Meeting documents

The Committee will receive an update on the recommendations made in the Public Transport Inquiry report which were made to Cabinet on 10^th November 2014.

Members will then be asked to assess if the Committee’s recommendations have been successfully implemented and allocate a RAG status accordingly.

Contributors

Mr Paul Irwin, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transportation

Mr Martin Tugwell, Programme Director, TEE

The Chairman welcomed Mr Paul Irwin, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transportation, Mr Martin Tugwell, Programme Director, TEE and Mr Andrew Bluck, Head of Client and Public Transport to the meeting.  The Committee had received and noted the 12 month Progress Report on the Public Transport Inquiry recommendations which was included in the agenda pack.  In response to questions and during the subsequent discussions the following main points were noted:

·         Mr Tugwell, Programme Director, TEE highlighted three key areas which encompassed the Committee’s recommendations for Public Transport – i) establishing an Integrated Transport Unit, ii) identifying and delivering ‘quick win’ improvements and iii) developing a completely new model of service delivery.

·         An Integrated Transport Unit would be operational from April 2016 and Andrew Bluck had recently been appointed to oversee a smooth transition of services which were being brought back in- house from AMEY and Ringway Jacobs and integrated into the new unit.  The benefits of bringing this in-house include savings on management costs in the short term and providing the foundation for developing a new method of service delivery for the future.

·         Mr Tugwell explained that BCC’s current model for transport is not financially sustainable in the long term therefore there is a need to engage communities in understanding their transport needs, the finance that is available and how we can work together to meet the transport needs more efficiently and effectively.  This may include co-designing community transport models.  The aim was to meet the aspirations and needs of communities but with less resource.

·         To this end, four pilot projects would be undertaken in early 2016, one for a rural area, one for an urban area, one in the North of the county and one in the South.  The aim of the projects would be to develop a system of engaging with communities to identify their transport needs and co-design potential solutions. The approach needed to be cost-effective and capable of being rolled out across the county.  The Deputy Cabinet Member encouraged members to get involved.

·         Ahead of work on the pilot projects beginning, a piece of work was underway to ensure that the data held across the Council is used more smartly to help inform needs analysis and ultimately service provision.  Through this, the Council can show communities a baseline of what is already known about their transport needs and ask them for their feedback.  Members again highlighted research undertake by a previous Cabinet Member, Peter Cartwright, on bus routes in the County which would be helpful.

·         In addition, Mr Bluck would be leading on making interim improvements and delivering ‘quick wins’. He gave examples of some hybrid services currently operating for Home to School transport and public buses, an approach which could be further optimised.  There might also be scope to speed up internal processes.

·         Members were reassured that business as usual would be maintained when the AMEY business was brought back in-house from 1^st April 2016.

·         The Committee welcomed the move to establish an Integrated Transport Unit and to design a new model of service delivery but they were keen to see a clear timetable for the change, especially in view of the fact that the Home to School transport budget was overspent.

The Chairman thanked Mr Irwin, Mr Tugwell and Mr Bluck for attending the meeting and it was agreed that the Committee would receive an update on the outcomes of the four pilot projects in six to nine months’ time.

ACTION: Committee & Governance Adviser

The Committee discussed and considered the RAG status they should allocate in assessing the progress made against the recommendations agreed by Cabinet in November 2014.  It was agreed that the Amber circle should be recorded across the board as there were concerns about the timetable and designing a new model for service delivery was a longer term project.