BOROUGH OF POOLE
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP – THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2006
REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
ON THE RESULTS OF LOCAL BUS SERVICE TENDERING
1.Purpose and Policy Context
1.1To recommend action to be taken following the retendering of three local bus service contracts and to consider the withdrawal of Service 147.
1.2Local bus services contribute to the Council’s priorities of improving the Health and Well-Being of its residents and promoting a Clean, Green and Safe environment.
2. recommendations
2.1For Service 128 it is recommended that a 6 month experimental contract be let to assess demand. Members are asked to determine whether this should be:
(a)A Monday to Friday service; or,
(b)A Monday to Saturday service
2.2For Service 8 it is recommended that a 5 year contract be awarded to Roadliner Passenger Transport at £60,840 (less fares revenue of £20,000-£25,000)
2.3It is recommended that the contract for Service 147 is not renewed after 31 March 2006 offering a saving of £13,678
2.4For Route ONE it is recommended that:
(a)The existing contract for an off-peak service with Wilts & Dorset Bus Company be continued;
(b)In consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman following a detailed passenger survey, a decision be taken whether to vary the route from Churchfield Road to Parkstone Road; and,
(c)The fare from 1 April 2006 be increased to £1.00 for an all day ticket with a new 50p single ticket becoming available.
3. Information
3.1The Transportation Advisory Group was informed at its October 2005 meeting of major local bus service revisions that had been recently introduced by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company. Members were asked to support the emergency action taken by the Head of Transportation Services following the changes. This included the letting of a number of temporary local bus service contracts.
3.2At the meeting Members also asked for a thorough review of all local bus service tenders and established a Working Party of Members to undertake this. The majority of the local bus service contracts were due to finish on 31 March 2006. However, to enable a thorough “Route and Branch” review of the network by the Working Party of Members, these have been extended for a 6 month period to 30 September (with the exception of the local school bus contracts which have been extended to the end of the summer term 2006). It will be necessary to make significant savings to the bus subsidy budget during 2006 to meet savings identified in the Council’s Budget Strategy.
3.3There were two temporary contracts, LB 28 (Service 128 Poole-Christopher Crescent-Tesco Fleetsbridge) and LB 60 (Route 8 – previously 168/169 Upper Parkstone – Bourne Estate/Alderney East) that were required to be retendered. In addition, the opportunity was taken to test the market with proposed enhancements to the Route ONE town Centre bus service (LB96).
3.4The results of the tendering exercise are set out in Appendix A.
4. Contract LB28 Service 128
4.1An emergency temporary contract was let from 19 September 2005 to provide a limited service to the residents of Christopher Crescent. This followed representations including a petition with over 70 names regarding the loss of the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company Service 129. The 129 had previously provided an hourly service in one direction to Poole and in the other to Fleetsbridge, Broadstone or Corfe Mullen. A limited off-peak service providing 3 return journeys on Mondays to Fridays linking Christopher Crescent with Poole and Tesco Fleetsbridge was introduced on an experimental basis until 31 March 2006. The service has been operated by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company at £53 per day (an annualised rate of approximately £13,500).
4.2Passenger information from 2 weeks in November 2005 identified an average number of passenger journeys of 22 per day (although these ranged from 7 to 38). This gives an average value for the support per passenger journey of £2.41 which is slightly above the £2.00 level set in 1998 (£2.36 in real terms). On detailed analysis it was found that the majority of journeys were to or from Poole with only 4.6% travelling to Tesco at Fleetsbridge.
4.3There has been a request to provide a service to Upton House for Social Services Community Employment staff at the Peacock Tea Rooms. Social Services transport already provides a bespoke service for this group of people who have Learning Difficulties. As part of the Independent Travel Training Initiative they are keen to see a transfer to conventional bus services. The extension to Upton House should also prove popular with the general public.
4.4Ward Councillors were consulted in early December 2005 on a suggested timetable for the revised service and tenders were requested again for 3 return journeys but with adjusted times to provide a later journey. Prices for two options were requested, Mondays to Fridays and Mondays to Saturdays.
4.5The Visitor Services Officer at Upton House supports the proposal in principle. However, the Park Warden has expressed concern about space – both the width of the driveway and for the positioning of a bus stop. It would be necessary to undertake a site survey with a bus before the detailed stopping arrangements could be confirmed.
