UPDATE November 2008

PKCTG represented the CT Sector at the TACTRAN Wider Stakeholder Group Meeting on 20.11.08. Please check this website regularly for updated information.

UPDATE October 2008

Notes from the TACTRAN Bus Forum 22 October 2008

TACTRAN Regional Transport Strategy 2008-2023 has been published and is available in summary form from TACTRAN or PKCTG. TACTRAN propose to hold meetings of the bus forum every 6 months.

The Strategy has four sub-strategies and Action Plans:

· Buses (including demand responsive and community transport)

· Travel Information

· Walking and Cycling

· Park & Ride.

The strategy has been translated into Action and Delivery plans focused on the short term (years 1-3, budget £10m) and medium-long term (years 4-15 (budget £211m). Budgets reside with local authorities, co-ordinated by TACTRAN. TACTRAN are also lobbying for two major projects (redevelopment of Dundee rail station and Perth bus station) to be taken on by Scottish Government because of their national significance within the Scottish transport infrastructure.

Bus Strategy Action Plan:

Key Actions	Delivery Plans (subject to approval by local authorities)
Network coverage
· Accessibility to key destinations	incl. 2 pilot DRT projects likely to be in Dundee & rural Stirling from 2009, budget £500,000 years 1-3 (consultants commissioned for feasibility study, reporting November for Dundee & January for rural Stirling)
· Pattern and frequency of bus services
· Supported bus network	Dundee-Coupar Angus (£100,000 Yrs 1-3) & Blairgowrie-Coupar Angus (Yrs 4-15)
· New developments (e.g. planning for access to new housing developments/industrial estates etc)

Infrastructure & vehicles
· Interchanges
· Bus stop infrastructure
· Whole journey approach
· Vehicles – buses, CT/DRT

Network Performance
· Quality partnerships	focus on punctuality
· Driver training
· Bus priority and enforcement	focus on bus corridors
· Ticketing/concessionary fares	inc. smart card pilot in Dundee
· Centralised CT/DRT Booking	Years 1-3 budget £225,000– CT/DRT booking feasibility. Bus/CT/DRT spoke & hub interchange £4m Yrs 4-15
· Lobbying for funding	See above

Travel Information Strategy Action

Key Actions	Delivery Plans
Travel Choices & Awareness	Years 1-3: Work with an existing information provider to provide info via database, web & journey planner Integrate NHS appointment process with travel options information.
Modal Shift/sustainability	Provide information (see above) on comparable journey times/costs by different modes
Efficient use of transport networks
· Information on lifeline services in rural and remote areas
· Information on planned/unplanned variations in transport delivery

Park & Ride Strategy Action

Key Actions	Delivery Plans
New bus & rail park & ride
Enhance existing park and ride

Discussion

Questions and discussion concentrated on:

o the importance of engaging with taxi operators as key delivery agents of DRT

o the relevance of ‘life-line’ services to people in urban communities as well as rural

o the challenges to CT operators of engaging with centralised booking services

o transport users are only engaged at national level or direct with operators

o concerns over future of taxi-card

o desirability of engaging with NHS – TACTRAN have purchased software for NHS to inform them about access to healthcare by public transport

o Good practice of Perth & Kinross Transport Joint Working Opportunities Group in commissioning feasibility study for Hospital Link Bus (engagement by local authority, ambulance service, NHS and CT in design of feasibility brief and stakeholder consultation). Potential for monitoring for take up as spoke & hub operations.

Fare Deal leaflets were distributed, describing the campaign by various charities for inclusion of demand responsive CT in the Scotland-wide free bus scheme. The likely inclusion of CT within concessionary fares scheme was briefly discussed. Likely to be conditional upon ticketing, although systems may be supplied free of charge. Bus operators commented this has not been without considerable difficulty.

Mike Cairns of TACTRAN closed, commenting that they would endeavour to take on board the comments regarding engagement with the taxi trade and the need to consider urban life-line services alongside rural.

UPDATE 2nd June 2008

The revised Regional Transport Strategy has been submitted to the Transport Minister for approval.

Please click on the following link to view the document:

http://www.tactran.gov.uk/documents/TACTRANRTS-April2008.pdf

UPDATE 14th February 2008.

