Agenda item

Purpose of the report: To provide the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee with an update on progress in delivering and revising the County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan to meet the requirements and timescales of Department for Transport’s recently published new guidance.

Witnesses:

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth

Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment, Growth, Land, Property and Infrastructure

Lucy Monie, Director for Highways and Transport

Paul Millin, Assistant Director for Strategic Transport

Key points raised during the Discussion:

1. In reference to the twelve national priorities for Bus Service Improvement set by the Department of Transport (DfT), the Chairman asked what the priority areas were for improvement in Surrey. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that the most important areas to residents was looked at to invest and improve. Previous consultations undertaken in Surrey, asking for resident’s opinions on Bus Service Improvement investment plans and the Bus Service Improvement plan (BSIP), and the results of your bus journey survey, highlighted resident’s desire for buses to be more reliable, run where and when people wanted to travel, were frequent and had fares set at an attractive level for regular and new customers. The key issue for bus operators was the need for more bus priority measures that supported bus reliability. These, along with the greener futures priority, focussing on decarbonizing public transport and investment in electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses were the priority areas for the BSIP and Council investment.

2. A Member asked if there was a scoring mechanism for funding schemes in accordance with the priority areas. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained there was not a scoring criterion, but there was a governance framework with an enhanced partnership board and a stakeholder reference group. The two big bus operating companies sat on the board along with a Small to Medium sized Enterprise (SME) that were representing the interests of all bus operators. Investment was going into bus priority measures to improve reliability and bus enhancements alongside bus operators which made buses more attractive and frequent, helping to grow patronage. Investment was going into the fare offer, such as the Surrey link card introduced in 2023 to support residents aged 20 and under to access half the adult bus fare. There was investment into more zero-emission buses, as part of greener future priorities and more real time information so residents could make better travel choices. There was hope that more government funding would be received and there had been previous success with £7.8 million of BSIP funding going to Surrey.

3. Regarding consultation, a Member asked which stakeholders had been involved, with particular reference to Members. The Member also asked about the Surrey Enhanced Partnership and Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) and how it informed the 2024 BSIP update. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained there would have usually been more engagement with Members, but the BSIP timeline, with draft guidance published end of January 2024 with a deadline of 12 June 2024, took away this opportunity. The priorities of that were hoped to be achieved was consistent across the previous BSIPs and had not changed. What was updated in the current BSIP was additional investment, along with the current position with the investment planned in 2021 and 2023.

4. Regarding SRG, the Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that it had been invaluable and included representatives from bus operators, disability groups, County Councillors, Borough and District Councillors and officers, who were consulted on the BSIP update. This was part of the agreed governance of the Enhanced Partnership. The DfT had confirmed there was no longer an expectation on councils to update BSIPs annually. Further updates were only required when something significant had occurred, such as significant investment or changes to the local bus network. This change would allow for a more detailed consultation.

5. The Member added that communication with Members was an opportunity for engagement and Members were a good communication vehicle. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport agreed and explained where individual changes to bus route were made all individual relevant members were contacted and encouraged to promote the changes locally. There had been member development seminars on BSIP. The Director for Highways and Transport added that corporate colleagues were expected to be worked with to produce a communications plan that cut across a lot of the bus services. There would be an opportunity in this to ensure more was done to engage members and to reference how members were provided with opportunity to promote the bus services and changes around it.

6. A Member asked what the challenges were with the Enhanced Partnership arrangements and if the governance and stakeholder feedback mechanisms were working well. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that since the partnership started in November 2022, it had been effective in making key decisions, which were channelled through the Enhanced Partnership Board, such as the Surrey link card. It had also supported the expansion of DDRT and the programme for bus priority measures. The board looked less at performance against the BSIP, and the targets set, which was the responsibility of the Council officers who then reported it back to the DfT. The SRG had broad representation but could be more representative. Work was underway with the Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum to encourage other groups to work with them. Work was being done with colleagues in the Customer and Communities directorate to try to increase young people’s engagement and give them a voice on the SRG. In terms of how the governance was framed going forward, the regulation of board and SRG meetings to three a year was being proposed. SRG meetings were likely to take place in January, June, and September, with at least one in the evening to encourage greater uptake. Board meetings would follow one month on from the respective SRG meeting. The performance of the Enhance Partnership Board and SRG meetings would like to be focussed on more, along with the achievements the Council and partners were delivering against the BSIP targets. In summary, there was more that could be done, but the enhanced partnerships were still relatively new and there was a want to get more people engaged, particularly younger people and people from minority groups.

