2006-2011 LTP Annex 2

Introduction

The purpose of this Strategy is to set out what is needed in Warwickshire over the next five years to ensure excellent bus services that will address the needs of both current and potential passengers in Warwickshire and deliver the transport objectives of the Government and the County Council.

Section 110 of the Transport Act 2000 requires Warwickshire County Council to prepare a “…bus strategy containing their general policies as to how best to carry out their functions, in order to secure that -

• Bus services meet the transport requirements;
• Bus services are provided to the correct standards; and
• Appropriate additional facilities and services are provided, as the authority consider should be provided.”

The target audience for this strategy includes a wide range of stakeholders comprising the residents of Warwickshire, the residents of Warwickshire, bus passengers and representative organisations, voluntary groups, the Department for Transport, the Council’s local authority and regional partners, bus operators, the Highways Agency and regulatory bodies.

The County Council is convinced that the underlying principle of the Bus Strategy must be to provide for the travel needs of passengers. Customers’ needs should come before the operational and commercial requirements of the public transport providers.

The timescale of the strategy is primarily the period 2005-2011, but it also provides a medium term framework for the future development of bus transport up to 2016 and a less detailed longer term direction for the period after 2016.  This forward-thinking approach is crucial as the delivery of public transport initiatives involves a wide range of stakeholders and the timescales for the schemes and measures will need to be flexible to take advantage of the implementation opportunities as they arise.

An effective transport network is essential in order to give people, in both the urban and rural areas of Warwickshire, access to the opportunities and benefits that contribute to the enjoyment of a better quality of life. Public transport needs will continue to be met by either bus, rail, community transport services or similar initiatives or any appropriate combination of these modes. Each of these activities and modes have interlinked strategies and common aims and their provision will be integrated to provide the most effective transport service.

The effectiveness of transport links extends, not only to its provision, but also to difficulties in physically accessing what is provided, and other equally important issues such as the level of fares, journey time, personal security and comfort.

This Strategy deals specifically with the contribution bus services make in providing an effective transport network.  In this strategy, the term ‘bus’ should be read to include scheduled coaches as these play an important role in providing a more direct express type service which can be appropriate for some local travel demands.

A further aspect, which needs to be taken into account, is that peoples’ travel needs are not constrained by administrative boundaries.  This strategy therefore considers cross-boundary services and services operating wholly within Warwickshire on an equal basis.  This approach, in terms of delivery, makes effective partnership working with adjoining local authorities, regional and other stakeholders, users and transport providers absolutely essential.  The County Council is committed to this way of working and partnership is a recurrent theme through the Public Transport Strategy and the public transport mode specific strategies.

This document outlines:

• The objectives of the strategy;
• Local, regional and national policy framework in which the bus network operates;
• The demand for bus services;
• Warwickshire’s existing bus network;
• Consultation processes;
• The Bus Strategy developed in response to the above;
• Constraints on delivering the Bus Strategy;
• The Action plan for delivery and proposed schemes and measures;
• Monitoring of the action plan.

The Action Plan is a realistic implementation mechanism in the light of the constraints, with a monitoring and review process against set targets.

Bus Strategy Objectives

The starting point for this Bus Strategy is the overall transport objectives of the Local Transport Plan 2005 which have been developed to reflect national, regional and local policy which are:

• To improve accessibility to the transport system in order to promote a fairer, more inclusive society;
• To seek a transport system which will promote full employment and a strong, sustainable local and sub-regional economy;
• To reduce the impact of transport on the environment through the management and control of adverse impacts;
• To improve the environment and safety of people when they are using the transport system; and,
• To encourage the integration of transport, both in terms of policy planning and the physical interchange of modes.

The Bus Strategy will contribute to achieving the objectives of the LTP by promoting a bus network, which:

• Offers accessibility through the public transport system, both in terms of physical access to transport and its availability, to the widest cross section of the population;
• Gives people (including those who do not have access to cars) more travel choices to access work, services and leisure activities;
• Offers affordable fares to passengers;
• Provides an attractive and sustainable travel alternative to the car thereby helping to reduce traffic congestion and pollution levels and improving air quality and the environment; and,
• Encourages integration with other modes of transport.

