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ITEM EX12 - ANNEX 1

PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFORMATION STRATEGY

Oxfordshire County Counci

A Strategy for the Provision of Public Transport Information

Introduction

1. The County of Oxfordshire covers over 1000 square miles, with a population of approximately 626000. With Oxford at its centre accommodating almost a quarter of the total population, the next largest town is Banbury with a population of 40000. Although eight other towns (Bicester, Didcot, Thame, Henley, Abingdon, Witney, Kidlington and Carterton) have populations of over 10000, more than half of the County’s inhabitants live in rural areas or smaller towns. Travel patterns therefore vary enormously throughout the County.
2. Since 1975 in real terms the cost of travelling by car has not increased, while during the same period the cost of public transport has risen by between 50 and 75%. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that nationally there has been little change in bus patronage over the last decade. Indeed, in 2000 there was only a 1% increase in passenger numbers in England. While Oxfordshire continues to buck the national trend, having achieved a 50% increase in bus patronage between 1987 and 1997, the County’s Local Transport Plan has set testing targets for both access to regular bus services and growth in usage.
3. Research shows that the availability of accurate timetable information to the public is a major factor in encouraging the use of public transport in preference to more environmentally damaging private cars, and if a transport information strategy is to be successful, it must help to attract regular car users to public transport. It must also recognise, though, that those who already use buses can still be encouraged to use them more often, and that those who have no access to their own car rely exclusively on public transport.
4. Information should be available, in essence, wherever the customer wants it, whether that is at home, at work, while out shopping or already on the move. Its accessibility to both existing and potential users is crucial. The provision of good quality travel information, whether through printed matter, telephone enquiry services, the world-wide web or real-time information systems transmitted to a mobile telephone, enables passengers (and prospective passengers) to make informed decisions about their travel. It also improves passenger confidence and can lead to sustainable and repeat travel patterns, which can in turn enable transport operators to provide enhanced services.
5. In surveys conducted for the DTLR’s Bus Quality Indicators Transport Statistics Bulletin between April and June 2001, information was singled out as one of the least satisfactory elements of the public transport experience. Satisfaction with the information provided at bus stops in the Shires was only 56%, although on-vehicle information scored higher at 83% for exterior displays and 75% for interior. Nonetheless, there is undoubtedly room for improvement!
6. Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with transport providers throughout the County, is committed to an ongoing programme of effective and accurate transport information, and this strategy document sets out the expectations of the County Council for information provision in both the short and long term.
   
   

The Transport Act 2000

1. The Transport Act 2000, which became law in December of that year, places an obligation on the local transport authority "from time to time [to] determine …what local bus information should be made available to the public and the way in which it should be made available".
2. Information is defined by the Act as "information about routes and timetabling of local services to, from and within the authority’s area", "information about fares for journeys on such local services" and "such other information about facilities for disabled persons, travel concessions, connections with other public passenger transport services or other matters of value to the public as the authority considers appropriate in relation to their area".
3. The Act also obliges the authority to consult with organisations representing users of local services and the traffic commissioner covering their area prior to determining what information is to be required, and in what form. In addition to these statutory requirements, Oxfordshire County Council considers it essential to consult with the providers of local transport in order to agree achievable and sustainable standards, and discussions will take place on a regular basis with both users and operators.
4. Following agreement on the information to be provided, the Act also charges the local authority with the duty of verifying that the information is being made available, and that the required standards are being met. In the event of failure on the part of an operator to provide satisfactory information, or to provide it in the required form, the local authority must first try to reach agreement with that operator, who will himself rectify any shortfall, and provide the information when and how the authority specifies. Failing this, it can make the information available itself, either by publishing its own timetables or by arranging for them to be published by a third party. Any costs incurred by the authority in this process can be recovered from the operator. In the event of the authority being forced to serve a "requirement"on any operator, it is also obliged to report fhat fact to the traffic commissioner.
   
