Agenda item

(To receive a report by Anita Ruffle, Head of Transport Services, which provides an annual update on Passenger Transport matters since the previous report considered by this Committee on 10 June 2019)

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Transport Services which provided an annual update on Passenger Transport matters since the previous report considered by this Committee on 10 June 2019. 

Members were guided through the report, and particular attention was drawn to the following sections:

·         The impact of Covid-19 including the state of the local transport market

·         Bus Services Act 2017

·         Public bus Service changes

·         Total Transport including Non-Emergency Transport Services

·         Local Government Association's Special Interest Group on Public Transport Consortium

·         National and Local Bus Strategy

·         Sustainable Transport

·         Transport Services Group's performance

Members of the Committee were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         Members thanked the Head of Transport Services for her report and for the work that she and her team carried out.

·         It was commented that the judicial decision relating to community transport was a positive outcome and it was queried whether there was anything that individual members could do to encourage people to volunteer as community transport.  It was noted work was underway across the directorates to engage with volunteers and following this work there may be opportunities for elected members to act as community champions.  There were also plans for a series of publicity campaigns for both community transport and public transport, which would include promoting opportunities for people to get out and about in the county.

·         It was highlighted that an update was circulated monthly to councillors which outlined any service changes. 

·         It was commented that the report presented was excellent and explained a lot of the problems that were being faced.

·         A query was raised in relation to bus stop installation and repair, and it was noted that the highways team would deal with any specific issues around bus stop maintenance.  It was highlighted that grants were available to parish councils to install bus shelters.

·         It was highlighted that the people who volunteered as drivers to take people to hospital tended to be from older age groups and a lot of them had been in lockdown during the pandemic.  However, it was noted that, as in other areas, the pandemic had also presented opportunities and now there may be other parts of the population who may be able and willing to take on some of these community transport roles. 

·         In relation to home to school transport, it was queried whether there was any data on the number of children who were now being taken to school by car, as there were concerns about crowding on buses.  It was highlighted that there was no requirement for social distancing on dedicated school transport.  However, these services were monitored and daily figures of how many children were using services were received.  The authority was encouraging parents to take their children to school if possible.  The government had expected that a third of children would walk or cycle to school, a third would be taken to school by their parents and the remaining third would be using the local network or the local authority provided school transport.  However, it was currently too early for data to determine whether this was the case.  It was also noted that other measures were being introduced by colleges to reduce the amount of people arriving on site at one time such as staggering start times and start dates.

·         It was commented that bus operators were facing a 'perfect storm' of different pressures, and it was queried whether any operators had indicated that they may not be able to continue operating, and what was LCC able to do to help support them through this time.  It was acknowledged that some operators would struggle, particularly when the government funding came to an end or when their exemption certificates ran out.  The authority was looking at initiatives to help in any way possible.  There would be a need to look at the nature of public transport going forward, and there may be more disparate trips, so there may be need to move away from fixed routes to a more dynamic and demand responsive service like Call Connect.

·         In relation to non-emergency passenger transport, it was queried whether there was any scope for the authority to do more to support this.  Discussions were underway with health colleagues and the scope for collaborative working was being examined.

·         In terms of work with schools and parents to encourage children to walk and cycle to school, it was noted that the authority was required to have a SMOTS (Smarter Modes of Transport for Schools) strategy, which had recently been refreshed.  This included a wide range of initiatives including Bikeability. There was currently a lot of work coming out of Government to encourage walking and cycling, and additional funding had been received.  Work was underway with highways and education colleagues to identify locations for schemes.

·         It was queried whether, given the difficulties that coaching companies were facing, there were any opportunities for coaching companies to be able to provide additional dedicated school transport services.

·         Members were pleased that a report was coming to a future meeting on sustainable transport.

RESOLVED

            That the report be noted.