Agenda item
Public Question Time
To receive any public questions or statements submitted three clear working days in advance of the meeting.
Minutes:
Questions were received from Rosa Kell, David Redgewell, Barrie Childs and Emery Taylor. The questions submitted and the responses provided are as follows:
Question 1
Can the Advisory Board tell us what advice it's giving Yeovil Town Council and Somerset Council to ensure that the sale of the bus station and adjoining development at Glover Walk will by it's new owners incorporate a new bus station for the benefit of all visitors and bus and coach passengers of Yeovil.
Response
Once there are new owners of the site we'll start engagement about the future of the bus station.
Question 2
Can the Bus Advisory Board tell us on how can Taunton Bus & Coach Station be let out to the (a) NHS Trust and (b) sublet with all the public liability included to The Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust (TV&GWOT) to be accessed by the public on a Vintage Bus Run Event and where bus passengers are hour by hour during the whole day use buses departing from the Station and the public accessing those buses leaving this Station
Yet, the Taunton Bus & Coach Station be considered too dangerous and unusable by the bus travelling public of Taunton on a working daily.
I beg to ask how is the Station not safe to be open to the public bus passengers (and the station has not reopened since it's close down during the COVID outbreak). How can it be safe for a Vintage Event but not for the working day.
Response
We are currently investigating this claim. A written response will be provided.
Question 3
Can the Bus Advisory Board tell us where the coach and bus fees for accessing Somerset Bus and Coach parks is diverted by Somerset Council, in whose machines access fees are deposited. These funds should be ring fenced solely for use on the station and it's infrastructure.
In Street, Glastonbury, Wells, Frome, Shepton Mallet etc the payment machines are clearly signed Somerset Council.
Response
Question 4
With The Thames Valley and Great Western omnibus Trust using Taunton bus and coach station for a special bus service, leased by the NHS who appear to have given permission for this event but as the bus and coach station reopening require Planning permission and months of work how is this event with the travelling public using the Bus and coach station going ahead on the 2nd June 2024?
Has Somerset council Public transport Department given permission and are the travelling public covered by insurance when using the Bus and coach station. Whilst we welcome this event and is Somerset public transport unit involved in the Event, we understand that First Group plc buses and National Express coaches stagecoach south west go ahead are involved in the Event,
Response
We are currently investigating this claim. A written response will be provided.
Question 5
What is the process on Reopening Taunton Transport hub as a bus and coach station, The NHS leaving and planning permission being granted and the First bus and coach services, Taxis services and bike and scooter hire being provided with toilets including Change place, Buffet and waiting room facilities.
Response
Somerset Council has concluded the 'pre-application' phase of planning approval at the old Taunton Bus Station site. The next step is for a full planning application along with an application for heritage approval. Detailed design and planning application work is underway. There is also a workstream underway which will inform how maintenance costs are managed at the site. First Bus have been consulted to gain feedback on the designs. There is also work being done which will inform branding and wayfinding at the hub. Delivery of the works are programmed for 2025.
Question 6
Under the 1985 Transport act and the 2017 Transport act, all public buses and coach station and interchanges facilities need to be accessible to all bus and bus operators and access charges are made.
South west transport Network and Somerset bus partnership And public transport group in Dorset and the west of England mayoral combined transport Authority and North Somerset council.
That bus and coach operators are paying access changes at the bus and coach stations in Somerset including coach parks at Yeovil bus and coach,
Wells bus and coach station, Bridgwater bus and coach station, Wincanton bus and coach station,
Coach parks and stations at Wellington, Minehead coach park at the Railway station street, Glastonbury, Frome, Cork Street, the last coach park have had charges by Somerset west and Taunton council and Mendip District Council.
The money raised from charges is supposed to be used for up keep of the
Bus and coach station Including walking rooms Toilets, Shelters lighting and cctv facilities, cafe and Kiosk rental in the case of Bridgwater bus and coach station what is happening to income from cafe rental,
As Somerset council Public transport has to provide open access at these bus and coach stations, what is happening to the money collected in charges
Response
Currently the coach parking income is collected alongside car parking charges and due to the nature of the systems don’t separate it, we are however looking to use some of our surplus car parking income to support sustainable transport, in the same way as we are doing in the Taunton area where we took the decision in December to support the park and ride.
Question 7
How are First South/Buses of Somerset proposing to resolve the several communicated issues apparent since introduction of their revised route 25 & 28A timetables?
Specifically, with regard to Norton Fitzwarren:
- lack of effective weekday peak inbound service (to Taunton) between 08:10 and 11:10
- lack of effective weekday peak outbound service (from Taunton) between 14:55 and 17:45
- endemic early running, i.e. departing stops too early. Traffic Commissioner guidance states depart no more than one minute early
- many would-be passengers left behind at bus stops with waits of up to 3 hours for next bus, destination box displaying 'sorry - bus full'
- failure to provide timetables at bus stops; day 11 of new timetable but majority of local bus stops have no information or out-of-date timetables displayed
- single decker buses operating some busy route 25 services, causing many passengers to have no option but to stand for their whole journey
- 28A buses often displaying incorrect route number (28) leading to passenger confusion
- Ticketer software not functioning (not programmed?) for route 28A - unable to issue correct tickets or to display necessary information to driver
- First Bus app tracker not functioning for any buses operating route 28A, erroneously displaying 28A AND 28a in each case but no timings/seat information
- errors in printed timetable booklet and pdf version requiring correction
These problems extend throughout the Dulverton and Minehead corridors and beyond, and impact heavily on passengers using, or attempting to use, buses on these routes. A significant amount of time and money has recently been invested by several people and organisations to encourage folk to make greater use of their rural bus services. As long as this seriously sub-standard service remains in place, we risk undoing so much of that good work as passengers revert to their personal vehicles to make journeys that really ought to be made by bus. Once these people give up bus travel they are unlikely to return to the mode.
Response
Somerset Council met with First South West yesterday to discuss passenger concerns following the introduction of new timetables on 15th April.
Question 8
The 16:20 Wells to Yeovil service 77 is scheduled to stop at Strode College at 16:47 however over the last few months, it has on over 10 occasions, skipped the college and thus left students trying to get home stranded. This has had a negative effect on myself and other students who are now worried they may not be able to catch this bus home. This issue does not only affect students on the day itself, but also has a major long term effect of reducing the overall reliability of the service which could have detrimental impacts to the students future transport choices, and the overall passenger numbers on this service.
This issue has not been resolved despite multiple complaints from various students to the First Bus National Contact Centre.
What is First West of England and Somerset Council doing to ensure this issue does not happen again?
Response
We have raised this matter with the operator previously when we have been made aware of it happening. This is a commercial service, and it is for the operator to correct but we will continue to raise the issue. We will also discuss this matter with Strode College.
Supporting documents: