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Division(s): Chinnor, Thame

ITEM TIC11

TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE –
6 MAY 2004

BUS SERVICE SUBSIDIES

Report by Head of Transport

Introduction

  1. This report and the associated Annex deals with proposed alterations to the existing bus services between Thame and Chinnor and cross-boundary routes into Buckinghamshire tendered jointly with Buckinghamshire County Council. Full Information on the two contracts involved is included at Annex 1 (download as .doc file).

    2. Background

  2. The current arrangements are slightly complicated in that two contracts (and three separate bus routes) are involved in the proposed changes. These are:-

    3. Contract PT/S 11 – Administered by Buckinghamshire County Council, covers service 261 (Aylesbury – Thame – Chinnor) and service 331 (Thame – Chinnor – Bledlow Ridge – High Wycombe). Oxfordshire County Council pays a proportional amount towards the cost of these contracts based on the mileage within the County (31% of the cost of service 261, 52% of service 331).

    Contract PT/S 12 – Administered and funded by Oxfordshire County Council, covers service 232 (Thame – Chinnor – Princes Risborough – High Wycombe). No contribution is received from Buckinghamshire County Council for this service, for the reasons explained below.

  3. These two contracts were last considered by the Transport Implementation Committee on 17 April 2003 and the consequential service changes introduced from 5 July 2003. The report submitted to the 17 April 2003 meeting sought to rectify the situation that had been created as a result of alterations introduced at Buckinghamshire County Council’s behest in February 2003.

    4. History of Thame – Chinnor services

  4. For some years an hourly bus service had been provided between Thame and Chinnor with alternate journeys then continuing to High Wycombe either via Bledlow Ridge (service 331) or Princes Risborough (service 332) - giving roundly 10 journeys in each direction, Mondays to Saturdays. These routes bifurcated through various Oxfordshire villages including Towersey, Sydenham, Kingston Stert and Kingston Blount, as well as the Cotemore Gardens area of Thame. This contract was administered by Buckinghamshire County Council, to which Oxfordshire made an agreed contribution (under our contract reference PT/S 11).

  5. The February 2003 changes introduced a new direct route between Thame and Chinnor every hour (service 261) which is scheduled to make this journey in about 10 minutes each way. It was hoped that this route would generate new customers and prove more attractive than going round the villages (which can take up to 25 minutes). Buses on route 261 continue from Thame to Aylesbury via Long Crendon.

  6. To compensate however the 332 version of the Thame – High Wycombe route was withdrawn reducing the number of through buses to five per day in each direction, and severing the off-peak link between Chinnor and Princes Risborough (There is a peak hour only ‘with-the-flow’ commuter rail-link service between Chinnor and Princes Risborough Station, Mondays to Fridays only, which is wholly funded by Chiltern Trains).

  7. This change did however mean that a moderately well used morning peak journey, from Chinnor into Thame, formally provided by route 332 would be discontinued. In view of the short notice received from Buckinghamshire in respect of this change, Officers therefore entered into a short-term ‘de minimis’ contract with the existing contractor (Arriva the Shires Ltd), to continue this peak journey (Mondays to Fridays only) under contract reference PT/S 12. Further protests were however received over the reduction in the level of service to/from Wycombe and the loss of the link to Princes Risborough.

  8. Accordingly on 17 April 2003 the Transport Implementation Committee considered various tenders that had been put out to re-instate some Thame – Chinnor – Princes Risborough – High Wycombe journeys as part of the general periodic review of bus service contracts in the Wheatley, Thame, and Watlington areas. The Committee agreed to the provision of three extra Thame – Princes Risborough – High Wycombe journeys (on Mondays to Fridays only) via the former 332 route (which was re-numbered 232). This included an evening peak departure from High Wycombe to Chinnor, the loss of which had been one of the causes of complaints. A capital grant of £30K was also given to Arriva the Shires to provide a new low-floor easy-access bus for use on route 232 due to complaints of elderly high-step entry vehicles being used on the Chinnor routes (as well as problems with parked vehicles in the Cotemore Gardens area with full size buses). However, in awarding the new PT/S 12 contract, the Committee resolved:-

    9. "to retain the existing "fast" hourly service between Thame and Chinnor (Mon-Sat) (i.e. route 261) but only until July 2004 but retain the five Thame – High Wycombe journeys on route 331 via Bledlow Ridge"

    These services are both covered by contract PT/S 11, administered by Buckinghamshire County Council.