Policy & Context

Statutory Requirement

Warwickshire County Council is required under the 1985 Transport Act to “…secure the provision of such public passenger transport services as the council consider it appropriate to secure to meet any public transport requirements within the county which would not in their view be met apart from any action taken by them for that purpose..” and `“…to formulate from time to time general policies as to the descriptions of services they propose to secure..” 

National Policy

The White Paper ‘A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone’ published in 1998 set out the Government’s approach to modernising the country’s transport system.  The Government set out five overarching objectives for transport:

• To protect and enhance the built and natural environment;
• To improve safety for all travellers;
• To contribute to an efficient economy and support sustainable economic growth in appropriate locations;
• To promote accessibility to everyday facilities for all, especially those without a car; and,
• To promote the integration of all forms of transport and land use planning, leading to a better, more efficient transport system.

A key theme of the White Paper is transport integration and identifies buses as an important element of an integrated transport strategy.

The Government’s thinking on the improvement of buses was detailed in the subsequent ‘daughter’ document ‘From Workhorse to Thoroughbred: A better Role for Bus Travel ‘ published in March 1999.

‘From Workhorse to Thoroughbred’ outlined the approach in which bus operators and local authorities should work together to achieve quality bus services. These included:

• A new framework for local authority influence over buses;
• Statutory backing for quality partnerships through the introduction of statutory powers;
• A package of measures to promote stability;
• Promotion of the need for good quality passenger information;
• Encouraging more flexible ticketing by promoting good practice;
• Minimum standards for concessionary fares;
• Service frequency enhancements – clarifying the legal position so that local authorities can buy in additional frequency on commercial services.

In 2000 the Government published the 10 Year Plan for Transport up to 2010-11 with a series of targets for bus transport aimed at improving the performance of and accessibility to bus services with the twin aims of increasing bus demand and reducing social exclusion. In particular, improvements were sought in terms of punctuality, reliability, patronage with new targets for accessibility, including the achievement of a one third increase in the proportion of households in rural areas within 10 minutes walk of a minimum service of an hourly bus service. The 10 Year Plan also placed an emphasis on reducing social exclusion and tackling congestion.

In July 2002, the Government and Local Government Association agreed a set of seven shared priorities for local government.  The shared priority for transport includes improving accessibility and public transport and addressing the problems of congestion, pollution and safety.

The Government’s White Paper, ‘The Future of Transport: a network for 2030’, July 2004 states:

• “We need to make better use of buses to help reduce congestion and tackle social exclusion…”
• “Our bus services must be punctual, good value, frequent and reliable, seamless, safe, clean, comfortable and attractive…”
• “Improved bus services must be at the heart of Local Transport Plans designed to improve access to jobs and services, particularly for those most in need…”
• “Most areas will be best served by continuing with the current partnership arrangements but we want some local authorities to consider more radical options…”

This Bus Strategy has also been developed to complement the aims and objectives of national planning policy, specifically PPS6 ‘Planning for Town Centres’ and PPG13 ‘Transport’.

Regional Policy

Regional Spatial Strategy for the West Midlands (RSS 11) published in June 2004 states that “the development of an integrated public transport network where all people have access to high quality and affordable public transport services across the Region is a key element of the Regional vision” (Policy T5A). 

RSS 11 encourages local authorities, transport operators and other agencies to work together towards achieving the Regional vision thereby providing attractive and reliable alternatives to the use of the private car (Policy T5B).

The specific provisions in RSS 11 relating to areas such as Warwickshire require the development of an integrated hierarchy of public transport services with priority given to the improvement of services and interchanges within urban areas and the development of links with catchment areas.  In rural areas, priority should be given to the development of community and public transport services, particularly those providing links from rural hinterlands to key local service centres (Policy T5D).

Policy T5E states that the aim of the public transport policies is to achieve a frequent, reliable, affordable, secure and attractive public transport service that takes into account the needs of all users, including disabled people and others with reduced mobility.

West Midlands Area Multi-Modal Study

The West Midlands Area Multi-Modal study was one of a number of area-based studies announced in the Transport White Paper.  The aim of the study was to find solutions to problems in all modes of surface transportation that would enable development of an integrated 30-year strategy.

