POLICY COMMISSION MEETING

 

 

Meeting

Policy Commission for Economy, Regeneration, Tourism and Transport

Ref

E.PC.10/8/05

Date   

10 August 2005

Time

18.00hrs

Place

Committee Room 1, County Hall, Newport

Purpose of meeting

Formal public meeting

Attendance   

Commission

Cllr G Brown (Commissioner), Cllr H Adams, Cllr I Bulwer, Cllr J F Fitzgerald-Bond, Cllr J Hobart, Cllr L Peacey-Wilcox

Cabinet

Cllr I Ward

Secretariat

Cllr D Pugh

Officers

Mr S Fraser

Mr K Johnson

Mr A Morris

 

Ms L Biggs, Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Team

Ms A Davies, O&S Team

Stake holders

None

Apologies

Cllr C Hancock

Agenda Items

 

1.      Scoping Documents for the Commission’s initial enquiries  

The following ‘proposed dates of completion’ were agreed for the following enquiries:

 

£50 residents parking permit (Ref E2/05) – Cllr Fitzgerald-Bond.  

The proposed date of completion was agreed as December 2005

 

Highways private finance initiative (Ref E3/05) – Cllr I Bulwer

The proposed date of completion was agreed as January 2007

 

Leisure Value for Money/Strategic Partner (Ref E4/05) – Cllr J Hobart.

The proposed date of completion was agreed as December 2006

 

Tourism Value for Money/Strategic Partner (Ref E5/05) – Cllr G Brown.

The proposed date of completion was agreed as December 2006

 

£1 Bus Ticket on Southern Vectis Omnibus Company (Ref E6/05) – Cllr H Adams.

The proposed date of completion was agreed as June 2007

 

Wight Bus Value for Money (Ref E7/05) – Cllr L Peacey-Wilcox

The proposed date of completion was agreed as April 2006

2.      To receive evidence from Mr A Morris
  1. Several assumptions were made in submitting evidence to the Policy commission:

 

    1. There will be a future requirement in society for public transport services

 

    1. There will be a future requirement for home to school transport at current levels throughout 2005-06

 

    1. Demand for public transport will increase over the medium to long term

 

    1. The IW Council has set targets for growth in public transport usage as identified in the Local Transport Plan.

 

  1. 57 staff currently work for WightBus (including drivers and 10 part-time bus escorts for children with SEN).

 

  1. The core function of WightBus is home to school transport but also provides public transport, adult day-care, passenger escort and private hire services.

 

  1. The following reviews have been undertaken to look at the service:

 

    1. 1976 (Performance Review Sub Committee
    2. 1982 (Management Review)
    3. 1991(District Audit Review)
    4. 1992 (Select Panel on Cost Effectiveness)
    5. 2000 (Best Value Pilot Study)

 

  1. Wightbus carries 1100 -1200 students to school daily and 2500 -2600 sold per term.

 

  1. The last user satisfaction information was undertaken as part of Best Value review in 2000.  A more up-to-date survey would be completed as part of this enquiry.

 

  1. Expenditure and income of Wightbus are both around 1.57 million

 

  1. The majority of local bus service is provided as part of southern Vectis sub contract.  Other services include the dial-a-bus scheme run through OPTIO and the Rural Community Council

 

  1. Wightbus could tender for a cross-Solent patient transport if such a scheme was developed.

 

  1. WightBus costs more per pupil than southern Vectis as it is covering low density areas with it school transport service

3.      To receive evidence from Mr K Johnson

 
  1. Children’s services are a major Wightbus service user. 

 

  1. All schools use Wightbus at some point and there is a set fee of which they are all aware

 

  1. It was considered that Wightbus staff have a good understanding of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and this was of great benefit to pupils.

 

  1. All WightBus vehicles are fitted with seatbelts, Close Circuit TV and there are designated drivers for each route.

 

  1. Wightbus tickets are non-transferable.  This is a problem for children wishing to use another provider’s bus service

 

  1. In the past some costs have been passes disproportionately onto the children’s services but this is no longer the case.

 

  1. There is no local subsidy for the cost of carrying pupils.

4.      To receive evidence from Mr S Fraser

 

 

  1. The cost per mainstream pupil of using Wightbus is £426.28 compared to £394.73 with Southern Vectis.  SEN Wightbus services cost £1628 per pupil.

 

  1. Expenditure and income on WightBus totalled £1,461,933

 

  1. A total of £2,529,002 was paid to Southern Vectis for the provision of home to school transport, home to college transport, subsidised local bus routes, rural bus services, concessionary fares, Youth mover fares and publicity.

 

  1. The average cost per pupil to mainstream schools on the Isle of Wight has been benchmarked against other authorities.  The island result was less than the average cost/pupil.

 

  1. There will be an impact on the provision of bus services by WightBus of a £1 bus fare scheme.

 

  1. The impact of the change in legislation to provide free off-peak bus travel to all people over the age of 60 and people with disabilities, from April 2006, would need to be considered.

 

  1. In relation to changes in patterns of usage, there was a need for better management information to support cost allocation to activities and allow for more informed decision making.

Action required

1.      Update report to cabinet Member by September 2005

 

Cllr Peacey-Wilcox /Overview and Scrutiny Team