of other routes.

Therefore it is recommended that the Minister approve the revised proposals for implementation on 31 March 2013, with the incorporation of the additional changes at point 5 above. These changes deal with the most significant issues raised during the public consultation, and represent an overall improvement to the public transport network. CT Plus officers are currently working to accommodate these revisions and they will be included within the publicity material that will appear in due course.

Recommendation:-

The Minister is recommended to approve the following:

That the revised bus timetable will run from Sunday 31 March 2013 until Sunday 26 May 2013, with further alterations and enhancements expected to be proposed to commence in time for the peak Summer period; and

The changes to bus routes as detailed in this report.

Reason(s) for Recommendations

Numerous comments from businesses and members of the public were received following advertising in the Jersey Gazette and at Parish Halls, prompting some alterations to the original proposals. As a result it is considered that the revised timetable will provide an overall improvement in services for the public. Additional bus frequency and the continuation of established seasonal links are prominent in these proposals, which represent the second stage in a series of improvements aimed at generating additional usage in order to achieve Sustainable Transport Policy targets.

Actions Required

Advise CT Plus Jersey of the decision and issue Omnibus Service Licences to take effect from the first day of the bus operating contract.

Prepare a media release outlining the service changes that will take effect from 31 March 2013.

Resource Implications

The proposed bus service timetables differ from the provisional timetable included within the HCT Group’s final tender submission, approved by the Minister on 06 July 2012 (MD-T-2012-0052 refers). However there are no additional costs relative to the agreed contract price.

Written by:	Public Transport Planner

Approved by:	Director of Transport

Appendix 1:	Summary of consultation responses
Appendix 2:	Originally proposed and final route maps of service 20