4.6Prices were submitted by four operators. The lowest prices were from Wilts & Dorset Bus Company who will operate the Monday to Friday timetable for £18,059 per annum or the Monday to Saturday timetable for £22,468. In view of the price increase over the current temporary arrangement and the opportunity to develop the service over the summer period it is suggested that the contract be initially let for a 6 month period subject to extension following a review in September. The service would be given maximum publicity to encourage use. Members are asked to support this recommendation and offer guidance on whether the experimental period should include the Saturday service.
5. Contract LB60 Route 8 (formerly 168/169)
5.1Members may recall that Service 168/169 which operates between Upper Parkstone and Bourne Estate and Upper Parkstone and Alderney East via Rossmore was withdrawn by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company on 28 August 2005. The service had been operated on a commercial basis between 0926 and 1507 with the remaining journeys until 1807 being under contract to the Borough. The annual price for the contract was £19,160.
5.2Yellow Buses agreed to continue the operation of the service on a temporary basis until 31 March 2006. On 17 November 2005 senior representatives of Yellow Buses addressed a meeting of Poole Members about proposals for Poole. At the meeting they suggested that they would be reviewing all of their operations in the Upper Parkstone and Alderney areas. However, as the sale of the company hadn’t been completed there were very few firm proposals.
5.3Members asked that the route of Service 168/169 be reviewed. On-bus passenger surveys were undertaken which identified 115 passengers per day. Yellow Buses stated that they would not be prepared to bid for an extension of the contract in its present form due to operational difficulties with the route along Albert Road. Concern had been expressed about the effects on drivers and vehicles of the traffic calming measures in place. Analysis of the loadings, however, found that over 80% of passengers boarded or alighted in the Albert Road to Rossmore Road (Tavern) section making it important to retain this part of the route.
5.4Ward Members were consulted on a proposal to simplify the service by combining the Alderney East and Arne Avenue loops each trip. This would then provide an hourly service up and down Albert Road which Yellow Buses said they would find acceptable. In addition, the route was extended to the south of Ashley Road serving residents in Sandecotes Road, Alton Road and Penn Hill Road. This would serve long-standing requests from residents of these areas for a direct link to their local facilities on Ashley Road as well as linking with the very regular services to Poole and Bournemouth.
5.5Two timetable options were requested in the tender documents and tenderers were asked to supply prices for the provision of low floor wheelchair accessible buses which was considered important for many of the passengers surveyed. Prices were submitted by four tenderers although Yellow Buses chose not to tender.
5.6The price offering best value was submitted by Roadliner Passenger Transport Limited. Roadliner are new to local bus service operation but do operate a school service for the Borough. Roadliner’s price is £60,840 which is submitted on a minimum cost basis. This means that the fares revenue, including the concessionary fares reimbursement, is deducted from this price in the Council’s favour. It is anticipated that the revenue will be approximately £20,000-£25,000 per annum resulting in a net contract price of £35,840-£40,840. On the current daily passenger loadings of 115 (this is expected to increase), the support per passenger journey would be between £1.02 and £1.16.
5.7The price is offered for timetable option 2 which is an hourly circular service between 0930 and 1815 with a gap between 1450 and 1617 (to allow school work). Roadliner propose to purchase a new Optare Solo bus (similar to those used on Route ONE) to operate the service. Initially, however, they would hire a Solo pending delivery of the new vehicle.
6. Contract LB01 (Service 147)
6.1Service 147 operates between Bournemouth and Poole via Canford Cliffs, Lilliput and Lower Parkstone with two off-peak return journeys on Mondays to Saturdays. The contract was terminated by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company on 28 August 2005 as part of the company’s major service revision. Yellow Buses were offered the contract on a temporary basis at the same annual price of £13,678 until 31 March 2006.
6.2This service has not performed particularly well. When Wilts & Dorset operated it there was an average of 648 passenger journeys per month producing a support per passenger journey cost of £2.11. Passenger numbers have actually declined since Yellow Buses took over with only 17 passenger journeys identified during a day’s survey. Most of these passengers had alternative services available and the proposed route for Service 8 (above) will cover the Sandecotes Road section of route proving a link to Ashley Road where there are frequent services to Poole and Bournemouth. It is suggested that this service be withdrawn at the end of March 2006.
7. Contract LB96 (Route ONE)
7.1Route ONE has been operating since 26 July 2004 as an off-peak service. Despite its non-operation during the peak hours it has proved to be very popular and in 2005 the service carried over 60,000 passengers exceeding expectations. The service is funded from Local Public Service Agreement pump-priming funds although a top-up is required from a S.106 contribution from Poole Quarter development. It is operated by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company.
