Agenda item

1)    First Group

2)    Stagecoach

3)    South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive

4)    Rotherham Community Transport

5)    Northern Rail

6)    Robin Hood Airport - Consultative Committee meeting - minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2015 (pages 6 to 16)

(1) First Group – changes to services will be effective from 31 January 2016 or 1 February 2016 in order to improve the delivery of services, some of which serve routes to the Sheffield City Centre. Other service improvements affect routes around the Rotherham College of Arts and Technology and into the Rotherham Passenger Transport Interchange.

(2) Stagecoach – similarly (to First Group) some changes to services will be effective from 31 January 2016 or 1 February 2016 in order to improve the delivery of services. It was noted that, with effect from 1 February 2016, the route of the 222 service will terminate at Mexborough and will no longer serve the Rotherham Borough area. Several Members complimented the Stagecoach drivers for their customer-friendly conduct.

(3) South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) – various changes to services will be effective from 31 January 2016 or 1 February 2016, again in order to improve the delivery of services. Bus routes affected include the 22X, 217, 218 and 22 in the Dearne Valley, Goldthorpe and Mexborough areas.  Services between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, 2015 will operate on Saturday timetables, although Sheffield City Council would be funding some additional services in its area.

A public survey had been undertaken in October 2015, in the South of the Rotherham Borough area, concerning the provision of bus services there. The survey results were currently being assessed and would be made available for Elected Members early in 2016.

Bus network reviews were taking place currently in Doncaster and would begin in Barnsley in mid- to late-2016. A similar review for the Rotherham Borough area would begin at a later date.

Reference was made to the petition, containing 457 signatures, from residents of the Swinton area, requesting the provision of a Rotherham bus service to Piccadilly Road and onto Wentworth Road, Swinton. The petition would be presented to the Borough Council meeting taking place on Wednesday 9th December, 2015. It was noted that, to date, there was no interest from bus operators in providing such a service to this area.

(4) Rotherham Community Transport – Dementia awareness training continues for Community Transport staff on a county-wide basis. Visits have been made to every dementia café in South Yorkshire to highlight the availability of community transport. A successful awareness-raising event had also taken place recently at the Maltby Miners’ Welfare centre.

(5) Northern Rail – Members asked that every endeavour be made to ensure the attendance of a representative of Northern Rail at the next meeting. Reference was made to (i) late night rail services in the Kiveton Park area and the apparent under-collection of fares; (ii) the car parking difficulties being experienced at the Kiveton Park railway station and whether the relocation of the car park would be beneficial;  and (iii) the need for the better integration of local rail and bus timetables in the Anston, Kiveton Park and Wales areas, many of which provide routes into the Sheffield city centre.

(6) Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport - Consideration was given to the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Robin Hood Airport Consultative Committee held on 15th October, 2015. Details of the presentation ‘Improving the Passenger Experience’ (made at that meeting) were also included. Members suggested that the airport would benefit from the provision of a railway link for passenger and freight journeys.