MINUTES of the meeting of the COMMERCIAL BUS OPERATORS TOPIC GROUP held on Wednesday 10 May 2006 at 12.30pm
ATTENDANCE
Members of the Topic Group
N K Brook, A Mitchell, M Downing, R G Prowse, I E M Tarry (Chairman)
Others in Attendance
M Cowan, Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Partnership
Michael Finn, General Manager of UNO, Universitybus Ltd
Dave Shelley, Managing Director of Centrebus
Brian Drury, Managing Director of Arriva The Shires
Officers
John Sykes, Integrated Transport Services Manager
Steve Ferns, Head of Passenger Transport Operations
Gill Borg, Transport Commissioning & Planning Manager
Natalie Rotherham, Scrutiny Officer
Neil Terry, Democratic Services Officer
1. / MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETINGThe Topic Group agreed the minutes as an accurate record of the meeting held on 27 March 2006.
2. / PRESENTATIONS FROM COMMERCIAL BUS OPERATORS
2.1 / UNO – Universitybus Limited
Michael Finn, General Manager for UNO attended the meeting to provide details of commercial operations.
The following details were provided:
· UNO has 50 buses with 45 required to run its 12 routes
· Based at the University of Hertfordshire
· Main customer group is the population of Hertfordshire
· Bus Service is a good recruitment tool for students to Hertfordshire University – without the service students would be faced with congestion and limited parking
A discussion followed during which the following points were raised:
· Has UNO had any route cancellations or route changes?
A direct route from Luton to Hatfield used to take 1hour 20minutes. This was unacceptable to students so the route was altered to reduce journey time to 50minutes.
· Is there a market for using smaller vehicles as part of the fleet?
Smaller vehicles are not cost effective as drivers are paid the same whether driving a smaller vehicle or larger 79 seat vehicle.
· Do students benefit from reduced fares on UNO buses?
Students and University staff have two different fares depending on the proximity to the university. The fares are either £1.00 or £1.50.
· Have petrol prices had an impact on fares?
UNO had to put up the price of fares in February of this year for the first time in 18 months. The increase in fares will counteract fuel price rises and help to increase the size of the fleet.
· What customer service provision does the company have?
UNO have a customer service contact telephone number which operates during the week between 5.00am and 9.00pm.
· What views does UNO buses have on the Intalink partnership?
Mr Finn applauded HCC for the idea of Intalink. It was noted that Mr Finn felt Trent Bus Company and Brighton & Hove Company were streets ahead.
Travel Guides need to be reduced in size and need to be modernised. The Network Map is also too big, not practical for usage when on the move. London provides a good example for what Intalink should look to produce.
In order for the Topic Group to respond to the Government Committee, it was agreed that a questionnaire will be sent to UNO to gain their insight on regulation issues. / NT
2.2 / Centrebus
Dave Shelley, Commercial Director of Centrebus attended the meeting to provide the Topic Group with details of commercial operations.
Centrebus is a small-medium sized privately owned bus operator which has built a business from the sections of the market which larger operators have found uneconomic.
A copy of the Centrebus presentation is attached to the minutes.
The Topic Group asked Mr Shelley the following questions:
· Is there a higher initial cost and running cost for low floor buses?
The costs of operation are higher for the newest low floor buses and there is a significant initial cost difference.
· Could Intalink help with DDA training for drivers?
This is currently not on the Intalink agenda but certainly could be in future.
· Has deregulation been a help or a hindrance?
Deregulation has not been a hindrance as the private sector drives efficiency.
· What are the successes and failures of the Intalink partnership?
The initiatives developed by Intalink are particularly innovative, such as, Explorer, Bus Net and Plus Bus. However, at times the partnership can be too bureaucratic thus stopping things from happening.
· How much notice could you provide in advance of a route change?
The Topic Group noted that route changes are an infrequent occurrence. Centrebus removed its Saturday service in St Albans last June (2005). The Passenger Transport Unit (PTU) were notified in November 2004. A morning bus service from Hemel Hempstead to Harpenden will be removed in May 2006. The plans were flagged up to PTU in March 2005.
Members thanked Dave Shelley for attending the meeting and providing details of the Centrebus operation.
It was noted that the Topic Group would like to contribute to a study on regulation being undertaken by HM Government Transport Committee.
In order for the Topic Group to respond it was agreed that a questionnaire will be sent to Centrebus to gain their insight on regulation issues. / NT
2.3 / Arriva The Shires
Brian Drury, Commercial Director for Arriva the Shires attended the meeting to provide details of commercial operations.
The following details were provided:
· Arriva The Shires operates in the South East of England and recently purchased Milton Keynes Metro
· The company operates 640 buses with 1200 drivers
· 80-85% of services are commercial
· Arriva The Shires operates with lost mileage of 0.59% but the company focus is on the quality of mileage
· The company likes to operate a simplified fare structure and offers multi-journey tickets on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
· There were three service changes this year affecting the 310/311, 724 and 403 routes. The Topic Group noted that Arriva very often communicate route changes with the County Council well in advance of the 56 days statutory time required by the Traffic Commissioner.
The Topic Group asked Mr Drury the following questions:
· What DDA training is provided by the company?
It was noted that all vehicle investment is now spent on new low floor buses. Drivers need to pass a test, learn to use a ticket machine and then undertake DDA training.
A copy of the training material used is to be provided to Gill Borg.
· Are there any plans to implement a direct link between Welwyn Garden City and Stansted Airport?
Arriva are looking at extending route 724 and are currently in the process of discussing Service Access with managers at the airport.
· What are the successes and failures of the Intalink partnership?
- A good business plan was written by Intalink but not implemented. Mr Drury would like to see a person take ownership of the ideas generated by the partnership and implement them!
- Consensus is hard to achieve amongst all partners.
- Intalink Travel Guides / Network Maps could be improved and made more usable.
In order for the Topic Group to respond it was agreed that a questionnaire will be sent to Arriva The Shires to gain their insight on regulation issues. / NT / BD
NT
Neil Terry
Democratic Services Officer
May 2006
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