Basildon Borough Questionnaire for Essex County Council Local Bus Service Network Review Consultation September 2015

Background Essex County Council (ECC) is carrying out a thorough review of its financial support for local bus services across the County. The role of the County Council under the Transport Acts is to look at where market failure occurs in the local road passenger transport network, decide whether a service is needed, and if in the council’s opinion, it is, then to provide one.

Given increased pressure on Local Government grant funding from Central Government and increased calls on statutory services such as education and adult social care, the County Council needs a way to balance the differing potential transport needs of residents when allocating funding. It also needs to manage the network in the light of changes to the commercial bus network, travel demand and changing corporate priorities over time.

This consultation sets out a proposed revised policy for doing this and the proposed revisions to the existing network that will result. The policy is based on responses to previous consultations which asked about people’s priorities.

We will collate all the responses from the survey and summarise them as part of our report. We will not identify individual people, and your name will not be mentioned in any reports that we write for this purpose. You do not have to take part if you do not want to - this is a voluntary activity.

A supporting document explains in more detail the contract changes, how they will affect our customers and how demand responsive transport works. It also lists timetables where a change has been proposed. This document can be viewed at www.essex.gov.uk/busreview. Reference copies can also be found in libraries or at your local parish, town or district council.

Please complete this survey and return to Freepost RTKH-XUBZ-CJZS, Essex County Council, Bus Review (Passenger Transport E1), County Hall, CHELMSFORD, CM1 1QH.

You may wish to complete this survey over the telephone, or may require it in an alternative format. If so, please call 08457 430 430 to arrange this.

Please complete the survey by Wednesday 21st October 2015.

The Proposed New Policy The Council’s proposed new policy approach to managing the supported local bus network is set out in the Local Bus Service Priority Policy 2015 to 2020 and the associated Appendices, which can be found on the Essex County Council website at: www.essex.gov.uk/busreview. A hard copy can be viewed at your local library, district council office or parish council office.

In summary existing services have been prioritised according to the priorities expressed by respondents to our three rounds of consultation carried out between 2013 and 2015, and the key corporate outcomes as set out below:

Essex County Council key corporate outcomes:

• Children in Essex get the best start in life. • People in Essex enjoy good health and wellbeing. • People have aspirations and achieve their ambitions through education, training and lifelong-learning. • People in Essex live in safe communities and are protected from harm. • Sustainable economic growth for Essex communities and businesses. • People in Essex experience a high quality and sustainable environment.

The results of the consultations can be viewed at: www.essex.gov.uk/busreview. The Local Bus Service Assessment and Priority Evaluation The proposed new policy sets out the order of priority in which service categories would be provided. This is set out below. Priority 1 indicates the most important service category:

Service Category Priority Allocated

Other Monday to Saturday daytime bus services linking rural areas to key service centres 1 (Shopping, Health, Employment, Education)

Monday to Saturday Peak Services, (Access to Employment, Training or Education). 2

Monday to Saturday services connecting to bus interchanges, railways and airports at peak times 3 (Commuter Services)

Infrequent rural ‘lifeline’ services (less than 5 return journeys per week) linking rural areas to 4 key service centres. Non rural services providing access to major health sites (i.e. Hospitals)

Evening Services (after 19:00) 5

Sunday Services 6

Access to tourist/leisure destinations and other services 7

Within each category, services would be prioritised in accordance with the cost per passenger journey figure (annual net cost after all income is deducted, divided by number of passenger journeys carried out over a year, with priority given to the lower costing services). Currently provided services have been assessed according to this system and all new service requests will be considered in the same way. Where funding is insufficient to maintain all Services Categories, or services within categories then services would be withdrawn in line with this priority system.

The proposed impact of this process is set out at www.essex.gov.uk/busreview or in the booklet accompanying the hard copy of this questionnaire, viewable at your local library, district or parish council office. Please look through these proposals and comment through the consultation questionnaire below.

Do you agree with these priority categories?

Yes No

If you have ticked no please explain why ECC currently funds 17 bus services that serve the Basildon Borough. These are shown below together with the proposed changes to each service.

For each one, please tell us whether the proposal meets your needs.

For the following services there are no proposed changes.

Reason

1. The current contract is not due to expire until 2017. The service will be reviewed in 2016. 2. Satisfaction levels are high and no requests were received following the consultation process. 3. This service will be tendered for one year and reviewed again in 2016 together with other contracts to be reviewed at this time.

Service Current Route Journeys that are supported by Reason Code number Essex County Council (ECC) for No Change

1A Pitsea to Basildon The whole Saturday timetable 1

5 Felmores to Basildon Town Centre The daily evening journeys from, 19:30 on Mondays 2 to Saturdays and 17:30 on Sundays.

8/8A Pitsea to Laindon (circular) Monday to Saturday journeys from 19:29 and Sunday 2 and Public Holiday evening timetable from 17:45

21 North Benfleet to Basildon The Monday to Friday peak period journeys 2 and the whole Saturday timetable.

22 Canvey to Basildon Saturday journey from Basildon to Canvey at 06:09. 2 Canvey to South Benfleet at 07:05 (Journey then continues to Basildon commercially)

104/106 Langdon Hills to Basildon (circular) The whole timetable 3

552 Ramsden Heath to Billericay The whole Monday to Friday timetable 1

Do you have any comments to make about this (or these) services?

The proposed changes and reasons are listed below for the remaining contracts which have Essex County Council support. Service 14/15/15A: Chelmsford - Wickford ECC contracted journeys The whole Monday to Saturday timetable. Proposal The service will have revised times and the route will incorporate the Moulsham Farm section of current route 46, also Chelmsford College. The service will also be extended in Wickford, to The Wick and will no longer serve Swan Lane. The service will be renumbered 13/14. Reasons The changes are being made to make more efficient use of resources employed and to allow it to serve Chelmsford College in place of Service 46. The service will also be extended in Wickford to The Wick and no longer serve Swan Lane to provide a part replacement for route 221. The service will be renumbered 13/14 to remove confusion with other service 15 in Wickford.