Amongst the key recommendations of the study was the development of a network of ‘Super Showcase’ bus routes to serve the West Midlands Conurbation.  One of the routes suggested would operate between Tamworth – Birmingham International Airport – Solihull – Stratford upon Avon to provide a public transport alternative to the M42 Motorway.

West Midlands to East Midlands Multi Modal Study

The objective of this study was to recommend a long-term strategy on a 30 year timescale “to address the economic, environmental and social development needs across the two regions”.

The bus/coach based measures recommended in the study were the implementation of:

• Coleshill Multi-Modal Interchange;
• A quarter hourly rail-bus link from Birmingham International Airport to Coleshill MMI with hourly services forwarding to:
• Nottingham via Ashby de la Zouch & East Midlands Airport;
• Derby via Ashby de la Zouch & East Midlands Airport;
• Burton upon Trent via Tamworth, Ashby de la Zouch & Swadlincote;
• Loughborough via Tamworth, Ashby de la Zouch, East Midlands Airport and Coalville.
• A substantial improvement of public transport provision between Coventry and Nuneaton;
• A strategic park and ride cordon around the West Midlands;
• Measures to improve public transport passenger facilities, integrated ticketing and fares, coordination of services, accessibility  and to reduce social exclusion

The BIANCA Study

A study entitled The Birmingham International Airport and The National Exhibition Centre: Improving Access From the North East Catchment Area (BIANCA) was undertaken during 2003 by a steering group representing a wide range of stakeholders. This study was, in effect, an extension, at a more detailed level, of the West Midlands to East Midlands MMS into the area of the M42 corridor. 

The study took as its ‘Base Case’ the opening of Coleshill Multi-Modal Interchange with the planned local bus connections and (i) assessed a number of further options over the time periods, 2004-2011, 2012-2021 & 2022-2031 and, (ii) on the basis of the assessments, recommended which options should be progressed.

The bus/coach elements of the recommended options were:-

• A dedicated integrated coach link between Coleshill MMI and Birmingham International Airport/National Exhibition Centre (2004-2011);
• Direct coach services between Birmingham International Airport/NEC/Coleshill MMI and Nottingham and possibly Derby, Loughborough & Leicester (2004-2011);
• Develop local bus network including Tamworth - Birmingham International Airport/National Exhibition Centre and extend operating hours (2004-2011);
• Further development of commuter bus services to  Birmingham International Airport/National Exhibition Centre (2012-2021);
• Extend bus network area and improve service levels at peak times (2012-2021).

The Coventry/Solihull/Warwickshire Sub-Region

The two key corridors that are unique to the Sub-Region over and above those which reflect its relationship to the rest of the West Midlands Region are the North-South Corridor (Nuneaton - Kenilworth - Leamington - Coventry - Bedworth - Nuneaton) and the M42 Corridor (Tamworth - Coleshill - Birmingham International Airport (BIA) - National Exhibition Centre (NEC) - Solihull - Stratford upon Avon).

The BIANCA Study referred to above considered public transport travel needs in respect of the M42 Corridor.  A further study led by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in partnership with regional and sub-regional partners, BIA and the NEC looked at possible improvements to links to the Airport and the NEC from both the north and the south of the M42 Corridor.  Following this work a primarily bus-based major scheme bid was submitted in 2004 for Government approval and a decision is currently awaited.

The start of the process of considering the North-South Corridor in a sub-regional context was the Coventry Area Network Study (CANS) that was commissioned jointly by Coventry City Council, Centro and Warwickshire County Council in 2001.  CANS concluded that the main public transport focus for Coventry would, in the short term, be bus-based.  The study also identified that there was potential, in the longer term, to develop a form of light rail in the Coventry-Bedworth-Nuneaton corridor.  Following further detailed work, the Government approved a major scheme bid for a citywide quality bus network in Coventry.   A further major scheme bid for the first phase of a Coventry Rapid Transit network on the Foleshill Road corridor in Coventry was submitted for Government approval in 2004.

