PAPER C
Committee : ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORT SELECT COMMITTEE
Date : 24 APRIL 2002
Title : RURAL BUS SUBSIDY GRANT - CONSULTATION RESPONSES
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
To bring to Members’ attention the responses to consultation recently received in respect of bus services that are currently, or which may in future be, subsidised by Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG).
BACKGROUND
The Government’s Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) provides funding to complement the network of commercial bus services and additional services subsidised by the Council on the Isle of Wight.
The grant is for £232,781 in 2002/03, an increase of £29,404 over the allocation for 2001/02.
£90,000 of the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant for 2002/03 is already committed on de minimis contracts, so the total of £142,781 remains available to purchase services in this year’s round of tenders.
Members of the Select Committee last year recommended that the majority of services funded by RBSG should be on the basis of one year contracts.
Services whose contracts are due to terminate on 30 September 2002, are set out in Appendix 1 to this report. An indication of annual passengers using these services is included.
The whole of the Island is able to benefit from RBSG, but there are some complex rules that must be observed in respect of funding recently withdrawn commercial services.
OUTCOME OF CONSULTATIONS
Invitations to respond to the consultation in respect of RBSG-subsidised services were issued to all Members of the Isle of Wight Council, all Town and Parish Councils and Community Fora, as well as the Isle of Wight Bus Users Group and Isle of Wight Older Voices.
A total of 35 responses were received, and these are summarised in Appendix 2 to this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications in noting consultees’ responses but there are implications that will arise in due course when consideration is given to how RBSG should be spent.
It is likely that the grant may be spent on the following types of service:
(a) Current RBSG subsidised services - to an unlimited extent within the grant limit.
(b) Recently withdrawn commercial services - limited to 20% of the annual value of the grant, ie £46,556 in 2002/03.
(c) Completely new routes and timings not available before or at least not since before 1 May 2001 - to an unlimited extent within the grant limit.
It is also important to note that merely changing the type of vehicle providing the service, for example, replacing a conventional bus service with a taxi or minibus service, would not constitute a new route and could therefore only be provided within the 20% condition.
NEXT STEPS
In order to adhere to a schedule that will permit RBSG services to be operating from 1 October 2002, invitations to tender will need to be issued no later than 17 May 2002. The results of the tendering process will be presented to this Select Committee on 26 June and to the Executive on 2 July 2002.
Subject to Members’ further comment, it is proposed that tenders be sought for all current services whose contracts are due to expire, except that the semi-circle of Service 24 between St Helens and Sandown via Brading should be discontinued because it is not used and instead the Service 24 should be extended from Sandown beyond St Helens via Nettlestone to Ryde.
In accordance with certain of the consultation responses, tenders should also be sought in respect of additional services early on Sunday mornings for shop workers for additional services, on Sundays between East Cowes and Newport and on weekdays between Havenstreet and Ryde. Evening and Sunday services on the Ryde - St Helens - Bembridge - Sandown route will also receive consideration.
There are inevitably always going to be demands for additional services over and above the budget for them, so careful consideration has to be given to funding services that are likely to be best patronised and meet social demand.
Consideration will also be given as to opportunities for taxi operators to provide some of these services using smaller capacity vehicles.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To note this report and agree the way forward.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Responses to the consultation process.
Contact Point : Mr A Morris, ☎ 823780
M J A FISHER
Strategic Director
Corporate and Environment Services
APPENDIX 1
RURAL BUS SERVICE GRANT
SERVICES WHOSE CONTRACT IS DUE TO TERMINATE ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2002
Service No. |
Route |
Time |
Days of Week |
Annual Passengers (Est) |
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 |
Newport-Wootton-Ryde Newport-Wootton-Ryde Newport-Wootton-Ryde Newport-Wootton-Ryde Newport-Wootton-Ryde Ryde-Wootton-Newport Ryde-Wootton-Newport Ryde-Wootton-Newport Ryde-Wootton-Newport Ryde-Wootton-Newport |
1905 2005 2105 2205 2305 1935 2035 2135 2235 2335 |
Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat |
6,500 4,700 3,800 3,500 2,700 4,700 2,400 3,100 4,100 3,000 |
2 |
Bembridge-Nettlestone-Ryde |
0639 |
Mon-Fri |
1,500 |
3A |
Ventnor-Wroxall-Godshill-Newport |
0655 |
Mon-Sat |
2,500 |
3A 3A 3A 3A 3A 3A |
Ventnor-Wroxall-Godshill-Newport Ventnor-Wroxall-Godshill-Newport Ventnor-Wroxall-Godshill-Newport Newport-Godshill-Wroxall-Ventnor Newport-Godshill-Wroxall-Ventnor Newport-Godshill-Wroxall-Ventnor |
1955 2155 2325 1935 2135 2335 |
Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat |
2,400 1,600 2,000 3,500 2,000 1,600 |
7 7 7 7 |
Ryde-Sandown-Shanklin-Ventnor Ryde-Sandown-Shanklin-Ventnor Ventnor-Shanklin-Sandown-Ryde Ventnor-Shanklin-Sandown-Ryde |
2005 2235 1855 2103 |
Suns & B.Hol Suns & B.Hol Suns & B.Hol Suns & B.Hol |
400 300 500 300 |
7B 7B 7B 7B 7B 7B |
Newport-Shorwell-Brighstone-Freshwater Newport-Shorwell-Brighstone-Freshwater Newport-Shorwell-Brighstone-Freshwater Freshwater-Brighstone-Shorwell-Newport Freshwater-Brighstone-Shorwell-Newport Freshwater-Brighstone-Shorwell-Newport |
1935 2105 2235 1924 2124 2254 |
Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat Mon-Sat |
2,600 2,100 2,500 2,600 1,500 1,300 |
8 8 8 8 8 |
Ryde-Seaview-St Helens-Ryde Ryde-Seaview-St Helens-Ryde Ryde-Seaview-St Helens-Ryde Ryde-Seaview-St Helens-Ryde Ryde-Seaview-St Helens-Ryde |
1905 2005 2105 2205 2335 |
Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily |
2,400 1,700 1,400 1,400 1,700 |
24 24 24 24 24 24 |
Sandown-Bembridge-St Helens-Brading-Sandown Sandown-Brading-St Helens-Bembridge-Sandown Sandown-Bembridge-St Helens-Brading-Sandown Sandown-Brading-St Helens-Bembridge-Sandown Sandown-Bembridge-St Helens-Brading-Sandown Sandown-Bembridge-St Helens-Brading-Sandown |
0945 1045 1145 1245 1345 1650 |
Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri |
1,200 1,300 1,100 1,300 1,200 1,200 |
38 38 38 38 38 39 39 39 39 39 |
Newport-Gunville-Newport Newport-Gunville-Newport Newport-Gunville-Newport Newport-Gunville-Newport Newport-Gunville-Newport Newport-Pan Estate-Newport Newport-Pan Estate-Newport Newport-Pan Estate-Newport Newport-Pan Estate-Newport Newport-Pan Estate-Newport |
0910 1010 1110 1210 1310 0940 1040 1140 1240 1340 |
Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri Mon-Fri |
2,000 2,000 2,600 2,600 1,500 800 1,600 1,600 800 800 |
APPENDIX 2
RURAL BUS SUBSIDY GRANT - SUMMARY OF CONSULTATION RESPONSES
A Bus Operators
Providers of local bus services on the Isle of Wight were invited to provide any currently-subsidised RBSG journeys on a commercial basis from 1 October 2002 onwards.
This invitation was declined by all responding operators.
B Town and Parish Councils
1. Brading Town Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
2. Brighstone Parish Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Wish to see late evening journeys ex Newport and Freshwater run half an hour later.
3. Freshwater Town Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Wish to see a direct service from West Wight to St Mary’s and IW College.
4. Godshill Parish Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
5. Gurnard Parish Council
- Wish to see a limited service on Sundays and Bank Holidays in Gurnard area.
6. Niton and Whitwell Parish Council
- There are insufficient services operating between Whitwell and Newport.
- Buses are too expensive.
7. St Helens Parish Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
8. Sandown Town Council
- Has no objection to the level of subsidised services in the area.
- More single decks rather than double decks should be used.
9. Shanklin Town Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
10. Totland Parish Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
11. Ventnor Town Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
12. Wootton Bridge Parish Council
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Would like to see Southern Vectis operate their Service 1 journeys via the North Wootton Estate.
- More single decks and less double decks for cost and environmental reasons.
C Isle of Wight Council Members
1. Councillor Bartlett
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
2. Councillor Clough
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Would welcome a Sunday service on Sandown - Bembridge route.
- Nearer access to St Helens Medical Centre required.
- Direct service from Bembridge to Newport and St Mary’s is desirable.
- More isolated parts of Bembridge would welcome a local minibus service.
3. Councillor Cunningham
- Supports retention of and possible increase in frequency of Newport town services. Also add evening service.
- Hail and ride on Newport town services would be desirable.
4. Councillor Fox
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Top priority is to generate a better service between Havenstreet and Ryde particularly on weekday mornings.
- We should look to be flexible in how services are provided.
- Evening and weekend services should be expanded.
5. Councillor Hancock
- More links for Medina Park required, and expansion of services to St Mary’s.
6. Councillor Humby
- Views as per those expressed by Sandown Town Council and Yaverland Residents Association.
7. Councillor Joyce
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
8. Councillor Lawson
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
9. Councillor Lloyd
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Would welcome additional services for Medina Park and Old Road/Cambridge Road areas of East Cowes.
10. Councillor Mundy
- Would welcome improvements to bus services locally.
11. Councillor Mazillius
- Extra services for new Health Centre in Crossfield Avenue would be welcome in due course.
- Would welcome more early Sunday morning services for shop workers travelling from Cowes to Newport.
- Increase number of services via Sainsbury’s.
12. Councillor Oulton
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
13. Councillor Rees
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
14. Councillor Smart
- Would welcome the retention of the additional Newport town services.
15. Councillor Wareham
- Supports the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Late bus (about 2310) ex Newport to Brighstone would be welcomed.
D Other Consultation Responses Received
1. Ryde Community Forum
- Support continuation of evening subsidised services
- Would welcome additional services in Elmfield and Havenstreet (at least on weekday mornings).
- Would like to see Southern Vectis divert their commercial service 4 (Ryde to East Cowes) via Binstead Estate roads.
2. Newport Forum
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
3. IW Bus Users Group
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
4. IW Older Voices
- Support the continuation of currently-provided services.
- Suggest Newport town routes also operate in reverse direction.
5. Yaverland Residents Association
- Would welcome the retention of the additional journeys via Yaverland that service 24 has provided.
E Additional Responses received from Southern Vectis
Rural Bus Grant should be used to pump-prime services in the hope that they might have a commercial future.
Opportunities exist to pump-prime as follows:
- Additional early Sunday morning journeys on Cowes - Newport - Ryde corridor.
- Increased frequencies between Newport and East Cowes - evenings and Sundays.
- Additional early Sunday morning journey from West Wight to Newport for shop workers to arrive approximately 0945.