5. The authority is obviously expected to act fairly, and must not discriminate in any way against any operator(s), whether by imposing unreasonable demands on the amount of information to be provided, or by setting unachievable standards for the way in which it should be provided. There is also an expectation that the authority will carry out these functions with regard to "a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness".
6. Oxfordshire County Council recognises that it shares a responsibility with operators to ensure that information about bus services is readily available and correct. It is our belief that the requirements of the Transport Act can best be met by a consensus approach, with the authority and operators reaching agreement in advance on standards and means of provision
   
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The Strategy

1. For any strategy to be successful, it must first identify its target groups, and in discussions about public transport, two clear and distinct groups are often identified – those who use public transport and those who do not. However, even within the users there are people who use public transport only out of necessity, and those who use it by choice.
2. To a certain extent, existing bus users could be thought already to be convinced of the benefits of public transport. It would be wrong, however, to ignore the needs of this group, as they, too, have a requirement for information, and through improved provision there may be scope to increase their usage. Passengers who regularly use the bus to travel to work, for example, will often think nothing of using a car for short trips at the weekend. Better information on services, far from "preaching to the converted", could actually persuade regular bus users to travel by public transport even more.
3. Improved provision of information will help to attract regular car users to public transport, but new users will only be drawn to the bus if they are aware of its availability. This includes the timetable, the nearest bus stop to their home and or place of work and the cost relative to what many drivers see as the "free" use of their car. It goes without saying, however, that any improvements in the provision of information will need to be matched by improvements in bus service quality.
4. There will inevitably be a cost to any improved provision, but it is important to remember that 100 extra passenger journeys are generated not only by 100 extra passengers, but also by one new passenger using the bus for 50 daily "commutes". The extra revenue created by this increased usage will soon grow even more if that commuter can be retained and in turn attract others.
   
   
4. Timetable for Implementing the Strategy

1. Each topic has two sections, entitled "now" and "in the future". Standards set out under "now" are expected to be met by operators either immediately or at the very least by the end of 2002. Progress towards aspirations for the future will be reviewed after three years.
2. Operators already meet many of the current standards voluntarily, and should be in a position to meet the new requirements with a minimum of extra effort or expenditure. However, the County Council will not hesitate to use the enforcing powers granted to it by the Transport Act 2000 if necessary.
   
   

5. Review

1. Annual reviews will be arranged to include transport providers, users and the local authority to ensure that the standards set and agreed are continuing to be met, and it is expected that this Strategy will be completely revised in 2006, as part of the Oxfordshire Local Transport Plan.
2. It is suggested that an ‘Information Forum’ be established which would meet on at least an annual basis to review the strategy and the standards achieved; the operators of local bus services should be represented, along with bus users and the local authority as the arbiter of information provision.
   
   

What information should be provided?