The TACTRAN Stakeholder Workshop 6.2.08

On 6^th Feb 2008, The Quality Hotel hosted a TACTRAN Stakeholder Workshop. The appointed CT representatives from Angus, Stirling, Dundee and Perth and Kinross, joined 30 other Stakeholders for the event. This event formed the first meeting of the TACTRAN Bus and Community Transport/Demand Responsive Forum. It was noted that Community Transport was no longer represented as a sub-group on the modal map of the forum, but has been moved up to join: ¨ Regional Walking and Cycling Forum¨ Regional Freight Forum¨ Regional Rail Forum¨ Regional Buses Forum Regional Transport StrategyAn update on the Regional Transport Strategies was provided by Eric Guthrie, stating that ministers have advised RTP’s to review the strategy documents submitted in 2007, develop delivery plans (in place of the ‘Interventions’) and re-submit in June 2008. Sub-strategies such as those on Travel Information, Park & Ride and Bus,CT & DRT should be ready in April. Draft strategies will be prepared by the end of February. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be produced to assess the strategy during March, with the draft final strategy and accompanying SEA and Equalities Impact Assessment produced by the end of March. A further meeting will take place early April where the terms of reference and membership of the Bus, CT and Demand Responsive Transport Forum will be agreed and provision of Advisors to the Board. Confirmation was given that funding is to go to the local authorities and not the Regional Transport Partnerships. RTP delivery plans must therefore be strategic and add value to what local authorities can achieve alone. They must also fit within the Scottish Government’s strategic objectives, the concordat with local government and the forthcoming Council Outcome Agreements. The RTP’s have successfully convinced Parliament of their value however there are boundary issues to overcome. TACTRAN are currently working with SESTRAN on park and ride issues below the Tay. Presentations were given by:MVA Consultancy: The TACTRAN Regional Travel information Strategy and Regional Bus Information StrategyColin Buchanan: TACTRAN Park and Ride Strategy (Initial Consultation)Steer Davies Gleave: Introduction to the TACTRAN Bus Strategy and Community & Demand Responsive Action Plan. Stakeholders were split into discussion groups to discuss draft objectives and solutions: Draft objectives: EconomyΙ To ensure that key employment, education and tourism locations are linked to the public transport network by a service that meets the needs of the local workforce. Ι To achieve improvements in the efficiency and reliability of the region’s bus, community and demand responsive transport network.Ι Potential solutions:■ Enhance network coverage, service frequencies and hours of operation■ Potential for the joined-up provision / co-ordination of CT / DRT■ Bus priority measures Draft objectives: Accessibility, equity and social inclusionΙ To enhance network coverage and ensure that everyone across the region has access to a key regional centre / destination either by bus or community or demand responsive transport. Ι To remove physical and financial barriers to accessing bus, community and demand responsive transport services and infrastructure. Ι To ensure a level of information provision across the whole bus, community and demand responsive transport network that promotes its use and does not hinder accessibility. Ι Potential solutions■ Enhance network coverage, service frequencies and hours of operation on key routes and to key destinations■ Measures for overcoming physical, hearing and visual barriers to travelling by bus, community or demand responsive transport■ Multi-tickets providing discounts on journeys■ Salary Sacrifice Scheme for season tickets■ Co-ordinated approach to marketing and publicity Draft objectives: EnvironmentΙ To enhance the environmental standards of the public transport fleet and contribute to reductions in harmful emissions. Ι Potential solutions■ Set minimum vehicle standards e.g. EURO IV/V emissions■ Demand management / travel behaviour change programme to encourage mode shift■ Information / publicity measures to encourage mode shift■ High quality services and facilities to provide a realistic alternative to the car

Draft objectives: Health and well-beingΙ To increase physical activity and improve access to leisure opportunities across the region by bus and / or community and demand responsive transport. Ι Potential solutions■ New / increased frequency of services to fill gaps in the network■ Increase penetration / frequency of services to key leisure and open space destinations from across the region■ CT / DRT services providing access to leisure opportunities for specific groups of people e.g. tourists, elderly, young people.■ Improved walking links to bus stops Draft objective: Safety and securityΙ To provide improved provisions for the safety of passengers when travelling on the bus, community and demand responsive transport network.

Ι Potential solutions■ Increased CCTV coverage on vehicles and at key interchanges■ Driver training■ Lighting■ Staff at key interchanges■ Enhanced evening and night time services Draft objectives: IntegrationΙ To increase connectivity between services and between different modes of transport. Ι To strengthen the links between land use planning and provision of public transport. Ι Potential solutions■ Real time information■ Provision of cycle parking / lockers at key interchanges■ Improved pedestrian links to bus stops and interchanges■ Park and Ride provision■ Improved waiting facilities at interchanges■ Timetable enhancements to better integrate services■ Developer contributions for new transport services / infrastructure as part of new developments Further comments were invited by 11 February.It is hoped that the comments of the Stakeholders will play a significant role in developing strategies and developing delivery.

TACTRAN, what it is and what it means to

Community Transport

BACKGROUND

Money and funding for many Community Transport Groups across Scotland previously came from the Scottish Executive in the form of the Rural Community Transport Initiative (RCTI.) The RCTI Scheme is now closed for applications with the last applications decided in June 2007. Some groups were unsuccessful and for some groups funding remains in place to March 2008, 2009 and 2010.

CURRENT INFORMATION ( Dec 07)

Instead of the above arrangement, the Scottish Executive are contemplating allocating Regional Transport Partnerships (RTP’s.) The Regional Transport Partnership for the Tayside And Central region is called TACTRAN. A draft transport strategy for the region was submitted by TACTRAN to the Scottish Government but has yet to be approved. The recent Scottish Government Spending Review has allocated funding for public transport, demand responsive and community transport to local authorities rather than the RTP’s. These funds are not ring-fenced and will form part of the general allocation to local authorities. It is unlikely to be clear before December what funds will be allocated by local authorities towards transport and how these funds will be disbursed.

The funding situation for community transport organisations is less clear than ever.

WHAT ARE PKCTG DOING?

We have pulled together an informal Forum called the “Alternative Transport Providers Forum” to enable CT providers from across the region to respond to the draft strategy and engage with the RTP.

At a meeting on 10 October TACTRAN Director Eric Guthrie highlighted his proposals for ongoing communication through a Demand Responsive Transport Forum. TACTRAN has also recently invited bids for development of a Buses Strategy and CT/DRT Action Plan to be undertaken by March 2008.

As any further developments are announced, we shall post information on this website.

If you supply Community Transport and would like to engage with others, please contact PKCTG