BOROUGH OF POOLE

TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP

15 FEBRUARY 2007

The Meeting commenced at 0930 hours and concluded at 1100 hours.

Present:

CouncillorBurden (Chairman)

CouncillorGillard (Vice-Chairman)

CouncillorsGregory, Knight, Mrs Lavender, Parker (substituting for Councillor Leverett), Trent and Miss Wilson

Members of the public present – 18

1.APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Leverett (with the above substitution).

2.MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 18th January 2007, having previously been circulated, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

3.DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Knight declared a personal interest in M.5, Connect Concessionary Fares Scheme, as as an employee of Wilts and Dorset and M.6, 2007/2008 Scale of Charges, as he was a small business permit holder.

4.SUCH OTHER BUSINESS, AS IN THE OPINION OF THE CHAIRMAN, IS OF SUFFICIENT URGENCY TO WARRANT CONSIDERATION

There were no items of urgent business.

5.CONNECT CONCESSIONARY FARES SCHEME

John McVey, Passenger Transport Manager, presented a report which updated Members with the position relating to the take-up and usage of the Joint Connect concessionary fares scheme and the current position regarding the 2007/08 scheme. The report also presented information on the latest position with the 2008 nationwide concessionary fares scheme.

Connect was established as a joint Borough of Poole/Bournemouth Borough Council concessionary fares scheme in April 2001. The scheme introduced met and exceeded the statutory minimum requirement for half-fare bus travel for residents of pensionable age and younger people with certain qualifying disabilities. From April 2006 the statutory minimum requirement was enhanced to provide free off peak local bus service travel for authority residents. As with the half-fare scheme, Travel Concession Authorities were encouraged to work together on joint schemes.

The 2006 free travel Connect scheme exceeded the statutory minimum requirement by permitting concessionary travel in both the Poole and Bournemouth areas, and on journeys that started or finished in this combined area. However, the 09:30 weekday time restriction was introduced in order to control costs.

Additional funding was provided by Government through the Revenue Support Grant to fund the enhancement from half-fare to free travel. The Borough of Poole received an estimated £800,000. It was anticipated that there would be an increase in concessionary travel of up to 30% upon commencement of the free travel scheme.

A monthly comparison of passenger journeys under the free travel scheme with the estimated travel under the 2005 half-fare scheme, showed that for Poole this ranged from 44% in April to 140% in December, averaging 78.88% over a 9 month period. It was estimated that there would be 1.97M concessionary travel bus journeys by Poole residents in 2006/07. This would result in a forecast overspend of £459,000 against the £1.4M budget.

The greater than expected increase in concessionary travel was not out of step with many other urban areas of the country. However, there were a number of local factors that were thought to have contributed to the increase:

  • Significant investment by the bus companies in improved services involving new low-floor vehicles on principal routes.
  • Simplified bus networks have been introduced by both major bus companies and these have been launched with comprehensive marketing campaigns.
  • The bus operators’ strategy of developing frequent, high quality direct services on main corridors has resulted in many areas across the conurbation being left without a commercial bus service. The Local Authorities have responded by the provision of additional feeder routes necessary for those passengers unable to walk to access the main road services which means that many passengers are now making 4 journeys when they previously made 2.
  • The bus fares in the area were amongst the highest in the country and suppressed demand even under the half-fare Connect scheme. The advent of free travel has removed this barrier and many passengers were therefore travelling far more frequently.
  • The “Connect” concessionary fares scheme was already popular and had a relatively high take-up. However, extra marketing and publicity for the free travel scheme has boosted the total number of card holders. The number of Connect passes in circulation had increased from 18,000 in September 2005 to 25,000 in January 2007.
  • High fuel prices over the summer together with relatively high car park charges have made many motorists consider the bus for at least some journeys.

Members were reminded that the current 2006/7 Connect scheme was a one-year scheme due to end on 31 March 2007. A Joint Scrutiny Committee of the Borough of Poole and Bournemouth Borough Council met in November 2006 to consider the latest position with the current year’s scheme together with looking at proposals for 2007/8. The group were also given information regarding the proposals for the 2008 national scheme.

The Joint Scrutiny Committee considered the current 09:30 Monday to Friday time restriction and recommended its retention. Members were provided with the reasons for this decision.

Members were advised that from 1 April 2008, concessionary bus pass holders would be entitled to use their pass for free off-peak travel in all areas of England. The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill was currently progressing through the House of Lords and Members were provided with a number of “working assumptions” which were not yet agreed policy.