Currently, the County Council, Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Centro are working closely together in the Sub-Regional Partnership on a number of transport studies for the North-South Corridor looking at the whole length of the corridor and the surrounding areas. It is proposed that this partnership framework will be the mechanism for delivering public transport improvements in the corridor. The studies are investigating a combination of improved heavy rail services, Light Rail and Guided Bus or other innovative public transport systems.  The rail and bus studies have now reported and the light rail is due to report shortly.

The bus/coach elements of the recommended options (which will need to be reviewed following completion of the light rail study) are:-

• Extension of Coventry Bus Rapid Transit to Nuneaton, to Warwick University and to Kenilworth and/or Stoneleigh (2006-2011);
• Extension of Bus Showcase/Quality Bus Corridor networks (2006-2011);
• Extension of Bus Rapid Transit Real Time Information System to local bus network (2006-2011)
• Extension of Bus Rapid Transit to Galley Common - if new rail station not viable - and to Leamington Spa (2007-2016);

Local Policy

The Warwickshire Structure Plan 1996-2011

The Structure Plan contains the following transport policies that are specifically relevant to bus and coach services:

Policy T1 - Where travel is necessary, through the Local Transport Plan and in considering transport related development proposals, the County Council will:

• promote affordable transport for people on low incomes;
• increase accessibility for disabled people and others with mobility problems;
• provide alternatives to using cars, giving the highest priority to improving public transport, the integration of transport and improving facilities for walking and cycling;

Policy T2 - Within the context of minimising private car usage across the County, measures will be implemented to achieve the following targets:

• restrict the predicted growth in peak period vehicular traffic to a maximum 20% of 1999 levels by 2011 (half the forecast of 40%) in the north-south transport corridor, between Nuneaton and Leamington and the major urban areas of Warwick/Leamington, Nuneaton/Bedworth, Rugby, and Stratford upon Avon.
• Significantly increase public transport patronage in the major urban areas and inter-urban areas between 1999 and 2011.

Policy T3 - Measures will be implemented to improve the choice and quality of transport options in the transport corridors, particularly;

• Commuting corridors into the West Midlands conurbation;
• The North/South corridor between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa; and
• The major urban areas of Warwick/Leamington, Nuneaton/Bedworth, Rugby, and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Policy T7 - To provide a genuine alternative to the private car local plans should, within the context of the objectives in T1 and the targets set out in T2, ensure that the needs of public transport services and facilities, to serve both new and existing developments, are fully addressed through land use allocations and the determination of planning applications.  Where appropriate local plans should safeguard land necessary for identified public transport facilities.

Proposals will be supported where they contribute to meeting the demand for travel to Birmingham and Coventry, as well as local and longer distance movements.

The Demand for Bus Travel

The scale and distribution of the population in Warwickshire together with their social characteristics will have a major impact on travel patterns and mode of travel. This has been taken into account when developing the Bus Strategy.  

Population

The population in Warwickshire has grown far more quickly than the general growth in population of the Region or of England and Wales.

Social Issues

People on low incomes are more dependent upon public transport to access employment, health, education, shopping and leisure opportunities and make up a higher than average proportions of the market for bus travel. The proportion of households on below average incomes varies between the districts in Warwickshire. Pockets of deprivation can be found within all districts. Some wards within the Warwickshire districts are amongst the 10% most deprived in the country. A number of other wards fall not too far outside this category.

Car Ownership

The proportion of households without a car in Warwickshire is 19%, which is below the national average of 27%.  However, the proportion of households possessing two cars at 33% is greater than the average for England of 31%.  Research has shown that the second car has the greatest effect on public transport, as this car is used for non-peak trips e.g. school runs, directly competing with public transport.

People without access to a car are four times more likely to use a public transport service than people with access to a car. Source: Warwickshire Statistics in West Midlands Travel Survey 2001

For those without access to a car travel opportunities can be constrained by the limitations of the current public transport network. For example, the geographic and time of day coverage of bus and rail services can limit the abilities of those without a car to access employment, health, education, shopping and leisure opportunities.

Research suggests that the number of journeys per annum made by those without access to car is approximately 50% of those with a car. Source – Warwickshire Household Survey   

Existing Travel Patterns

Within Warwickshire, the main travel movements occur within and between the urban areas in the North/South corridor, i.e. Nuneaton, Bedworth, Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa and Warwick. There are also significant movements between Rugby and Coventry, and between Warwickshire and Birmingham. Parts of Western Warwickshire also experience a strong demand for travel towards Redditch.  Similarly, there are also significant travel demands from parts of North Warwickshire to Tamworth.

