To consider the following motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 5:
Bus Services in Warwickshire
Following a motion agreed by Council in July 2021, a cross party Member Group was set up to work with officers to develop a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
It is noted that the Warwickshire?Bus Service Improvement Plan was unsuccessful in getting any government funding.
Services are still suffering from a reduced frequency of service and low passenger numbers, and now Stagecoach have raised the cost of many journeys.
This Council agrees to ask the BSIP Group to look at the Plan with officers, and to report back to Cabinet with a costed list of those actions that the Group considers could be taken through the appropriate Council governance processes for alternative funding consideration.
Proposer: Councillor Sarah Boad
Seconder: Councillor Bill Gifford
Minutes:
The following motion as set out on the agenda was proposed by Councillor Sarah Boad:
Bus Services in Warwickshire
Following a motion agreed by Council in July 2021, a cross party Member Group was set up to work with officers to develop a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
It is noted that the Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan was unsuccessful in getting any government funding.
Services are still suffering from a reduced frequency of service and low passenger numbers, and now Stagecoach have raised the cost of many journeys.
This Council agrees to ask the BSIP Group to look at the Plan with officers, and to report back to Cabinet with a costed list of those actions that the Group considers could be taken through the appropriate Council governance processes for alternative funding consideration.
In proposing the motion, Councillor Boad reflected on the allocation of funding and stated that it would be tragedy if the work done by officers and the exciting plans for bus services in Warwickshire came to nothing. She was keen to see the work continue and residents be encouraged to use bus services. She lamented changes to bus services in Leamington, noting lengthy journeys and increasing costs, and expressed the view that a modal shift was needed, not just to walking or cycling, but to also include public transport. This required a well-used, efficient service with reasonable journey times and routes, particularly for bus-pass users.
Councillor Bill Gifford seconded the motion and reserved his right to speak.
Debate
During the course of the debate, the following points were made:
· The work of the BSIP was applauded and disappointment was expressed that funding had not been secured
· The need to encourage and support bus travel across the county in urban and rural areas was acknowledged
· An inventive and creative approach would be needed as it was difficult to nudge people away from car use as their default vehicle
· The benefit of bus use for alleviating loneliness was highlighted, together with the benefits for those who had limited other travel options
· The council needed to be conscious of the commercial viability of bus companies, particularly those replacing their fleet with hydro or electric vehicles, with the example of the sale of Johnsons bus operations in Stratford being cited
· It was suggested that the group needed to consider not just funding, but the root cause of bus services not making money and why people did not use the services
· The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on bus provision was notable with bus routes being redrawn and lengthened, and some areas being excluded from the new routes. Despite the lifting of Covid-19 regulations, services had not been reinstated and remained less frequent
· Fare increases by Stagecoach were noted, particularly that in Leamington it was cheaper for a family to go by taxi than bus.
· A view was expressed that the implementation of the Local Transport Plan should address the issues being raised by the motion
· The importance of having a costed list of measures for consideration was emphasised with clear and robust business cases being put forward for consideration against a backdrop of limited funding and competing priorities.
In seconding the recommendation, Councillor Gifford considered that the member group needed to understand why buses were not being used. He cited cost, frequency and knowledge of routes and timetables as barriers and related this to the bus journeys in Leamington. He suggested that the Member Group could look at areas where there was a culture of bus use (eg London) and consider what elements of success could be implemented locally. He considered that the Member Group had presented an excellent report and was disappointed that funding had not been secured. He noted that there were limited funds available but considered that with the right approach, improvements could be made and bus usage would increase.
Councillor Boad welcomed the debate and the unanimous view that bus services needed to be improved and commended the way the bus service operated in London. She agreed that it was important to have a costed list of measures and applauded the staff who had worked on the BSIP.
Vote
A vote was held which was agreed unanimously.
Resolved:
Following a motion agreed by Council in July 2021, a cross party Member Group was set up to work with officers to develop a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
It is noted that the Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan was unsuccessful in getting any government funding.
Services are still suffering from a reduced frequency of service and low passenger numbers, and now Stagecoach have raised the cost of many journeys.
This Council agrees to ask the BSIP Group to look at the Plan with officers, and to report back to Cabinet with a costed list of those actions that the Group considers could be taken through the appropriate Council governance processes for alternative funding consideration.