Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Department for Transport
Question 29 (Jon Trickett): Bus
operators in PTE areas
According to industry figures, in 2004-05 85%
of bus passenger journeys in the six PTE areas were undertaken
on buses belonging to the big five operators (Stagecoach, Arriva,
National Express, Go Ahead and First). The table below shows the
major bus operator share (by patronage) in PTE areas.
MAJOR BUS OPERATORS SHARE OF PATRONAGE IN
PTE AREAS IN 2004-05
| GMPTE |
MERSEY | SYPTE |
WYPTE | TYNE & WEAR
| CENTRO |
STAGECOACH | 39% |
15% | — | —
| 44% | — |
| FIRST | 35% | 5%
| 70% | 66% | —
| — |
| ARRIVA | 7% | 73%
| 1% | 20% | 13%
| — |
| NATIONAL EXPRESS | —
| — | — |
— | — | 93%
|
| GO AHEAD | — | —
| — | — |
42% | — |
Question 39 (Jon Trickett): Average of PTE buses
| | | |
| | |
It is not possible to disaggregate the national data collected
by the industry to give a figure for the average age of the buses
providing services only in PTE areas. Information on the average
fleet age for particular areas will become available this autumn
as a result of inclusion of a question on this in the Department's
Public Service Vehicle Survey. Generally the average age of the
bus fleet has been falling since 1994 and is now 7.9 years (the
lowest since 1990). Figures for the last four years (2001-02 to
2004-05) on lost scheduled bus mileage due to mechanical reliability
are attached. This is not available separately for PTE areas.
MECHANICAL RELIABILITY—PERCENTAGE OF LOST SCHEDULED
MILEAGE
|
London |
England excluding London |
| 2000-01 | 0.3 |
0.6 |
| 2001-02 |
0.3 | 0.5 |
| 2002-03 |
0.3 | 0.5 |
| 2003-04 |
0.4 | 0.5 |
| 2004-05 |
0.4 | 0.5 |
| Question 150 (Mr Ian Davidson): Registered bus routes in England |
Although the number of registered bus routes changes very
regularly, as of 31 March 2005, there were 18,472 "live"
local bus service registrations in England.
Rural bus grant assessment
Following consideration in the bus subsidy review, the 2004
Transport White Paper announced the continuation of Rural Bus
Subsidy Grant (RBSG) beyond March 2006. Annual monitoring returns
show that patronage on RBSG supported services has now reached
over 31 million passenger journeys per year with about 2,000 services
being supported. In 2004 local authorities were given greater
flexibility in the use made of the grant; it can now for instance
be used to fund flexibly routed and demand responsive services
as well as services following a fixed route and timetable.
A copy of research completed in 2003 by Steer Davies Gleave
on the impact of the introduction of RBSG can be found on the
Department's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_localtrans/documents/divisionhomepage/032419.hcsp
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