BROADSTONE, MERLEY AND BEARWOOD AREA COMMITTEE
21 JUNE 2006
STATEMENT REGARDING RECENT WILTS AND DORSET BUS SERVICE CHANGES
Wilts & Dorset Bus Company introduced a major revision to their bus network on 4 June 2006. This was the second time there have been significant changes to Wilts & Dorset services since the company was acquired by the Go-Ahead Group in August 2003.
The Transport Act 1985 deregulated the bus industry. This included the privatisation of bus companies and meant that their principal aim was to operate at a profit. In essence, bus operators are free to operate local bus services wherever and wherever they believe they can do it profitably. They are required to register services with the Traffic Commissioner giving 56 days notice.
The Council, as a Local Transport Authority, has the power to secure, through subsidy, bus services that it considers contribute to social need and are not commercially provided. The Local Transport Authority also has powers and duties regarding the provision of bus infrastructure (including bus shelters and bus priority), bus information and concessionary fares.
The service revisions introduced by Wilts & Dorset on 4 June were designed to improve the efficiency of the company by reducing costs and increasing profits. The company’s strategy has been the simplification of the network. This is intended to make services more direct and reliable to compete with the private car. The simplified approach also makes timetables easier to read and understand. The use of modern, bright and air-conditioned vehicles offer comfortable, accessible and safer travel in an attempt to attract the motorist.
Wilts & Dorset’s strategy has been paying off. The “more” services in particular have proved to be successful. Overall, the company increased it’s patronage in the Borough of Poole by over 30% between 2004/5 and 2005/6.
The Borough of Poole has been reacting to the service changing in two ways. Wilts & Dorset Bus Company met with Borough of Poole officers on a confidential basis prior to the official notification of the changes to the Traffic Commissioner. This was an opportunity for Council officers to lobby the bus company on their proposals. As a result of this some changes were made. These included the operation of Service 18 between Broadstone and Bournemouth (serving Milne Road) which wasn’t part of the original proposals. Unfortunately other requests such as an improved route for Service 3 through Merley – at least using Merley Gardens rather than the Merley Lane chicane – were not taken up.
The second action the Council has taken has been to provide additional services through subsidy. All of the services operating in the west of Broadstone are operated on behalf of the local authority. These are Service 19 and the extensions to Services 4 and 19 which also receive subsidy from Dorset County Council.
The Borough of Poole recognised that an additional service was needed in the east of Merley and contracted Roadliner to operate Service 32 on the old 132 route. Service 32 also meets an outstanding request from the Steepleton Road area into Broadstone and Poole, provides a service to Tesco at Fleetsbridge and leaves a service on Waterloo Road which would otherwise be unserved. It is recognised that service 32 is not ideal for everybody. An additional late afternoon journey and a low-floor bus have been specific requests that will be considered when the service is reviewed later in the summer.
The Borough of Poole has very limited resources to subsidise bus services and has to do this as effectively as possible. Operating bus services is expensive. Peak hour bus services are very expensive and can cost three or four times more than an off-peak service.
The Council has established a Route & Branch working group of Members to consider the best use of the bus subsidy available to the borough. It will be prioritising the use of available funds to provide at least minimum levels of service across the Borough.
John McVey
Passenger Transport Manager
Transportation Services
Tel: (01202) 262221
Email:
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