1. Now

1. As a first priority, timetable information should be available and easily accessible, in printed form, for every service provided on a route by any individual operator or group of operators.
2. For each route, the operator must show, on the front of the relevant timetable leaflet, the unique service identity (whether a number or a name), the start and end points of the route and the date on which that timetable came into effect.
3. Timings should be given for all major intermediate stopping points along the route, and an indication given of possible interchanges with other bus services and other modes of transport such as at rail stations.
4. Where services are shared by more than one operator, for example where a service has both commercial and subsidised sections, leaflets must show all services on that route, with a clear indication of which services are subsidised.
5. Irregular or non-users of public transport alike should easily understand the format of all timetables. Dates and days of operation must be clear.
6. Every leaflet or timetable booklet will be expected to comply with the Code of Good Practice for Printed Timetable Information produced by the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers, copies of which can be downloaded from the ATCO web-site at www.atco.org.uk.
7. This specifies requirements in terms of the layout of timetables, and incorporates minimum standards of paper quality, print size, type and even colour. It also stresses the need for standardisation of codes, the 24-hour clock and so on.
8. Much of the advice given mirrors that in the 1996 Code of Good Practice issued by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.
9. When timetables change, advance notification must be given at least two weeks prior to any change. Notices must be posted at all bus stops along the affected route, and a poster must be displayed in all buses on that route giving a contact number where full details can be obtained.
10. From one week before the change, full timetables should be available on all buses on the route, or from a point along that route.
11. Parish Councils and Parish Transport Representatives must also be informed of any changes to either timetables or fares on routes running through their area a minimum of two weeks in advance.
12. At present, the complexity and sheer number of bus fares available in Oxfordshire would make their inclusion on timetable leaflets an undesirable distraction. However, wherever single operator or shared bus passes can be purchased, the prices and validity of these must be shown on any relevant fares leaflet.
13. Nonetheless, a comprehensive faretable for the whole route must, by law, be carried on every vehicle, and must be available for inspection on request.
14. Changes to fares must be notified to the public at least one week in advance of the change by means of notices on all vehicles giving a telephone number from which information can be obtained.
15. Every vehicle is also legally required to display its service identity and destination. Our requirements for this are already clearly stated: - the letters must be at least 125mm high, and the number at least 200mm high, and both must be illuminated during the hours of darkness.
16. It is recognised that certain vehicles do not have illuminated displays, and allowance will be made in these circumstances, and for services, which operate in darkness for only a short period each year, subject to the prior agreement of the County Council.
17. Every route leaflet should show the availability or otherwise of facilities for disabled travellers, and this must include information on the use of wheelchair-accessible vehicles on the route.
18. Oxfordshire is a committed member of PTISouthEast, and the telephone number for traveline (0870 608 2 608) must be shown on all leaflets, along with the web address when this becomes widely available.
19. Leaflets must also include the head office address for the operator, their telephone number, web site address and the name or position of the person to whom complaints or commendations should be sent.
20. Leaflets should show where tickets, travelcards and information can be obtained in advance (if possible), whether from operator-run travelshops or independent ticketing agents.
21. Leaflets should also include a contact telephone number for information on services for those who are unable to use buses. The obvious example would be the number for OCVA.
22. This contact number must also be displayed at all bus stops.
23. In addition, wherever travel concessions are available, whether offered by the operator alone or as part of a subsidised scheme, full details must be shown on the vehicle and in fare information.
24. It is particularly important that standards of information are maintained when services are disrupted, whether unexpectedly or as a result of planned diversions. Where no advance notice either is or can be given, at the very least all drivers on the affected route must be advised at the earliest opportunity, and they must use their best endeavours to advise passengers of the nature of the disruption and the remedial action being taken.
25. Where disruption is known in advance, the operator will be expected to have emergency timetables and/or stopping points arranged, and, where the period of disruption is expected to be lengthy, to publicise full details of any alterations in place.
26. Funding for the provision of a general overview of all services in the County, similar to the "Public Transport Guide" published in January 2001, has been agreed, and an annual publication of countywide or area guides will be a reasonable target.
    
    
2. In the future
   
   

1. In addition to a County map, the local authority will wish to enter into discussions not only with bus operators but also with other transport providers to establish a collaborative approach to multi-operator and multi-modal information.
2. This could take the form of leaflets showing interchanges along the route with other operators or other forms of transport, particularly where information of this nature can be obtained from traveline.
3. "How to get there" information for major destinations such as airports or hospitals will also be desirable in the future, as will, in the case of Oxfordshire, a general guide on the various means of reaching the capital.
4. Maps will be posted at town and city centre sites to advise passengers of the whereabouts of bus stops, route maps of available buses and an index of all places served. These should also be located at all major transport interchanges, such as bus stations, rail stations and other "hubs".
5. Subject to further discussion with the local authority, it is hoped that operators will be able to agree on termination dates for services, and that leaflets will then show a start date and finish date, when new leaflets would be produced. This can only increase passenger confidence in the quality of the information they hold.
6. Further discussions will also be held with operators into the possibility of simplifying fares, particularly in the larger conurbations, in the hope that this may eventually lead to their inclusion in leaflets.
7. Once traveline is able to provide a full time and fare information service, leaflets will be expected to contain all such details.
   
   

6. Where should information be provided?

1. Now
   
   

