Issue - meetings

To receive evidence from bus service user groups.

Supplementary information may become available if received from the user groups, prior to the meeting.

The Chair welcomed representatives from Exeter & District Bus Users Forum and Stagecoach South West.

The Exeter & District Bus Users Forum outlined key challenges as follows:

• congestion and traffic conditions, including variability between school and non-school days;
• the impact of new developments on service planning;
• issues arising from “super stops”, where multiple stops had been combined without sufficient infrastructure improvements; and
• that these were not necessarily unique to Exeter but faced across the country.

Members questioned representatives on ticketing models, planning for new developments, and the design and effectiveness of super stops. It was highlighted that early provision of bus services into new housing developments was important to embed travel behaviours before car dependency became established.

The Chair reminded the committee and those present that Devon County Council was the responsible authority for transport.

The Committee also heard from a blind bus user who shared lived experience of using the bus network, highlighting:

• difficulties locating shelters, vehicles and doors;
• challenges arising from glass shelters, floating bus stops and combined stops;
• the value of knowledgeable drivers and the assistance card scheme, provided by Devon County Council;
• limitations of app-based systems for users without smartphones; and
• quieter electric buses, where diesel buses were easy to hear.

Members welcomed this insight and discussed potential mitigations such as tactile features, audible signals and greater consistency in design.

The Managing Director of Stagecoach South West presented current performance information making the following points:

• passenger numbers remained stable despite fare increases;
• punctuality was reported at approximately 85%, carrying 250,000 passengers per week;
• the app was 93% accurate and the remaining 7% could be missing vehicle data;
• ticketing equipment and tracking was likely to be replaced during this year;
• there were currently 13 driver vacancies in Exeter which represented 3.2%;
• investment was being made in fleet replacement, including the introduction of electric buses, subject to depot power connections;
• reliability continued to be affected by congestion, roadworks and infrastructure constraints;
• the remainder of the fleet would be electrified in 2027 with £47 million investment of private capital which showed the confidence in Exeter;
• this year drivers would undertake specific training underpinned by the Department of Transport regarding the safety of women and girls at night;
• disability awareness training was extensive;
• there was more use of off-bus ticketing in Europe and in London there was no interaction with bus drivers and multidoor buses were used which risked fare evasion; and
• he was proud of what his team delivered every day and they were part of the communities in which they live and work and he would welcome positive ways forward.

Members’ raised issues including route reliability across the city, coordination with rail services, timetable changes, accessibility, pricing, and engagement with local businesses and Devon County Council being the transport authority.

The Managing Director of Stagecoach South West responded to members’ questions in the following terms:

• data informed timetable changes and service planning;
• there were operational challenges on cross-city routes and consideration may need to be given to splitting the P  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47