Written evidence from Bus Users Shropshire
(BUS 132)
This submission is made on behalf
of Bus Users Shropshire, a newly formed group of passengers who
wish to see higher quality bus services in our county. The group
formed as a result of Shropshire Council's proposals to significantly
reduce services across the county.
We are not in a position to comment
on the financial background of Shropshire Council or of government
policy and its effects on council funding. We are able to provide
our understanding of Shropshire Council's changes and their effects
on us and on people like us.
Our evidence draws on the experiences
of canvassing hundreds of bus passengers during February and March
2011, from the 100+ people who attended a public meeting in March
held specially to express concern about the Shropshire Bus Strategy,
and from the 36 people who have come together this month to form
the core of Bus Users Shropshire.
THE IMPACT
OF THE
REDUCTION IN
BUS SERVICE
OPERATORS' GRANT,
AND THE
IMPACT OF
THE REDUCTION
IN LOCAL
AUTHORITY GRANT
SUPPORT
The impact seen so far in Shropshire has been:
— Subsidy
withdrawn from several "less used" services entirely.
— Withdrawal
of services used mainly by school children attending schools which
are not their closest.
— Fares
increases.
— Service
frequency reductions in commercially operated services.
Although not slated for any change by Shropshire
Council, the Shropshire Hills tourist mini bus service has been
halved because of withdrawal of support from other partner agencies.
Shropshire Council's Bus Strategy proposes further
changes this year:
— Removal
of subsidy from all Sunday services. These currently operate on
five interurban routes across the county, and on four urban routes
wholly within Shrewsbury.
— Removal
of subsidy from all evening services Monday-Saturday. These currently
operate on four urban routes wholly within Shrewsbury.
— Reduction
in subsidy on seven interurban routes across the county day time
Monday-Saturday. Frequencies will change from hourly to every
two hours.
— Further
frequency reductions in some "less used" services. For
example it is proposed that the town of Bishops Castle will have
a six hours gap in day time services to Shrewsbury.
Bus Users Shropshire members know that people rely
on buses as an essential means of getting about to do most of
the 101 things that car drivers use their cars for. The effects
of the changes that have already taken place, and which are planned
to take place, will have significant impact on people's ability
to get to and from work during the evening and on Sundays (note:
many people's shifts continue after 6pm, while Sundays are an
increasingly popular shopping day), to get to church, to see family
members on a Sunday, to go to hospital to visit on a Sunday, to
have days out on a Sunday. In order to be sure of leaving the
town centre before the last bus home, potential passengers will
need to set out extra early. We believe the proposed changes to
the network will undermine public confidence in using buses and
will discourage modal change away from the motor car.
We note that many people who currently use buses
have no alternative viable mode of travel. Many users are young,
old, poor, disabled or vulnerable.
Town traders have expressed concern both to us and
in the media about loss of takings because of evening and Sunday
service cuts.
We have taken evidence that people in Shrewsbury
town consider bus fares to be expensive. At £1.80 single
(and with no return fares available) a journey to town for a mum
and two children costs £7.20 there and back, significantly
more expensive than taking a car and paying to park. Arriva have
explained that their recent fares increase (and service frequency
reduction) on commercially operated services has been decided
upon to protect profit following changes in government grants/concessionary
fares payments. It is noted that Shropshire Council chooses to
charge "park and ride" passengers considerably less
for similar routes that are more frequent and faster, and which
use state of the art modern buses (and which have free parking
thrown in).
THE IMPACT
OF CHANGES
TO FREE
OFF-PEAK
TRAVEL FOR
ELDERLY AND
DISABLED PEOPLE
Until 31 March 2011 Shropshire Council permitted
concessionary pass holders to use their passes at any time. Since
1 April these have been limited to "after 9.30am". We
have received numerous responses to this change:
— People
with a learning disability have said they need to get to their
place of work or college during peak hours and the cost of paying
bus fares will be a huge expense for them. They used to have a
different scheme, rather than the elderly persons scheme, which
permitted earlier travel at a reduced rate.
— People
with learning disabilities have explained they have difficulty
with numbers and counting out change. By having to pay in cash
in future they will be put off using buses and from going out
as the delay they may cause while paying is likely to result in
unpleasant comments being made by other members of the public.
— Older
people living in rural Shropshire have said how unfair the 9.30
rule is as it works to the advantage of people who live near big
towns, and against those who live furthest away. For example a
bus leaving a rural town at 9am and arriving in Shrewsbury at
9.50am will be cash only for its first half hour of travel, but
as it nears Shrewsbury it will start being accessible to concessionary
card holders from 9.30am. Not only do people living furthest away
have the most expensive fares to pay, they often have less frequent
services meaning that if they wish to use their concessionary
card they may not arrive in Shrewsbury until 11.50am.
— Some
older people have said they would prefer to be able to pay half
fare at any time, or pay an annual fee in order to have free travel
at any time.
— We
would prefer the rule to apply at the terminus of the service
ie buses that arrive at their destination after 9am or 9.30am
would be open to concessionary card holders, rather than at the
point of boarding which has the iniquitous inequality as noted
above.
— While
it is understood that in major urban centres buses are used for
commuting and may have no spare capacity, in rural counties there
is usually plenty of spare space on board and it is not believed
there is any loss of revenue to the operator from permitting concessionary
card holders to use services prior to 9.30am. An earlier cut off
of 9am might be a workable compromise.
HOW PASSENGERS'
VIEWS ARE
TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT, AND
THE ROLE
OF PASSENGER
FOCUS IN
THE AREA
We are not aware of any standing consultative arrangement
in Shropshire to gauge passengers' views. On this occasion we
understand that the changes introduced in February and April 2011
were not consulted on. The proposed changes in the Bus Strategy
for implementation later this year have been part of a consultation
by Shropshire Council involving posters at the bus stations with
online survey form. Six roadshow events run by Shropshire Council
were poorly advertised and were all held during working hours.
No representative of Shropshire Council attended the public meeting
held to express concern about the Bus Strategy despite an invitation
being extended.
We understand that Shropshire Council invited Passenger
Focus to comment on the Bus Strategy and we have seen a copy of
Passenger Focus' response.
April 2011
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