Traffic growth across the County has generally followed national growth trends over recent years. Traffic growth has tended to reflect areas where significant development has occurred.

Mode Choice

Car is the dominant mode of travel in Warwickshire. The percentages of journeys to work in Warwickshire by mode shows that in Warwickshire a higher percentage of people travel to work by car (71%) than the average for England and Wales (62%).  The proportion of people in Warwickshire travelling to work by bus/coach (3.4%) has declined since 1991.  This trend is also reflected at national and regional levels.

Demand for Bus Travel

Parts of Warwickshire such as Nuneaton and Bedworth are characterised by being areas of relatively high public transport use, whilst others, such as Stratford have lower levels of public transport use. Bus services carry the majority of public transport users in Warwickshire, typically over a distance of two to three miles.

Bus patronage has risen in response to the development of Quality Bus Corridors in Warwickshire. Passenger numbers have increased by 30% on three of the four Quality Bus Corridors and by over 10% on the remaining corridor. This compares with national increases in bus demand of 1% - 2%.  Similarly, patronage has increased on routes where Quality Bus Initiatives have been introduced.

The Need for a Better Bus Network

The current level of bus use is determined by the bus services on offer and the County Council is convinced that a greater need exists than is being provided for by the existing bus network. 

An improved bus network will be essential if the objectives of the Bus Strategy to enable people without access to a car to easily reach a wide range of education, training, employment, shopping and leisure opportunities and to reduce congestion are to be achieved.

Warwickshire residents have said that the main improvements that will encourage them to use buses more are increased service reliability, more convenient routes and more convenient journey times.  This market research is detailed later in the ‘Customer Research’ section of this chapter.

In considering the need for a better bus network, it is important to identify the potential problems that will need to be addressed and the opportunities that will create increased demand for bus travel:-

Problems

• The adverse impact of road congestion on bus service reliability, on passengers views of bus travel and on operators’ costs
• The bus network in the County, in terms of coverage, frequency, journey times and hours of operation, is not closely matched with existing and potential future demand for travel by bus;
• Whilst the need for small scale revisions to services to react to changes in demand is appreciated, at a strategic level the bus network is not sufficiently stable for people to make longer term ‘life-style’ decisions - such as where to live and where to work;
• The bus network does not respond to new sources of potential demand sufficiently early to influence travel patterns;
• Bus services are often expected to meet conflicting travel demands which can lead to a view that services are unsatisfactory;
• Lack of integration between bus and rail services;
• Lack of effective multi-mode through ticketing.

Opportunities

• Congestion is projected to increase and this will encourage travellers currently using cars to investigate alternative transport modes if these meet their needs more effectively;
• New residential developments will create demand for bus services;
• New employment initiatives, such as the Hams Hall Business Park, the Solihull-Warwick Technology Corridor and the Coventry – Nuneaton Regeneration Zone and as a result of the highlighting of Rugby in Regional Spatial Strategy as a potential growth area in the West Midlands Region will generate additional demand and will need to be served effectively;
• Major redevelopments are proposed for the centres of Nuneaton, Bedworth and Rugby and will provide opportunities to increase the numbers of bus passengers;
• Increasingly flexible working hours will help support improvements to the bus network in terms of coverage and hours of operation;
• Development of ’24 Hour / 7 Day ‘ lifestyle will generate demand for earlier and later bus services – not only for people enjoying the extended facilities but also for those employed in providing them -  serving cities such as Coventry and Birmingham and also larger towns such as Leamington Spa and Nuneaton; and,
• The very close proximity to Warwickshire of Birmingham International Airport, the National Exhibition Centre and several expanding universities will continue to drive the demand for bus travel both in terms of frequency, new routes and hours of operation.

The Existing Bus Network

The bus network is focused on the major urban centres of Coventry, Leamington Spa, Warwick, Rugby, Nuneaton, Bedworth, Kenilworth and Stratford-upon-Avon. These centres have local bus networks.

