These are the main elements in that slide set:
A New Era for bus users - Melanie Watson
GWR▸ Local Transport Forum - presented by Dan Okey, Mark Utley, Andy McRae
Includes December and May timetable and fleet changes
Inlcudes Engineering posessions at Christmas and for 2025
Delivering One Public Transport for the Peninsular - Nigel Blackler
Here are my notes -
please forgive some of the truly shocking typos - all done live during the sessions
David Northey
Stakeholder engagement going to be key
INFO at station / challenged
For me to struggle - ouch
Bryony
Big challenge - where we sit in the landscape
What use are we as passengers?
Our input to timetable changes
Cornwall joining
Become too much better
Message to whoever is running
GBR▸ ▸
Is it healthy that we only have one organistion
What to say to your
MP▸ - panel at end of day
Tim Davis / active but retired from
TWSW» » . GE welcomed back
Lunch at 12:40
9 online - Just a minute
David R - JAM
GW▸ & SW coming off franchise
Integrating bust and train. Loss of 503 and Megabus
Making interchange effective. Mention Padstow
David N
Thought pattern for bus users
Voice needed consider with car
Bryony - accessibility, female users.
Derek Beer / Dorset and
CRP▸ ▸
We need detail as to how it will be done.
People scare to death - confidence in use
Chris Hilditch
Problem dealing with local authorities planning towns
NA - 12 being pushed out
About to elimitage bus toutes
Example - Stourbridge has become a desert
Same happening in Torbay
BC - Health based services in high street
Kit Harbottle - Tavistock
Disagree against pedestrianisation
What allows Exeter to allow but not NA▸ / few tavistork
CH - Access all modes needed
Mick Lowry - Bridgwarea
Huge fringe devleopmentg
DN - Town Grown exponentially but lost links
Saltash / tunnel works / 60 minute dealys
DO - looking. DN - short term planning.
Barry West - Padstow
New bus terminal up hill not suitable for less mobile e.g. elderly
DN - Public engagement does help
Barry Clark - Ivybridge
Concern / what is bus for? Beware - train competition
Bus / long distance where
John Hamley
Buses on very narrow roads past cars.
DN - to good design
-----------------
** Mel Watson
Chose to drive. Sorry - stuck on M5
25 years public transport. Director MW associates
A new deal for bus users. Both Mcr and Cornwall
On cusp of new ere?
Challenge - how to make bus desirable and the norm
Who is the customer what do they aent?
Get basics right and bigger poicture
Join things up
Make it happen
Some simply not on the radar
How do we get people to think on this?
TF and Cornwall research expmples.
More using bus, more part of routine
NOTE - awareness of lower bus fares lacking
Role of BSIPs
"We all know what local authorities are priritieisng"
"Should have mechanisms in place"
Cornwall - ONE network, timetable, map, website, ticket
Remove barriers to customers ..
do we care who operates?
Just want it to be simple!
Tried and tested in London.
Nearly there in Cornwall, Coming in Manchester.
Pooling the resources we can deliver.
Ticketing - need simple and afforbable
Return element on any opertor.
Operators were resistant.
"The standardisation of accepting tickets has been a gamechanger"
30% down
ENCTS▸ ▸ &
P&R▸ ▸ but 12% up overall. Shift of behaviour
Transparency for customer
Are we overcomplicating the need to drive revenus
Night time economy 2 - 4 a.m. consistency?
How many names for a ticket?
How many single ticket bands?
Poised on government input
Bigger picture - see beyond public transport
Incentives.
---------
Dan Okey
Same issue with train rather than bus
Need to look at customers
Network
2 x central region TW.
Mark Utley and Andy McRae
Lots changing. Money very tight.
Mark Uttley - Long term plnanning
December 15th
TfW major changes so adjudgements to GWR are minor
Weekday Minor GWR changes
Fleet constrained on
BRI» » -
OXF» » resumed next Sept
No fleet chsngs
80
IET▸ ▸ diagrams
-----------
Mark Utley moving to Canada ...
Andy McRae - "Interface Team".
HS2▸ update - 2024 and 2026 to 2031 HS2 possessions
17.11 + 27-29.12 ...
TAU» » and
SWI» » last stop before EUS
(op stops
RDG‡‡ & Ealing)
120 customer assists/ day
SWR» » want services only half full ex RDG. May funnel to Ealing
No trains
WSB» » ,
DMH» » ,
WMN» » , MM
------------
Giles Feearnley
"To franchise or not" - it depends
Changed - travel needs have changed
Commercial element still vital
Political rhetoric that ops are bad boys and franchise will cure all is a worry
Vital is to increase passenger use.
Also franchising won't (?) work on smallest areas
Public expect it instant - very real
Mcr up 5% year one - but what would that have been without franchising?
Costly and ongoing cost
Go-Ahead had announced investment in electric bsues
Most / many franchising exiting services and will struggle bavuase networks live
Madness - "some service carrying 1s and 2s and that's madness"
Principle same as pre1980s
PTEs▸ ▸ - difference is that franchises are competed
Spiral issues in those days - prices up, fewer passengers, services down
Mayor said "thank you" to first for taking the hassle off.
Franchising overkills. Better examples these days - cornwall
operators want to work with.
BC - Has it been used to get outcomes? Answer - Jersey and Guernsey.
Q: Would it work
WECA» » area. A: Yes potentially, Impetus for a north where things join.
Q: Exeter bus users / competition. A: Looking to move to be more sensible co-operation. Fearnley / Hilditch discussion. Said to be sense off camera but then "ned to look at legal issues - that;s why we're here.
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Nigel Blackler
STBs - key functions
Work with local authorities / reduce duplication / share best practisce
Do a lot with Western Gateway
A strategy for the user
2030 ... Easier to use / going electric / connected peninsular
2035 on ... completing the transport network
New
DfT» » Strategic priorities (see slide)
Talk about "one" for Cornwall
Franchising from 2015, given powers. Discussions with First, Go-ahead etc
Customer outcomes (slide)
Challenge in translating legislative principles into achievement. Could be better if done in co-operation
Delivery - support in principle
Belefirt - use, safeguard, deliver improvements
Q: How did you do it / relationships. Even getting all timetables together
Why bring old buses? Move to 8 year contracts - brought new buses.
Also - need to reach the people we haven't engaged
- linking up with school transport
BC - Total transport / hot subject
Having franchising power brought ability to persuade operators to co-operate.
Devolution was a game changer.
---------
Dan Okey
Lot of structural changes. Bill (1) brings back power to take control ans (2) much bigger one for GBR.
Government CAN bring back next June but (?) may not. Strange atmosphere at present so all focused on delivering performance. Govt wants subsidy reaction, money is tight. Just received DfT request for next year business plan. Concentration on service delivery. DO - may not have "road tested" services in the past. Assistive sequesters are record high. Also why people are travelling ans still getting used to new flows. Strong demand where new services come in.
How do we move to integrated tickets? Proposal Cornwall and West of England.
--------- Panel ---------
GP: The extend we focus on digital? "Selling out of timetables" ... still valued in hard copy. Mel: Yes, split it out. Whole printout. Need to be responsive; 2 changes a year.
Q: Reliability of bus services. How do you overcome. Mel: Bus training is key for advocacy. BSIP has targets for performance and reliability.
TW: Paper v digital. Mel: 16 to 25. Bus stop needs to be preseneted
NB: Changing. Concern should be improving public transport. Not just wait while local government deckchairs are moved around. We need to move on now - concerned that we make progress.
Mel: Don't get stressed - plough on with local promotion to
