Written evidence from Bridget Phillipson
MP (BUS 140)
1.0 FOREWORD
1.1 During my campaign and since election as
Member of Parliament for Houghton and Sunderland South I continue
to receive regular concerns from constituents about the price
of fares, the routes of buses and the frequency of service. I
share the concerns of constituents; I do not believe that the
bus service available is adequate, especially as we are not served
by a rail or light rail link.
1.2 In January this year I launched "The
Big Bus Survey" (www.thebigbussurvey.co.uk) to help gather
more information about the level of service in my constituency.
In the five months since its launch, I have received almost 1,000
responses, and they continue to come in.i On 5 April
2011, I was pleased that "The Big Bus Survey" received
government backing in a reply to representations I had made during
a backbench business debate.ii
1.3 Later, on 24 April I was contacted
by the Transport Select Committee Clerks who requested I contact
those constituents who had previously answered "The Big Bus
Survey" and ask them to submit written evidence to the Committee's
inquiry. To ensure the views of my constituents were heard my
office created a special "online" edition of "The
Big Bus Survey" with questions tailored to the specific terms
of reference laid down by the Committee for their inquiry. Forty
people completed the survey within the 10 days it was open for
people to participate.
1.4 Finally, I wish to thank my constituents
for taking part in "The Big Bus Survey", without their
support this submission would not have been possible. I hope the
end result will honour their efforts and help deliver a bus network,
which is accountable and supports the demands and needs of local
people.
2.0 SUBMISSION
SUMMARY
2.1 Rather than discuss the various policy options
and economic benefits of an effective local bus network, which
I am already on record as discussing, this submission is driven
by the response of local people.iii It is their concerns
I have tried to reflect in this submission.
2.2 Broadly, local people want to see lower bus
fares and a more frequent service. They expressed frustration
with bus operators for changing routes or pulling services with
minimal notice and consultation. Specifically, the survey addressed
three of the Committee's terms of reference:
— Reductions
in the level of service;
— Communication
with bus companies and local government about services;
— Participation
in transport surveys from "Passenger Focus".
2.3 Below, "Chart 1.0: Survey summary"
clearly illustrates the answers for each of the three survey questions,
whilst Tables 1.0-3.0 break down each questions response to include
percentage totals.
Chart 1.0
SURVEY SUMMARY
3.0 REDUCTIONS
IN THE
LEVEL OF
SERVICE
Table 1.0
Q1 SUMMARY RESPONSES
Q1: Have you been affected by reductions/changes
to local bus services?
| Answer | Yes
| No |
| Number | 25/40 | 15/40
|
| Percentage | 62.5% | 37.5%
|
3.1 62.5% of respondents stated they had been affected by
reductions/changes to local bus services. Out of the 25 people
who stated they had been affected all 25 commented on their experience.
Below is a representative sample of their comments.
3.2 Kathy Dobson:
"We now do not have a direct route to Newcastle, which affects
a lot of people in this area. Yes.... we can board a bus to Houghton-le-Spring,
Washington or Chester-le-Street and get a bus to Newcastle, but
why go 'round the world' and add another 40mins to your journey
when one bus would do? We always had a direct line until last
year when it was deemed to change and give us transport running
through the village every 10 minutes during the day (not asked
for or required) but an evening bus is a different thing, very
little available and after nine o'clock retire!"
3.3 Rosalyn Meadows:
"Buses are less frequent. They are not covering the areas
they used to. You cannot get buses direct to local towns/cities.
The bus service is much less reliable than it used to be."
3.4 Ann Owen:
"The local bus service which gets me to the
shops has been reduced from three times an hour to hourly and
the rising fare has made it extremely expensive to use. It is
fine for the people with bus passes but as it is a short journey
the fare of £1.20 is quite prohibitive. My concern is if
people don't use this service due to cost we will lose the service
completely so we have a swings and roundabouts situation."
4.0 COMMUNICATION
WITH BUS
COMPANIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ABOUT SERVICES
Table 2.0
Q2 SUMMARY RESPONSES
Q2: Other than "The Big Bus Survey",
have you ever been asked directly by the bus companies, by Nexus
or by Sunderland City Council for your views on local buses?
| Answer | Yes
| No |
| Number | 8/40 | 32/40
|
| Percentage | 20% | 80%
|
4.1 80% of respondents stated they had not been asked for
their views on local bus services by either operators or local
government/regional bodies. Out of the remaining 20 per cent who
confirmed they had been asked for their view, the majority expressed
concern that their view would not be represented in the end result.
Below is a representative sample of their comments.
4.2 Susan Thomas:
"Go North East did a survey and the changes being made are
the opposite to what I wanted. Survey included information on
safety as well."
4.3 Julie Coxon:
"With Go North East—ages ago. Some people completed
a survey/consultation and it bore no relation to the changes brought
into effect."
4.4 Kevin Parnacott:
"The bus company and Nexus have asked for my opinions. The
bus company consulted on only certain aspects of the changes."
5.0 PARTICIPATION IN
TRANSPORT SURVEYS
FROM "PASSENGER
FOCUS"
Table 3.0
Q3 SUMMARY RESPONSES
Q3: Have you ever been asked to take part in a transport
survey from "Passenger focus"?
| Answer | Yes | No
|
| Number | 1/40 | 39/40
|
| Percentage | 2.5% | 97.5%
|
5.1 39 out of the 40 respondents stated they had not been
asked to take part in a transport survey from "passenger
focus".
May 2011
REFERENCES
i As of 13 May 2011 a total of 870 completed responses
to "The Big Bus Survey" have been received.
ii "The hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland
South (Bridget Phillipson) talked about buses. I was intrigued
to hear about her big bus survey-a very snappy name for a survey-which,
I gathered, was obtaining very useful results. I think that unless
we recognise the value of public transport in this country we
will be missing a trick, and will not achieve some of our objectives.
I hope that she will maintain pressure on local authorities in
her area to support bus services where that is appropriate."
David Heath MP, Hansard, 5 April 201
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110405/debtext/110405-0004.htm
iii Bridget Phillipson, House Magazine, April 2011
| 
