Agenda item

Resolved:

(i)        That the Committee endorse the commitments proposed for the West Yorkshire Bus Alliance as set out in the report.

(ii)       That a further report be presented to the Committee in March 2019 detailing the targets, key performance indicators and delivery plan together with the outline terms of a Voluntary Partnership agreement.

(iii)      That, to ensure momentum is maintained from a transition from Bus18 into the West Yorkshire Bus Alliance, progress against delivery of the commitments and adoption of the governance arrangements progresses ahead of finalising the formal Voluntary Partnership agreement.

The Transport Committee considered a report which provided an update on the proposed West Yorkshire Bus Alliance and the proposed commitments that will be deliverable as part of the Alliance.

It was noted that there are three key themes to the Alliance which are:

·         Customers at the Heart

·         Keeping Buses Moving

·         A Sustainable Bus Network

Representatives from Arriva, First and Transdev were in attendance at the meeting and they shared their support for the proposed Alliance.

First Bus stated that they fully supported the commitments made, particularly in relation to the improvements for customers and for stronger engagement. They recognised that there was more to do to build on the progress already made by Bus18. Key areas they highlighted to the Committee were congestion, air quality, ticketing, staff training and development.

Transdev would focus on continuing to build on the initiatives offered to young people and the success of the Myday ticket uptake which currently stood at 56%.

Arriva advised that the Alliance also had their full support, again in building on the positive achievements of Bus18. They informed the Committee of a planned package of improvements which included a desire to grow the bus network, in consultation with customers and drivers.

The operators concurred that congestion is, for them, the number one issue and they welcomed the Alliance addressing this as it would allow them to be able to re-direct investment elsewhere to improve services.

Members agreed that the work to date was a good start to the proposed Alliance and, in welcoming the investment made by the operators to date, reiterated that transport was vital for the region and its growing economy. It was agreed that customers should be the main focus and that the importance of communication in relation to improvements, KPIs and delivery was essential.

It was also noted in relation to the delivery plan that:

·         The highway infrastructure needed to meet public transport needs to increase patronage of buses.

·         New routes needed to be developed.

·         Strategic corridor improvement works were being carried out.

·         The infrastructure required improvement and the need for long term funding was recognised at a recent National Infrastructure Commission meeting.

·         A network review is also currently taking place.

·         More bus shelters in strategic areas may increase patronage.

Members were provided with an update in response to concerns about the accuracy of the real time information system. It was also noted that audio-visual (AV) next stop announcements had been introduced on the new buses provided by First in Leeds serving the Headingley corridor. This system was currently under trial and will be “switched on “ fully shortly after new buses are introduced onto the Dewsbury Road corridor.

The Committee was also informed that it is proposed to have a Steering Group to oversee the Alliance. This will be composed of the Chair of Transport Committee, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and local authority officers together with senior representatives of bus operators. Update reports will be provided at future meetings of the Committee.

The Chair thanked the operators for attending and stated it was very positive to hear of the planned investments for bus travel as it was an important mode of transport to the area. She reiterated the need for a reliable transport system with clear ticketing, supported by a strong communications strategy.

Resolved:

(i)        That the commitments proposed for the West Yorkshire Bus Alliance as set out in the report, be endorsed.

(ii)       That a further report be presented to the Committee in March 2019 detailing the targets, key performance indicators and delivery plan together with the outline terms of a Voluntary Partnership agreement.

(iii)      That, to ensure momentum is maintained from a transition from Bus18 into the West Yorkshire Bus Alliance, progress against delivery of the commitments and adoption of the governance arrangements progresses ahead of finalising the formal Voluntary Partnership agreement.