COUNTY COUNCIL HIGHWAYS FORUM FOR NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE

20TH JULY 2015

RESPONSE TO PETITION: CHANGES TO BUS SERVICES FOR MOIRA

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT

Purpose of Report

1. To respond to a petition requesting that a full bus service is reinstated for Moira village in North West Leicestershire.

Background

2. A petition with 490 signatures has been received by the County Council about the withdrawal of the commercial bus service provided by Arriva through Moira which was withdrawn on 11th April 2015. The petition is as follows:

‘We the undersigned, call upon Leicestershire County Council to –

(i) Make every effort to persuade local bus companies to reinstate a full passenger service for the village of Moira (ii) Investigate and publicise the impact of the loss of bus services on bus users (iii) Ensure that any alternative is tailored to local needs

Information

3. Service 9 and 9a are operated by Arriva on a commercial basis but a number of commercial changes were proposed from Monday 13th April 2014. The changes in summary:

 In Moira, Rawdon Road and Ashby Road west of Norris Hill previously served by 9A, is no longer be served.  Albert Village previously served by 9A is no longer be served.  Route of service 9/9E remained unchanged.  In the Norris Hill area, Lane and Ashby Road east of Blackfordby Lane continues to be served by Arriva service 9/9E but with the removal of Service 9A meant a reduction in frequency in this general locality. Stops on Norris Hill itself are no longer be served meaning passengers will need to catch service 9/9E from Blackfordby Lane  Blackfordby will continue to be served unchanged on an hourly basis by Arriva 9/9E.  is unaffected by Arriva changes as only currently served on an hourly basis by Midland Classic services 19/19A.

4. Usage figures for services through Moira from November last year showed an average of 10 passengers a day using the commercial services. Some of these users will be able to walk to the 9 and 9E services along Blackfordby Lane and also to the services provided by Midland Classic on services 19/19a.

5. The County Council has introduced a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service between Moira and Ashby and a timetable for the service is provided at annex A.

Options and Implications

6. Discussions were held with both Midland Classic and Arriva to see whether a commercial service could be provided or diverted for a small (de minimis) payment allowed by the 1985 Transport Act but neither operator was able to provide such a diversion. Although Midland Classic did amend their 19a route to serve Albert village.

7. The changes are part of wider changes by Arriva to services between Leicester, , Ashby and Burton on Trent on bus services 9/9A/29A/29X as follows:

 Buses between Leicester and Burton have been retimed in order to enhance punctuality. Extra buses will also operate between Leicester and Coalville.  The route of service 9 is unchanged but the 9A will follow a completely different route between and Ashby via Woodville, and Marlborough Way in Ashby instead of serving Moira. All buses on service 9/9A that continue to Leicester will operate via route 29A which is now increased to operate every 30 minutes. Service 29 is replaced by new service 29X operating every hour via a speeded up route with limited stops.

8. As these are commercial changes designed to improve the level of services in the area the council has the option of buying back bus services. A full hourly bus service provided on an hourly basis all day Monday to Saturday would cost £150,000 per year less fares.

9. A detailed summary of the bus service changes is provided in annex B and the routes of the services are provided in appendix C.

10. The times of the DRT can be reviewed. Users should call 0116 305 002 to make suggestions or e-mail [email protected] with any suggested changes and these will be considered. Suggestions could include earlier or later departures and longer stay times but these would then be fixed and advertised through an updated leaflet.

Financial Implications

11. The cost of the DRT service is estimated at £3,500 per annum.

Policy Implications

12. The DRT service meets the revised local bus service support policy of providing for essential links whilst offering value for money.

Recommendations

13. The decision of the Director was not to replace the bus service but to provide a Demand Responsive service in appendix A

Equal Opportunities Implications

14. The provision of this service will assist residents who have difficulty in walking to the nearest bus stops over 800 metres away from their homes.

Officer to Contact

Tony Kirk Tel: 0116 305 6270 Email: [email protected]

Appendices

A – Demand Responsive Transport timetable B – Summary of bus service changes C – Map of bus service routes

Background Papers

The petition containing 490 signatures is held on the Chief Executive’s Department petition file.