7.2Wilts & Dorset Bus Company were asked to provide a quotation for the enhancement of the service to include a peak-hour and early evening service. This was to make the service more attractive to Poole Quarter residents who could use the service to connect with other services from the bus station or trains from Poole Railway Station. It was also anticipated that the enhanced service would be more useful to hospital visitors and staff as well as motorists using the town’s central car parks as local park and ride facilities.
7.3The quotation provided by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company was too far away from the current price to be considered a variation to the existing contract. For this reason, a tender was issued to test the market without terminating the original contract. Tenders were invited on two options of timetable. The first was a single vehicle working providing a 20 minute frequency between the hours of 0730 and 1830 on a shortened circuit that excluded the bus station and one of the railway station loops. The second was as the current timetable but enhanced with a half-hourly (single bus) peak-hour service. Prices were also requested for the same timetables but with the Council providing the vehicles.
7.4Unfortunately none of the prices offered better value for money than the existing contract. It is therefore suggested that no changes are made to the contract at the moment but to review the service at the end of the year. It is expected that the new concessionary fares scheme will have a positive impact on the use of the service from April 2006. In addition, the increased occupation of Poole Quarter should have a similar effect.
7.5One minor route change that has been requested is to operate from Mount Pleasant Road via Parkstone Road to Birds Hill Road rather than via Churchfield Road. This is on the basis of the number of elderly persons’ properties on this section of Parkstone Road. However, there is a well-used bus stop in Churchfield Road and it would be necessary to undertake a detailed survey of passengers boarding and alighting at the stop to assess whether they would be significantly inconvenienced by the change in route. The diversion would also be subject to the satisfactory positioning of new bus stops on Parkstone Road and on Birds Hill Road (south). It is suggested that a survey be undertaken and a decision on the route revision be taken in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Transportation Advisory Group.
7.6It is proposed that the fare be increased from the current 50p for a “hop-on, hop-off” all day ticket (25p for Connect Card holders) to £1.00 from 1 April 2006 (Connect card holders would travel free of charge). A single journey ticket priced at 50p would be introduced. This change shouldn’t impact significantly on the patronage but will help raise revenue for the service. 2 children under 15 would continue to travel free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult.
7.7Route ONE will continue to be promoted. The service is again advertised in the Poole Visitor Guide and it is proposed to include the service in a Poole News feature in the spring.
JAMES T BRIGHT
Head of Transportation Services
Background Information
None
APPENDIX A – BUS SERVICE REVISIONS
Name and Telephone Number of Officer Contact
John McVey (01202) 262221
7 February 2006
TAG230206T3K
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APPENDIX A – LOCAL BUS SERVICE TENDER RESULTS – JANUARY 2006
Contract No. / Description / Lowest Price / Highest Price / No. of Tenderers / Current PriceLB28 / Service 128
Poole Bus Station to Upton Country Park via Christopher Crescent / £18,059 MS (Option 1) / £49,960 MC
(Option1) / 4 / £13,515 MS
Option 1: Monday to Friday
Option 2: Monday to Saturday / £22,468
(Option 2) / £56,568 MC (Option 2) / 3
LB60 / Route 8 Alderney East-Upper Parkstone-Penn Hill (Circular) / £61,379 MS
(Option 1) / £91,379 MC
(Option 1) / 3 / £19,961 MS
Option 1: 0930 to 1815 with a gap between 1315 and 1417 (Mondays to Saturdays)
Option2: 0930 to 1815 with a gap between 1450 and 1617 (Mondays to Saturdays) / £60,840 MC
(Option 2) / £87,126 MC
(Option 2) / 3
LB96 / Route ONE Poole Town Centre Circular - NOT AWARDED / £77,520 MS
(Option 1) / £125,278 MC
(Option 1) / 4 / £47,332.80 MS
Option 1: 0730 and every 20 minutes until 1829 (Mondays to Saturdays) / £92,990 MS
(Option 1A) / £110,190 MC
(Option 1A) / 1
Option 1A: As Option 1 but with the vehicle supplied by the Council / £140,170 MS
(Option 2) / £193,417 MC
(Option 2) / 3
Option 2: 0730 to 1825. Every 15 minutes between 0930 and 1500 and every 30 minutes at other times (Mondays to Saturdays) / £119,292 (MC)
(Option 2A) / £140,792 MS
(Option 2A) / 1
Option 2A: As Option 2 but with the vehicle supplied by the Council
NOTE:MS=Minimum Support (all revenue retained by the operator)
MC:=Minimum Support (revenue collected credited to the Council)
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