There were two principal concerns for Poole and Bournemouth. Firstly the fact that they attracted significant numbers of visitors from other areas of the country and the cost of their travel would have to be met locally. If these visitors chose to travel in the area by bus, the financial impact would be considerable. Secondly, Poole and Bournemouth also attracted substantial visitors from the surrounding Dorset and Hampshire areas and any travel undertaken by these visitors entirely within the Poole or Bournemouth area plus the return journey would be a cost borne locally.

In conclusion, Members were advised that allocation of Government funding for the 2006/7 free scheme was considerably below expected annual expenditure. Therefore, unless funding was improved there could be a similar shortfall in Government financing of the national scheme which would remain to be met by the Local Authority.

A Member stated that he felt the Borough of Poole’s scheme compensated Wilts and Dorset rather generously and he added that he had previously sought a 0900 hour time restriction as a compromise and was disappointed that this had not been pursued further. Therefore, he felt that this matter should be addressed further when more detail was known on the national scheme.

It was proposed and seconded that officers be requested to investigate a number of options to increase the time and age availability of half-fare travel.

On being put to the vote, this was carried.

For:Burden, Gillard, Gregory, Mrs Lavender, Parker, Trent and Miss Wilson

Against:None

Abstention: Councillor Knight

On discussing this further, Members were in agreement that it was crucial to lobby Government so that the financial burden was placed on where the passenger originated from not from where the journey was made.

It was proposed and seconded that approval be given to the vigorous lobbying of Government through MP’s and the LGA to express concern at the impact of the national free fares scheme for the over 60’s in towns with an influx of tourists and visitors. As it was recognised that seaside towns were particularly under pressure and needed guarantees and full reimbursement from Central Government.

On being put to the vote, this was carried.

For:Burden, Gillard, Gregory, Mrs Lavender, Parker, Trent and Miss Wilson

Against:None

Abstention: Councillor Knight

RECOMMENDED that the Portfolio Holder be requested to note:-

(i)the higher than expected take-up and use of the free travel Connect concessionary travel and the consequential cost pressures this has created;

(ii)the ongoing negotiations currently being undertaken with the bus operators regarding the reimbursement arrangements for the 2007/08 scheme;

(iii)the latest position with regard to the 2008 national scheme and;

(iii)approve the published 2007/08 scheme as described in Section 4 of the report i.e. no changes to be made to the current Connect concessionary fares scheme with respect to resident eligibility and scheme entitlement;

(v)investigations being undertaken into a number of options to increase the time and age availability of half-fare travel; and

(vi)approve the vigorous lobbying of Government through MP’s and the LGA to express concern of the impact of the national free fares scheme for the over 60’s in towns with an influx of tourists and visitors as it was recognised that seaside towns were particularly under pressure and needed guarantees of full reimbursement from Central Government.

6.2007/08 SCALE OF CHARGES

Steve Tite, Acting Head of Transportation Services presented a report which considered the scale of charges for 2007/08. Members were reminded that car park charges for 2007/08 had been considered by the Local Economy Overview Group at its meeting in November 2006 and therefore this report related to charges for:-

  • Miscellaneous fees and licences
  • Parking permits
  • Adoption agreements for new highways
  • Dial-a-Bus fares
  • Taxi licensing

As part of its Corporate Finance Strategy, the Council has set a target for raising income for next year by 2%. However, further considerations such as price rounding and encouragement of users to take up services by keeping prices down meant that different charges may in fact be appropriate.

A Member commented that with regard to skip licences, some skips were often in place for some considerable time and questioned why such a minimal increase was proposed.

Steve Tite, Acting Head of Transportation Services advised that officers did liaise with colleagues in the South West in order that a “similar” charge applied here.

It was proposed and seconded that the charge for skip licences be increased to £30 (for 3 days) and then £10 per day for each subsequent day. On being put to the vote this was carried.

For:Burden, Gillard, Gregory, Mrs Lavender, Parker and Miss Wilson

Against:None

Abstention: Councillor Knight (Councillor Trent was not present for the vote on this item)

It was proposed and seconded that the charge for the clearance of accident debris be increased to £80.

On being put to the vote this was carried.

For:Burden, Gillard, Gregory, Mrs Lavender, Parker and Miss Wilson

Against:None

Abstention: Councillor Knight (Councillor Trent was not present for the vote on this item)

RECOMMENDED that the Portfolio Holder be requested to approve the scale of charges in Appendix A (as amended) and approve the advertising of the proposed charges for hackney carriage and private hire licences.

CHAIRMAN

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