Linking these urban centres is the inter-urban bus network.  Less frequent bus services connect the main villages and smaller settlements with the urban and local centres.

In addition to the urban and local centres, there are a number of major attractors, both in and outside the county that are served by the bus network including Walsgrave Hospital, Warwick Hospital, George Eliot Hospital, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Hams Hall, Birmingham International Airport, The National Exhibition Centre, Warwick University and Coventry University.

The urban centres and the inter-urban bus network are shown in Figure 14.1: Warwickshire’s Bus Strategy: The Existing Inter Urban Bus Network.

Figure 1 The Existing Inter Urban Bus Network

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Current Fleet

The services are operated by a bus fleet with the following characteristics:

• Average age: 7 years 
• Percentage with low floor: 30%

Bus Operators

There are currently 26 operators of registered bus services in Warwickshire. The largest bus operator in the area is Stagecoach, which accounts for 67% of all journeys.

The other significant operators in the area are: Travel West Midlands, Arriva Midlands North, First Midland Red, Johnsons, Stratford Blue and Mike de Courcey Travel. There are also a number of smaller companies operating in the area.

The majority of the bus services in Warwickshire are operated on a ‘for profit’ (i.e. commercial, non-subsidised) basis by private companies. Commercial bus services form the core of the bus network. 89% of bus passenger journeys are made on these services.

To ensure that bus services are provided to other parts of Warwickshire, not served by the commercial bus network, Warwickshire County Council procure additional bus services through competitive tender. These additional, subsidised, bus services account for the remaining 11% of bus passenger journeys.

The council is also responsible for providing daily transport to and from schools and colleges for approximately 9,500 entitled scholars and students. All school transport services are reviewed at least once every four years.

Customer Research

Ongoing consultation, market research, data collection and monitoring of bus services is conducted in order to gain a better understanding of people’s needs and expectations. The interview research has provided a detailed picture of the different issues that influence the way people value public transport services in general and bus services in particular. This has helped to produce a Bus Strategy which address the needs of current and potential users and which will deliver the desired outcomes.

CITIZENS’ PANEL SURVEY – APRIL 2004

Respondents said that the main features which would encourage them to use public transport or use it more often were:-

• More Convenient Routes
• More Frequent Services
• More Conveniently Timed Services
• Clean Comfortable Vehicles
• More Reliable Services
• Clearer Information
• Helpful Staff

The results of the 2004 survey reinforce similar views and priorities from the 2001 All Panel Telephone Survey

Surveys undertaken by Warwickshire County Council also found that:

• 30% of people thought that bus services had got worse
• 48% thought that the cost of public transport had increased
• 50% thought that the lack of transport for people without cars was a major or a significant problem

Other customer research has found that:

• 43% of Warwickshire residents are satisfied with bus services (based on best value performance indicators surveys)
• 53% of bus users in Warwickshire are satisfied with bus services (based on citizens panel surveys)
• 88% of bus users are satisfied with bus services operated under contract to Warwickshire County Council (based on customer comment cards)

The Bus Strategy has been prepared in consultation with a wide range of customers, operators and stakeholders.  Warwickshire County Council have incorporated and addressed the results of the consultations and the customer research in the preparation of this bus strategy.

The Strategy

The vision of Warwickshire County Council’s Bus Strategy is:

‘An affordable, accessible, safe, convenient, environmentally friendly and integrated network of bus services, capable of attracting an increasing market share for buses thereby contributing to the achievement of the objectives in the Warwickshire’s Local Transport Plan 2005’

The aim of the Bus Strategy is to grow the market for public transport in general and bus services in particular by making the product attractive both to existing and potential users. It will achieve significant improvement in the provision of bus services and facilities to the people of Warwickshire by following a customer-driven approach designed to identify and overcome barriers to the use of public transport.

The Bus Strategy seeks to provide a range of measures and proposals, which will result in the growth of the market for bus services.

The four major themes of the Bus Strategy are:

• To increase the quality and reliability of existing bus services;
• To provide new bus services to meet unmet needs;
• To improve the format and distribution of public transport publicity;
• To improve access to bus services.

The Bus Strategy Policies

Details of the specific policies are provided below.

