Agenda item

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

37.1     The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team introduced the report and gave a short presentation. He outlined the Bus Service Improvement Programme (BSIP) funding allocations which included the Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DDRT) Flexibus Service. The Flexibus Service covers over 90% of the County and over 1,500 Kilometres of roads in mainly rural areas. Flexibus also provides coverage in areas outside of East Sussex including Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells providing connection to services in these towns and with rail services (including the Brighton mainline services). It has around 30,000 passenger trips per year. The Service does not cover Eastbourne or Hastings where bus services are provided by commercial bus operators.

37.2     The Flexibus Service has been in operation for almost two years and supports a high number of passenger trips. It has improved access to services in rural areas with 76% of residents within 30 minutes of the nearest town (this would be 9% without the Flexibus service) and 87% of residents of rural areas now within 30 minutes of the nearest GP surgery (this would be 44% without the Flexibus service). Following the Department for Transport (DfT) Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) it was found that the overall Benefit to Cost Ration (BCR) for the Flexibus Services was a BCR of 3.02 (high value for money).

37.3     The Committee discussed the report, and a summary of the questions raised, and comments made is given below.

Bus services in urban areas

37.4     The Committee observed that are still challenges with bus services in urban areas such as Eastbourne and Hastings as the commercial operators continue to withdraw and reduce services on the grounds of financial viability. The Committee asked if there were opportunities for the Flexibus Service to support residents in these areas. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team responded that although passenger numbers in these areas had gone back up to pre-Covid levels, commercial operators were struggling with cost pressures. The Council continues to provide funding for supported bus service routes across the County and has allocated BSIP funding to support conventional scheduled services.

Views of the Service and cancellation of booked journeys

37.5     The Committee observed that most residents thought the Flexibus Service was very good, and this was reflected in the customer satisfaction levels reported for the Service. However, one issue that has been raised involves the cancellation of booked journeys before they take place, which may deter some people from using the service if they cannot reliably get to where they need to go to, especially where the journey may be time constrained (e.g. to attend a GP appointment or catch a train etc.). The Committee asked if it would be possible to have some figures on the number of cancellations as this was often raised by Parish Councils.

37.6     The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team outlined that when the Service first started it was the first large scale DDRT service to be launched, and no other local authority had previously provided such a scheme at that scale. In the beginning there were a number of complaints which the Team have worked hard to address and would be happy to work with Parish Councils on any remaining issues. Overall, customer satisfaction is extremely good for the Service, but it does still receive some complaints. In regard to cancellations, there have been some issues with cover for drivers and vehicle reliability, but these have largely been addressed. Although over 85% of trips involve only one person, this is not the reason for cancellations. Data on cancellations and accessing train stations by using the Service can be shared with the Committee (Action: Craig Lamberton).

37.7     The Service has introduced a taxi policy for cancelled journeys, and those people who have had their booked journeys cancelled will be contacted and offered a taxi journey. A copy of the taxi policy and information about when it was introduced and how often it is used can be provided to the Committee as well as data on the number of cancellations (Action: Craig Lamberton). The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team added that reliability is key, and the Team are working to improve reliability (information on delays has been provided in the report). However, it should be noted that an on-demand service such as the Flexibus Service, will not have the same level on punctuality as a scheduled bus service. The Team has been looking at whether a new IT platform for the booking system could improve journey aggregation that allows more passengers to share the same vehicle/journey. The Team has been looking at using smaller vehicles, electric vehicles and taxis to improve the Service.

Market and advertising the service

37.8     The Committee commented that many East Sussex County Council (ESCC) councillors are very supportive of the Flexibus Service, but there were some concerns that the Service was not advertised widely enough. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team outlined that the Team have been working on advertising and has produced posters, hard copy leaflets and social media advertising materials. The Team have also produced an animation to promote the Flexibus Services which will be used in the coming months. The updated version of the report circulated to the Committee has details of the marketing activity that is being undertaken, and the BSIP programme also has its own dedicated marketing officer.

37.9     The Committee asked if there is a 2-4 page summary document of the Flexibus Service which Councillors could use and give to Parish and Town councils to promote the Service. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team acknowledged that advertising is crucial, and the Team is working on a 2-4 page summary of the Service that could be used with residents, Parish and Town councils. There will also be another leaflet drop to residents in June/July and improvements will be made to the information on the website.

Funding

37.10   The Committee noted that funding for the Service has been provided until the end of the new financial year in 2025/26 and asked whether it will be continued and whether the need to fund the Exceat Bridge will have and impact on the Flexibus Service funding. The Committee also asked how much funding or increases in passenger numbers would be needed to make the Service sustainable if the BSIP funding ceased. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team clarified that funding the Exceat Bridge improvements will not affect the Flexibus Service funding. A further announcement from the DfT is expected later in the year on DDRT services which is likely to provide further funding for the Service. This will probably be for three years revenue funding and five years capital funding as with the existing funding. The current funding allocated to Service is £1.2 million per year and if further funding is received the Flexibus service will be continued. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team outlined that there are no commercially self-sustaining DDRT bus services nationally and it is highly likely that any future service will need some financial support.

Passenger demographic usage figures and deprivation

37.11   The Local Transport Plan 4 advocates inclusive transport and the Committee asked if there was any passenger usage data that looked at deprivation and financial exclusion, and whether people had access to a vehicle or were able to drive. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team responded that at currently demographic information is not collected for passenger journeys, but this is something that could be looked at especially if it would support the measurement of the benefits of Service and future funding applications. Existing analysis of the impact of the Service has shown it reduces loneliness and social isolation, which has been a key issue.

Service operating hours

37.12   It was clarified that the Flexibus Service operates six days a week, Monday to Saturday excluding Bank Holidays, from 7.00am until 7.00pm.

Service capacity

37.13   The Committee asked what the future capacity of the Service could be for East Sussex and whether there were any targets for the future Service which could help with future funding. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team outlined that the Team is working to increase sign-ups to the Service as well as working to encourage existing users to use the Service more often. The number of passengers per trip is one of the key performance indicators and the Team is trying to find an IT system that would enable more passenger aggregation. In terms of what good looks like, it is difficult to say what this is for the Service, but the more people that use the service then the cost per trip reduces. The target that is set out in the report is to achieve a 50% increase in passenger numbers by the end of the 2025/26 financial year. The aggregation of passenger trips will be key in achieving increased passenger numbers and this is dependent on the booking software.

BSIP Board membership

37.14   The Committee asked who sits on the BSIP Board and what the arrangements are for democratic representation on the Board. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team explained that the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport (CET), the Assistant Director Operations, Stagecoach and representatives from other local bus operators sit on the BSIP Board. The Director of CET outlined that these are Operational Boards and that the democratic accountability for the BSIP is through the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. There is also oversight of the Programme by the DfT which ultimately has ministerial oversight. The Team Manager, Passenger Transport Team added that there are also quarterly stakeholder engagement sessions which involve the District and Borough councils and other stakeholders in the BSIP.

37.15   The Committee RESOLVED to note the report in Appendix 1 and the progress that has been made in the delivery of the Flexibus Service.