  9. Buckinghamshire County Council was advised of the Committee’s decision at the time. Since July 2003 there has therefore been a broadly half-hourly daytime service between Thame and Chinnor; one fast journey (261) with another bus on the alternate half-hour via the intermediate villages (232 or 331). This then reduces to an overall hourly frequency at peak times. On Saturdays, only routes 261 and 331 operate. With the planned withdrawal of route 261 in July 2004, it was therefore expected that Thame – Chinnor – High Wycombe would revert to broadly an hourly frequency (alternate 232 and 331) on Mondays to Fridays, two-hourly (331 only) on Saturdays.

    10. Current Position

  10. On 12 January 2004, Buckinghamshire County Council commenced a new ‘demand responsive’ service branded "Bledlow Rider on Call" between High Wycombe, Bledlow Ridge and Princes Risborough, which also serves Saunderton station at peak times (none of this route is within Oxfordshire). This operation is funded by a Government Rural Bus Challenge award, but only runs on Mondays to Fridays.

  11. Consequently, officers have now been advised by Buckinghamshire that it is not only their intention to cease operation of service 261 within Oxfordshire (due to the aforementioned Committee decision to withdraw funding) but most journeys on service 331 as well. All that will remain on service 331 will be one M-F peak bus from Chinnor to High Wycombe with an afternoon return journey at 16.15 from High Wycombe. This is mainly for children attending Wycombe Schools but these journeys are expected to operate on non-schooldays as well. Off-peak the Buckinghamshire part of 331 route over Bledlow Ridge (but not the Oxfordshire section) will be covered by the new Bledlow Rider on Call service. They plan to make this change from 17 July 2004.

  12. This will result in the termination, by default, of contract PT/S 11 and the cessation of Oxfordshire’s contribution of £56,827 p.a. to Buckinghamshire County Council, as the routes will no longer operate within the County.

  13. However the only bus services that will remain between Thame and Chinnor (unless remedial action is taken) are those under existing O.C.C. contract PT/S 12 – the two-hourly (Monday to Friday only) service between Thame, Chinnor, Princes Risborough and High Wycombe. On Saturdays there would be no service at all. The dramatic reduction in the level of service outlined above would, I suggest, be unacceptable to local residents. These routes serve a population of roundly 7,800 (at the 2001 census) in Chinnor and the surrounding villages (within Oxon) whilst Thame itself has a population of over 11,000.

  14. As the County Council already has a financial interest in the new bus that is used on contract PT/S 12, Officers have therefore entered into discussions with the existing operator (Arriva the Shires) to see if it is possible to utilise the bus more fully on the sections within Oxfordshire. The options for a renegotiated contract (which will undoubtedly incur some increase in costs for this contract, but hopefully a saving over the current cost of PT/S 11 and PT/S 12 combined) may be able to be covered by the new ‘de minimis’ arrangements introduced by the Government from 1 April 2004.

  15. Full consultation was undertaken as part of the review in July 2003, but in view of the very recent clarification of as to Buckinghamshire’s intentions regarding 331, further consultation is now underway during the preparation of this report. Any comments received will be reported to the Committee prior to the meeting in the additional supplementary report.

    16. Future Provision

  16. It is suggested that one possible option is to maintain an hourly service between Thame and Chinnor, with alternate journeys running either direct or via the villages (the latter would then retain broadly the same level of service as now). The direct ‘fast’ journeys could then continue at two-hourly intervals to Princes Risborough (Market Place), but diverting to serve the Rail Station. This would provide a more efficient use of a bus, but will result in:-

    1. The through bus link Thame and Chinnor to/from High Wycombe being severed completely. Using data from our own surveys and that supplied by Buckinghamshire, it is estimated that about 40 cross-boundary trips are made on an average day, Mon-Fri (i.e. in both directions - a return journey counting as two trips). This compares with an average of 67 trips per day in total to/from High Wycombe recorded on our own surveys in October 2002 prior to the reduction from 10 to 5 journeys each way in February 2003.

