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Wednesday, 6 January 2016
North Lincolnshire Concessionary Fare Changes Approved
The changes to North Lincolnshire Council's Concessionary Fares Scheme, that Hornsby and Stagecoach have indicated may lead to commercial service cuts and tendered services being handed back, have been approved by the responsible cabinet member.
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Does anybody know how much the reimbursment is now and will be in the future?
Currently:
2.7 Bus operators are currently paid on the basis of:
Number of passholder journeys X average fare (plus inflationary increase) X 60.1%. The percentage is the current reimbursement rate based on this methodology.
2.8 The 60.1% reimbursement rate takes into account:
• the number of journeys generated by free travel (we do not reimburse every journey); and • the cost to the operator of carrying extra passengers who do not pay a fare.
This is calculated that for every 17 passholder journeys, 10 passengers would have travelled even if it was at full fare. We reimburse the operator at average adult fare. This is equivalent to 58.3% of all passholder journeys. This is topped up to 60.1% to pay any additional costs incurred by the operator by carrying extra passengers. This additional cost hasn’t increased since 2011/12.
Will Change to
Option 3: Change to the Reimbursement Analysis tool (RAT) as preferred by the Department for Transport (DfT).
Option 3:The DfT has produced a RAT tool to help councils decide the right rate. The DfT recommends this model but we are not required to use it. Elements or this entire tool is used to some extent by all of our neighbouring authorities. The RAT tool is complex and relies on a number of assumptions that take into account average fare, reimbursement factor and calculates additional costs to the operator. The average reimbursement rate for non transport passenger authorities as set in the guidance is 48% but that will vary between operators. As well as the reimbursement rate there will be additional costs to calculate. The guidance to calculate the reimbursement for 2016/17 was issued on 8 October. Initial feedback from the DfT suggests that changing to this methodology could result in significant savings on our existing costs. However, the bus operators have made it clear that any reduction in reimbursement is likely to result in bus operators handing back some tendered services and some commercial services could no longer be viable unless subsidised. This method when used for the first time is complicated and some support is required to complete the exercise. We are able to make alternative arrangements with small operators who provide infrequent services and community transport operators.
Approving these cuts could be a bad move we shall wait and see the outcome.
Maybe not, Scottish operator are coping well at 58% and this figure is alot higher than many other English councils. Question has to be, are stagecoach doing enough to attract new passengers to off set these changes? There is only a small number of routes I could see being pulled off. 11, 37 etc But the closure of that steel plant could have bigger impact.
Stagecoach seem to do very little to attract new users, and fares are very expensive compared to Grimsby & Hull - the nearest other Stagecoach operations, which both have flat fare systems in place, at around £1.50 for a single journey. In Scunthorpe most short journeys are £1.65, with longer journeys costing either £2.20 or £2.30. Its worth noting that a longer journey isnt actually that long - For instance on Route 6, £2.20 fare kicks in anywhere beyond Brumby Corner, which is only around a mile from the Town Centre. Town to Berkeley circle is also £2.20, but only around a mile from town.
Do you know why the new Hull card hasn't been publisided? I've not seen any information about the what why and when. Think this will be a good thing for hulls travelers.
There is a report about the Hull Card here - potential publicity later this month (point 4.6), though a 4th Jan proposed public launch date (point 4.1) hasn't happenned to my knowledge
https://cmis.hullcc.gov.uk/cmis/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/6658/Committee/64/Default.aspx
Bus services south of the region in Lincolnshire also face massive cuts. BBC Looknorth said 160 services could be cut to save £2 million. This is worrying for some subsidised bus routes to Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Barton.
See from February a Lincolnshire Call Connect service will be available at Humberside Airport. Also there is mention of a Lincolnshire Call Connect service linking Brigg and Kirton Lindsey
Good news ... so long as there are no significant cutbacks to conventional bus services as a result
Hull Card is now here. £13 per week. Only available from Stagecoach Travel Centre Hull Interchange.
New on NLC website http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/your-council/about-your-council/news/latest-news/new-flexible-bus-service-will-connect-people-and-places/
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