1. Departure times must be displayed at every boarding point along a route, indicating the service identity of all buses serving that point, a general overview of the route followed, and the date on which that timetable came into operation.
2. Where feasible, the timetables of competing operators using the same stop should be grouped close to each other to enable easy comparison of the services.
3. While precise times will obviously be preferable, either the frequency (eg. "every 10 minutes") or the intervals (eg. "at these minutes past each hour") will be equally acceptable where several buses serve a stop.
4. Information must also be available on the bus itself, displayed on the exterior in the case of the service number and destination, and operators should endeavour to have available on each service timetable leaflets and details of passes including their cost and validity.
5. On routes with an hourly or better service, leaflets should be distributed to all places served or within its catchment area, normally on a house to house basis, whenever major changes to services or fares are imminent, or once every two years.
6. Many customers prefer a face to face enquiry or information system, and to this end the staffed enquiry offices in Banbury and Oxford are to be encouraged and if possible extended.
7. All operators serving Banbury or Oxford town centres are expected to provide comprehensive information on their services to the staffed enquiry offices in those towns, and in return for disseminating that information the operators who provide the staff will be entitled to recover a proportion of their costs.
8. Major bus stops, particularly in town centres, will be fitted with large frames, which it is hoped will be used to display maps of the surrounding area. These will show information on services using that stop and the routes they take.
9. Similar maps and timetable leaflets can then be used in the offices of major local employers to encourage public transport use as part of the Better Ways to Work scheme.
10. In smaller towns where an exclusive bus enquiry office cannot be justified, the local Tourist Information Office should be used as an information source, and as well as leaflets an information board would be useful here too.
11. Tourist Information Centres and libraries should be included as part of the normal distribution cycle for timetables, and operators will be expected to ensure that supplies are adequately maintained.
12. District Council Local Service Points should be supplied with information for distribution to the public.
13. Given that many of the users of public transport in Oxfordshire will be tourists who do not have access to their own vehicle, hotels can also be useful locations for leaflets.
14. For very small communities, post offices, village shops and even pubs will have an important role to play as distribution points.
15. Community centres and "drop-in" centres will also be an essential source of information for the elderly and others who have mobility difficulties.
    
    
2. In the Future
   
   

1. Information boards showing all services from a particular stop or area should be provided in town and city centres. These will be expected to show a full index of places served, a list of operators, a map of routes from that point and the location of all bus stops in that area.
2. The design of bus stops or flags will incorporate signing to indicate the direction of travel of buses from that point.
3. As an encouragement to future regular use of public transport, timetables and information boards should be made available in schools, colleges and universities where pupils and their parents (and older students) can be made aware of alternatives to the car for the school run. This will link into the Council’s Better Ways to School scheme.
4. To assist in this process, and to ensure the clarity of descriptions of bus stops, all stops in the county have been mapped, and will eventually be uniquely identified. Each stop will have its own "name", and these will be consistently applied regardless of the operator using that stop.
5. All operators will then use these names to enable passengers to identify their joining or leaving point.
6. Once all stops have been identified, they will carry a message asking passengers to report missing timetables or damage to the display. Numbering will enable the responsible organisation to be identified quickly and repairs to be carried out with a minimum of delay.
7. It is hoped that multi-operator and multi-modal enquiry offices can be established, which will be able to give information initially on all bus services, but ultimately on all forms of public transport in the County, and the authority will lead these discussions. In the meantime, bus timetables should be readily available at rail stations.
   
   

7. How should transport information be provided?

1. Now

1. The traditional means of conveying transport information has been a paper-based timetable, and this is still the most commonly understood medium.
2. Paper timetables should be published for individual services, routes or corridors, and, where suitable, should be collated into area timetable books or folders, which can be easily updated.
3. Paper based displays will obviously be most appropriate for bus stops, and these must be displayed at every recognised stop along a route.
4. Operational staff at major boarding points and interchanges, and travel shops, are a valuable source of information for those who prefer a personal touch, or do not have access to other sources.
5. All bus operators providing services in Oxfordshire are expected to participate fully in traveline, which is organised on a collaborative basis within the region. The costs of the service are allocated to those operators whose services feature in the information provided to enquirers, while the information itself is taken from the County’s electronic information database.
6. Each operator is expected to meet the costs attributed to it by traveline, but where an operator refuses to do so, the Council will pay those costs on its behalf, and recover such sums with the addition of an administrative charge.
7. Operators who so choose may provide their own telephone enquiry system, but this must be in addition to traveline and not as an alternative.
8. Finally, the role of the bus driver cannot be overstated. On rural routes in particular they are often the only contact between the operator and the customer, and it is essential they are able to communicate effectively. They will be the first stage in the process of advising changes to services (current and future), fares and any other information which may be required.
9. Training for drivers in customer care is a prerequisite for their role in the improved provision of information, and of informing passengers of disruption. Operators will be expected to provide this training as part of their basic training programme.
   
   
2. In the Future
   
   

1. As an extension of traveline, web-based journey planning, to include timetable and fare information, possibly with maps and printing facilities, will become more widely available, and it is expected that this service will provide links to individual operator web-sites.
2. The Oxfordshire County Council web-site will also offer transparent links to individual operator web-sites and to traveline.
3. Oxfordshire County Council is committed to the development of real-time information systems throughout the county, and has already identified routes where its installation will be of greatest benefit.
4. While it is recognised that much of the investment in these systems will come from operators, Oxfordshire County Council has led discussions on standards and practices, and will continue to provide whatever support it is able to.
5. As and when these services evolve, it will become possible for information to be sent to mobile phones, and future developments in real-time systems could mean that this facility will cover not only expected (ie. published) timetables, but also the current operating conditions on major routes in case of disruptions or delays.
6. Oxfordshire County Council will investigate the production of CD-based information, which could be circulated to Tourist Information Centres, libraries and other centres. However, the cost-effectiveness of this method will be dependent on the introduction of fixed termination dates.
   
   
   
8. When should information be provided?
   
   

1. Now

1. Quite clearly, information is essential at the planning stage of any journey. This will enable customers and potential customers to make informed decisions about their travel choices.
2. Information is also required at the start of a trip, whether at a bus stop or at any other point where the journey begins. For example, bus timetables or at the very least a map of nearby bus stops and major destinations should be publicised at local rail stations wherever possible.
3. During the journey, bus drivers have a vital role to play in the provision of information. If they are aware of any disruption to a service, this must be passed on to customers, and drivers may need training on how this should best be done.
   
   
2. In the Future

1. With the development of real-time information systems, more and better information should be available on vehicles.
2. Automated announcements of the next stop or of potential interchanges will become widespread on these routes, and will help to develop even greater passenger confidence in the reliability of public transport.
   
   
9. At whom should the information be targeted?
   
   

1. Information must be accessible to all members of society, whether adults, children, the elderly, or students. It must be pitched at such a level that it is not too complicated for the young or the old, but is easily understood by all.
2. It must also be readily understood by those with mobility, hearing, visual or learning difficulties, and the authority will enter into discussions with both operators and user groups over the provision of large-type, Braille or tape timetables. These will obviously be expected to reach agreed DPTAC standards.
3. The provision of low-level timetables at bus stops will be an essential factor in encouraging greater use by both children and wheelchair users.
4. Local residents and visitors to an area must each easily understand all information.
5. Where there is a language need, either for local ethnic minority users or for overseas visitors, it may be worth considering a different timetable format, or at least one with only basic information shown.
6. It is probably unreasonable on grounds of cost to expect full timetables to be published in languages other than English, but operators may wish to consider this for a general "Guide to Bus Services in Oxfordshire", perhaps linked to information on local tourist attractions.
7. Distribution channels will need to be identified to cover all those sources of information identified under where information should be provided. Existing channels such as Parish Councils will have to be extended to include major employers, libraries and ultimately regular car users.
8. It is the establishment of these channels, and the communication of these channels to the travelling public, which may determine the success or failure of this Strategy.
   
   
10. Conclusion

1. This Strategy, while encompassing those elements of transport information provision which currently exist, and expressing the aspirations of the local authority, users and operators for the future should not be seen as definitive.
2. An indication of how quickly systems can change can be gained from the Government booklet "Better Information for Bus Passengers". Despite being published as recently as 1996, it makes no mention of either the internet or mobile phones as sources of information, yet both of these are now seen as crucial parts of the delivery process.
3. With the current speed of technological change, any document which makes mention of "new" technology will almost inevitably be out of date within a short time of its publication. Other media such as digital television may well become dominant over the next few years, and will need to be embraced by a future version of this document.
4. Nonetheless, it is essential that standards are set and maintained, and the more traditional methods of communicating should not be ignored in the rush to embrace more glamorous means of provision.
5. Oxfordshire County Council is therefore committed to ongoing reviews of all elements of this strategy at annual intervals, and welcomes contributions towards updating its policies from users and operators alike. It is anticipated that targets set for achievement ‘now’ will be reached by the end of 2002, and that other ’aspirational’ targets will be substantially reached within three years of its publication. This document will be completely revised as part of the next Local Transport Plan in 2006.

 

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