Agenda item

Updates from the Transport Operators

 

1)    First Group

 

2)    Stagecoach East Midlands

 

3)    Stagecoach Yorkshire

 

4)    South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (pages 5 to 11)

 

5)    Rotherham Community Transport (page 12)

 

6)    Robin Hood Airport - Consultative Committee minutes of 17 April 2014 (pages 13 to 16)

 

7)    Northern Rail

Minutes:

(1) First Group - The Rotherham FirstDay ticket now offers customers better value for money with unlimited travel on First buses within the Rotherham district boundary and also to Meadowhall Centre. The price of the Rotherham FirstDay ticket reduced to £3.90 with effect from 22nd June, 2014.

 

(2) Stagecoach East Midlands – no report.

 

(3) Stagecoach Yorkshire – The Dearne Valley day ticket has also reduced in price and now costs £3.90.

 

(4) South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE)

 

The submitted report included details of the forthcoming launch of the Rotherham Bus Partnership on Monday 21st July, 2014. A list of bus timetable changes, to be implemented with effect from Saturday 19th July, 2014, was also included. Members discussed a range of issues relating to specific bus services throughout the Borough area, including:-

 

: the system of credit vouchers being issued to passengers who do not have the exact amount of a bus fare and who may require a large amount of change;

 

: the application process for a disabled person’s travel pass – Members asked to be informed of this process;

 

: the involvement, or otherwise, of specific bus companies in the Rotherham Voluntary Bus Partnership and whether there would be any effect upon particular bus services (eg: the No. 4 service, Rotherham to ravenfield Common);

 

: the validity of bus Travelmaster tickets across all bus operators’ services;

 

: a specific case involving an elderly person, who also has a disability, in the North of the Borough; Members requested a briefing note about the eligibility rules for travel passes for elderly people and also for people with a disability;

 

: Members from the local area are pleased that there is now better alignment of services 22 and 22X (Rotherham-Manvers, including journeys to Meadowhall), instead of having services competing with each other at the same times;

 

: Members from the local area were grateful that services 108 and 109 (Rotherham-Parkgate-Rawmarsh) had now returned to their original routes;

 

: the possibility of there being a feasibility study of bus services for the Wentworth parks housing estate (Swinton).

 

(5) Rotherham Community Transport - Members received a copy of the press release describing the Leader of the Council’s recent participation in a volunteer day with Rotherham Community Transport. Councillor Stone had volunteered as a Passenger Assistant, supporting elderly people on shopping trips, using the Community Transport Shopper Bus Service.

 

(6) Robin Hood Airport – consideration was given to the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Robin Hood Airport Consultative, held on 17th April, 2014. The contents of these minutes were noted.

 

(7) Northern Rail – Members again expressed disappointment that representatives of Northern Rail were unable to attend this Liaison Group’s meetings. Included within the report submitted by the SYPTE were details of (i) the development of a Long Term Rail Strategy for the North of England and (ii) the Network Rail Delivery Plan Period 5 (covering the years 2014 to 2019). Members requested information about:-

 

(i) passenger safety on trains in the local area and at the Rotherham railway station, including the use of closed circuit television and the role of the Railway Police;  and

 

(ii) the policy requiring passengers to purchase travel tickets before boarding the train.

Supporting documents: