PAPER C
BRIEFING NOTE FOR THE POLICY COMMISSION FOR
ECONOMY,TOURISM,REGENERATION AND TRANSPORT
VALUE FOR MONEY ANALYSIS OF THE WIGHTBUS OPERATION
TRANSPORT PROVISION FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN
Basic data
Wightbus carries an average of 990 pupils to and from
mainstream schools at a cost per pupil/p.a. of £454(2005-6).
The cost per pupil for 2004-5 was £426.
An average of 130 pupils are transported to the 2 Island
Special Schools at a cost per pupil of £1735
(2005-6). The cost per pupil in 2004-5 was £1628
The other main carrier that supplies home to school
transport is Southern Vectis. Their cost per pupil is £415 (2005-6). It
was £395 in 2004-5. Southern Vectis does not provide transport to the
Special Schools.
The cost to the Local Education Authority (LEA) budget for
all forms of transport is considerable. It acknowledges that some routes are
unattractive to a commercial operator such as Southern Vectis because they
involve the transportation of small numbers from geographically diverse
locations. The responsibility to provide transport to and from school remains
and the more difficult routes are covered mostly by Wightbus. Other small
operators cover approximately 5% of the school lift. The average cost for these
operators is likely to be £731(2005-6). It was £696 in 2004-5
The Children’s Services Directorate is the principal
customer of Wightbus
Measurement of outputs
The Children’s Services Directorate is measured against
outcomes for children. One of the five major objectives is ‘Being Safe’.
Wightbus contributes to this objective in the following
ways:
- All
its buses are fitted with seat-belts (this is not the case with its
competitors)
- It
has a deliberate policy of associating a particular driver with a
specified route (continuity and knowledge of individual children is
particularly important in the Special School sector)
- Individual
drivers on each route have an ‘understudy’ to cover for illness and leave
periods
- Poor
behaviour contributes to a feeling of being unsafe. Complaints of poor
behaviour on buses received by the Client Services Section (2003-4 and
2004-5 aggregated figures) were: 13 for Wightbus and 42 for Southern
Vectis. When compared with the average number of pupils carried, this is a
ratio of 1:86 for Wightbus and 1:45 for Southern Vectis.
- CCTV
is fitted on all Wightbus’ larger vehicles (37 seats and over)
- Wightbus
has specially adapted vehicles that serve the Special Schools
Economy
- In
addition to the main school lift, Wightbus provides vehicles for school
activities during the school day. Swimming, field trips and cultural
activities are charged at a fixed rate - £85 per return trip for a
coach with 43 seats and £100 for a coach with 72 seats. Recent
tenders to cover a lunchtime activity showed that the cheapest quote from
private coach companies was £150 for a return journey for a coach
with 53 seats.
- Schools
are encouraged to seek actively best value for money. There is no school
on the Island that has not used Wightbus in the last academic year
Effectiveness
- Schools
find Wightbus to be a reliable and flexible carrier.
- Flexibility
is enhanced because many of the Wightbus routes are not registered
allowing the organisation to vary times and points of collection.
- ‘Human
touches’ have helped to establish a positive reputation for Wightbus with
their school clients – children allowed to choose music to be played in
the bus; Christmas decorations in buses serving primary schools; the
commitment and care of a particular driver when a bus was stuck in snow.
These may be outcomes of the continuity factor noted above.
Problems
- No
transferability of tickets between the two main operators.
- When new vehicles are required or major
new costs are incurred we believe that a disproportionate increase in the
charge to Education has occurred in the past. If Wightbuses are used
increasingly for other activity, then increased charges must be
proportionate to use. We believe this principle is accepted now.
Kim Johnson, Head of Planning and Resources, Children’s Services 29/07/05