    2. A small part of Oxfordshire at Chinnor Hill (on the road from Chinnor to Bledlow Ridge) will become unserved - apart from the one remaining 331 journey each way.

  17. Alternative public transport options available to passengers from Thame wishing to travel to High Wycombe would be to catch the half-hourly Arriva 280 bus to Haddenham & Thame Parkway Station thence by Chiltern Trains to High Wycombe. Chinnor residents will have the direct peak 331 journey mentioned above, or they could travel to Princes Risborough on the peak Rail-Link bus or the two-hourly off-peak service proposed above. There are generally three or four trains per hour between Risborough and High Wycombe provided by Chiltern Trains, or a half-hourly bus service on Arriva routes 323/4.

  18. The Committee will also have to consider the situation on Saturdays regarding the possible funding of some form of replacement service; it is suggested that this could be broadly to the same pattern as outlined above but with a slightly later start in the morning and earlier finish after the evening peak than on Mondays to Fridays. Otherwise, as explained, there would be no service over this route on this day. The report will therefore detail the increase in costs in respect of revised contract PT/S 12 (set against the savings arising from the termination of PT/S 11).

  19. Other alternatives are being explored, although it is thought likely that these will be more expensive as they will employ more resources. To deploy a vehicle to operate a through journey to/from High Wycombe from Thame and Chinnor (without employing a second bus) would result in only a two-hourly service over the local section within Oxfordshire. The through service may therefore have to be limited to one or two ‘shopping’ journeys. These alternative options will be reported in full in the supplementary report to be circulated prior to the meeting.

    20. Lewknor Taxibus

  20. The Committee has been kept informed as to progress with the introduction of the proposed taxibus service to be based around junction 6 of the M40 at Lewknor. Tenders for this service will be reported to the Committee on 17 June 2004..

  21. The introduction of the taxibus also has a bearing on the bus service changes outlined above. It is proposed that a direct (but very limited) service from Lewknor to/from Thame (via Chinnor) would be provided by the taxibus at peak times. Off peak, the basic service between Chinnor – Lewknor – Watlington would be timed so as to connect with the revised Thame – Chinnor – Risborough 232 route outlined above. The taxibus also has a ‘demand responsive’ option to serve other villages on the regular 232 including Sydenham, and Kingston Stert whilst Kingston Blount and Crowell are on the main taxibus route along the B4009. The taxibus would only run on Mondays to Fridays and is designed to take users to/from the Oxford Tube service at Lewknor rather than for intermediate journeys.

  22. Whilst this would open new travel opportunities such as Chinnor to Oxford via Lewknor and the Tube, it is unfortunately not really a suitable alternative route to/from High Wycombe. The taxibus crosses the County Council supported 275 service (Oxford – Stokenchurch – High Wycombe) at Aston Rowant (Lambert Arms), but the number of journeys provided on the latter route is very limited (one in each direction Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, three each way Mondays and Wednesdays and four on Fridays).

  23. There will also be about a 10 week interval between the introduction of the revised 232 services proposed above (on 17 July 2004) and the current scheduled date for commencement of the taxibus network on 26 September 2004. Buckinghamshire County Council are unwilling to defer the date of withdrawal for services 261/331 (which coincides with the end of their school summer term) whilst the taxibus introduction is dependent upon completion of highway works at Lewknor.

    24. RECOMMENDATIONS

    24. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to: -

          1. note the circumstances surrounding the termination of contract PT/S 11.

          2. make decisions on the subsidy for the revised options for contract PT/S 12 as described in this report.

DAVID MCKIBBIN
Head of Transport

Background papers: - Correspondence with Local Councils, Public Transport Representatives, Transport operators and other Councils (refer to contact officers).

Contact Officers: - John Wood (Tel: Oxford 815802),

21 March 2004

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