Agenda item

To receive any updates from operators.

Simon Goff, Managing Director of First South was invited to give an update.  He said that since the changes made in September (aligned to the closure of the Bridgwater depot), they had allowed the network to settle and it was always known that further tweaks would need to be made to improve reliability and punctuality.  Further changes to be made included the following:

·         From 1st October changes to post AM peak departures on routes 21, 21a, 22 to ensure prompt departures.

·         From the 27th November:

-      Changes to timetables proposed for services 21, 21a, 22 and 51 to improve punctuality.

-      Earlier morning departures from Taunton to Bridgwater and Wellington to be introduced on the 21 and 22.

-      Evening journeys on service 21 extended to Dunball (J23) accessing distribution centres north of Bridgwater.

-      Exmoor Coaster would be suspended during the winter months.

·         Services 55, 77/77a would transfer to Wells depot from the 27th November.  No changes to the timetables from this date, however some changes planned from 1st January 2024.

Simon Goff reported that a steady growth had continued on the £1 fare in Taunton.  There had been a 60% increase in passenger volumes with biggest percentage increases on the 22, 28, 30.  The biggest volume growth was on the 1, 2, 6 and 7.  Patronage was currently at 92% of pre Covid levels.

With regard to the £2 single trips, it was reported that the £2 bus fare cap had been extended to 31^st December 2024.  Simon Goff highlighted that the overall number of trips had grown steadily starting at 38% in January and increasing to 52.1% in October.  He said that they were continuing to lobby government for longer term certainty for the industry.

In terms of Somerset Passenger Recovery, it was reported that overall passenger volumes for this financial year were 21% ahead of the previous year.  The greatest volume growth was on the 21A, 28, 1 and 77. 

Simon Goff advised that since the changes made in October, there had been an improvement in punctuality and the additional changes being introduced in November had been designed to increase service punctuality further.   With regard to lost mileage, it was reported that driver availability had been the main issue due to sickness.  Over the last three weeks there had been a continued and sustained improvement. 

Peter Fairey, Operations Director of South West Coaches reported that they had also seen a year on year growth as a result of the £2 fare with an increase of 19% compared to the previous year on general travel.  He had concerns regarding sustainability in the future following the end of the £2 fare and hoped that follow up funding would be available to bridge the gap.  He advised that passenger numbers continued to grow, however there were still challenges across the network specifically the No. 1 service from Shepton Mallet to Yeovil.  It was reported that a training programme had been put in place but there were still issues with a lack of drivers coming forward.

Thomas Hughes, Operations Manager for Bath and Wells First Bus advised that they would be reviewing the reliability of services across the network including routes out of Frome and Bath.  He reported that driver recruitment for Wells in particular was looking positive. 

During the discussion, a number of issues were highlighted which included:

·         Punctuality issues on the Taunton town services

·         Cleaning of buses at Wells and Taunton

·         The need for marketing across the whole of Somerset

·         Improvements needed on the performance of the 20-21 corridor Weston-super-Mare to Taunton

·         The need for an Operating Centre in Yeovil to maintain the network

·         It was suggested that work was required to understand the usage of  bus stations and bus depots.

·         Bus users experiencing problems reporting reliability issues.

·         A request for passenger usage data on the 25 service including pre and post covid.

With regard to marketing, the Chair advised that countywide marketing was being undertaken and not just on the four under threat routes.  He highlighted that it was important to understand that without further use, the four under threat services would not be able to continue in their current form.

At the conclusion of the item, the Chair thanked the operators for their updates and agreed for the slides presented by Simon Goff to be circulated for information.