7. In reference to the recommendations from the Bus User Group, a Member asked if there was a list of bus stops where changes would be made, such having the curbs look at and what the deadline/target was to make the changes. The Member also asked if there was a timeline for introducing audio announcements for bus stops. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that the Strategic Transport Team could pull together a list. Regarding audible announcements at bus stops, it was an initiative within the overall enhanced partnership scheme. It was currently not funded but would remain on the agenda. The Director for Highways and Transport added that there were regulation changes to the information provision on buses. There was a requirement for bus operators to provide facilities for announcing bus stops, which was to be introduced over the next two years, but it was subject to the age of the bus.

8. A Member asked how likely it was that the Capital and revenue request totalling £45.2m capital and £30.1m revenue, submitted in 2021 would be met by government.  In addition, the Member asked if this was assumed to be unlikely, what element of the BSIP would be prioritised. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that there was no guarantee that funding would be made available from government. A case would continue to be made to government for investment in Surrey, which would be supported by the Council’s track record on delivery. Surrey was benefiting from funding from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) 2 scheme for two SMEs, which would see the introduction of 19 electric buses. Focus would need to be in the bus priority measures in the agreed areas, where bus patronage would be grown, more zero emission buses introduced, more real time information, expansion of DDRT and a maintained support for the Surrey Link Card.

9. A Member asked what the impact of the end of the National Bus Fare Cap in November 2024 would be. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that the DfT data showed over 90% of all journeys outside of London were made using the £2 Fare cap. There were some issues with the Fare Cap with passengers making regular shorter journeys not getting as good a deal from the Fare Cap as people travelling less frequently and making longer trips. The government could allow the Fare Cap to end and return to operator set pricing models. Local transport authorities could be asked to fill the gap in funding to maintain the £2 Fare Cap. This would require additional funding which was not in the budget. Other ticketing offers could be reviewed nationally such as season tickets, other discounts, and group travel options. The government could also decide to maintain the £2 Fare Cap or move to what was proposed in 2023, to increase the Fare Cap to £2.50. It was hoped sufficient notice would be provided to local transport authorities in what decision the government makes regarding the Fare Cap, to allow for planning a response.

10. The Member asked if school transport should be considered as part of the bus policy. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that the Council already supported several local bus services, which were either specific for school transport or with local bus services going past schools, both supporting pupils that were entitled to support and those who were not.

11. A Member asked for an update on the development of the real time passenger information (RTPI) system and whether there were any plans for this to be accessed on a platform such as an app. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained that more real time information was being installed in Surrey. Roughly 500 RTPI were installed on streets, bus station or key destinations, which would be increased by another 100 over the next two years. From May 2024, Stagecoach would be able to send messages to roadside displays to advise bus passengers of any cancellations. This facility could then be made available to other operators later in 2024.There was information on the council website, and most bus operators had apps to see what was happening on services in real time.

12. A Member asked about the impact of hydrogen buses to help deliver the BSIP, particularly regarding the cost of operation and efficiency. The Assistant Director for Strategic Transport explained there was 34 Council funded hydrogen fuel cell buses, which would be in service by the end of 2024. There were 43 hydrogen fuel cell buses that were coming into Surrey, Kent, and West Sussex, funded by the relevant councils, metro bus, Gatwick airport and government funding. The Council’s ZEBRA 2 bid would see 19 electric buses coming to Surrey, in partnership with two SMEs, Falcon and White Bus. These busses would be new and a better experience for customers.

Actions:

1. Strategic Transport team to provide a list of improvements that had been made to bus stops over the past 6 to 12 months, and planned improvements for the next 2 years.

2. Strategic Transport team to share more detail on the roll out of the recent regulation changes, in terms of information provision (e.g. bus operators to announce bus stops on the buses)

3. Assistant Director for Strategic Transport to provide a summary of what was available in terms of providing real time passenger information.

Resolved:

That the Communities Environment and Highways Select Committee:

1. Welcomes the comprehensive update and notes the requirement for the County Council to complete and submit the updated BSIP to DfT by 12 June or otherwise risk a delay in the release or the potential loss of the second instalment of £3.9m of BSIP Phase 2 funding.

2. Welcomes the priority that is being given by the Council to Bus Services which are vital to delivering greener futures objectives and to improving outcomes for residents through faster, more reliable, and cheaper public transport and continues to encourage the council to keep investing in and prioritising these services.

3. Encourages better engagement with members on Bus Service changes and improvements to enable them to promote services to residents and asks that this be factored into wider work to develop a Communications plan.