Quality Of Service

a. Affordable 

• The fare should be less than the full cost of the equivalent journey by car, as estimated by leading motoring organisations.  The exception would be that the fare is justified as a premium fare due to providing a significantly faster journey time or enhanced facilities.

b. Accessible    

• The design of bus stops, bus stations and vehicles must enable passengers to board or alight from the vehicle unaided or with a reasonable level of assistance;
• Interchange infrastructure should provide for ‘seamless’ changes between transport modes. This should be assisted by good signage, information and appropriately designed infrastructure;
• Public transport services should be co-ordinated to encourage interchange consistent with the aims of the Public Transport Interchange Strategy, the Passenger Rail Strategy and the Community Transport Strategy with the object of increasing the range of travel opportunities and options for travellers; and
• Pedestrian and cycling routes to bus stops and interchanges should accord with the standards set out in the Walking Strategy and the Cycling Strategy. The access to bus stops and interchanges, particularly by people who have difficulties because of health, physical or sensory difficulties should be addressed.

c. Available

• The bus network should provide a coverage and a level of service, which, as a minimum, meets the period of operation and service frequency standards set out in Policy BS3 below and shown in Figure 14.2 Warwickshire’s Bus Strategy: Proposed Inter Urban Bus Network. The access time to this level of bus service from the users point of origin should not exceed seven minutes.   

Figure 2 Proposed Inter Urban Bus Network

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d. Acceptable    

• Bus services should be of sufficient quality, particularly in terms of reliability and punctuality that a potential passenger would be confident in relying on them;
• Buses, bus stops, bus stations and interchanges should provide reasonable shelter, comfort, suitable heating (where appropriate) and ventilation for the season of the year and both a perception and reality of personal safety and security;
• Staff should be helpful and courteous and have received both appropriate driver and customer service training; and
• The journey time by bus should be similar to the equivalent journey by car unless this can be justified by a significantly reduced fare.

e. Simple to Use

• Timetables, routes and fares should be readily available, easy to understand and be simple to use;
• Information systems should enable passengers to plan their journeys and provide increased public confidence as to the availability and reliability of bus services consistent with the Bus Information Strategy;
• Full and timely information should be provided or be easily available to   customers in case of disruption to services;
• Integrated ticketing between modes including rail, bus and community transport services should be available, where it is necessary to use different modes to complete a journey.

The Constraints

There are significant constraints to the County Council’s ability to deliver the Bus Strategy. It is therefore critical to fully explore and understand these in order to produce an Action Plan.

The Effects of the Constraints

These constraints limit the County Council’s ability to deliver in full the significant improvements to the bus network which underpin the Bus Strategy.  For those areas where the constraints seriously inhibit the ability of the County Council to deliver the Bus Strategy, alternative measures will be used where possible to help progress towards the strategy objectives.  These are set out in the Action Plan in the following section.

The Action Plan

The Bus Action Plan has been developed in order to minimise the adverse impact of the constraints on the achievement of the policies in the Bus Strategy. The Action Plan is geared towards meeting customer needs in a way, which recognises existing constraints and opportunities.

For each specific initiative the likely timescale for delivery is identified as either short term, medium term or long term.  For the purposes of this strategy, short term will be the period to 2011, medium term will be the period from 2011 and 2016 and long term will be the period 2016 onwards.

The delivery of bus-based initiatives involves a wide range of stakeholders. In these circumstances, the timescales for the schemes and measures set out below will need to be flexible to take advantage of the implementation opportunities as they arise.

Action AP1 - Partnership

The role of the County Council, working in partnership with the bus industry, customers and other stakeholders, is as the promoter of local bus network improvements.  The County Council also has a key role through its statutory responsibilities as Highway Authority and under the Transport Acts 1985 & 2000.

Some bus-based schemes are commercially viable and the County Council would expect these to be funded within the bus industry.  However, some schemes are only viable if the wider transport, social and economic benefits are taken into account.  As these benefits do not have a cash value for the bus industry an element of public funding will be essential for these schemes to be delivered. The County Council will work with its partners to secure funding from the Local Transport Plan Settlement and from other appropriate sources of funding, including contributions from land developers.

Action AP 2 – Quality of Service