Hopper Bus Report

901 route SB-Kegworth

November 2016

SB Students and Faculty

There are approximately 2,300 students study or living on SB Campus. Approximately 600 students live in Bonington Hall, at least 800 students in Kegworth and the rest live in Loughborough, Zouch, SB Village or Nottingham.

Of our 2,300 students approximately 1,600 are undergraduate students and 700 are postgraduate students. There is also a large number of staff working at or regularly visiting SB Campus.

Bus service

The 901 hopper bus has provided a service between Kegworth to SB and previous years. This academic year due to the closure of station road for work by network rail on the bridge this service has been suspended and no alternative has been provided by the university. This report has been written to highlight to importance of this service to students at SB to ensure that this service is not permanently cancelled.

Alternatives

The current alterantive transport options are to drive, walk or cycle. The only other public transport option is the SkyLink bus service which operates between Kegworth and Loughborough and stops outside SB campus.

Conversations are occurring between the SB Guild and trentbarton however the current student price offered is £1.50 for a journey between SB Campus and Kegworth on the presentation of a student card with a cap of £4.50 in a day, £25 in a week or £75 in a month across all services provided by trentbarton using the student MANGO system. If students regularly use this service that would amount to a large sum which adds a lot to living expenses. Impact on education

Students require access to SB campus for learning resources as well as lectures, seminars, practicals and additional talks. Some SB-based students also have teaching at other university campus such as University Park or Jubilee and most use the hopper bus to travel between campuses.

If students have early lectures (9am starts) at other campuses then they often have to take the 7.30 or 8.10 hopper bus from SB and if those students live in Kegworth and do not drive this can mean leaving home at 6.45 or 7.30 in order to make the journey onto campus in time for the hopper bus. This can lead to some students missing out on vital teaching. Additionally those that require lifts from other students may only have access to the campus at certain periods or have to find alternative arrangements to make lectures and teaching if they have a different timetable to the people that they live with.

Impact on social aspects of university

Students regularly use campus facilities for sports, societies, gym, additional lectures, faith and religion, community and other social events.

On campus students also have friends that live off campus and most commonly these will be in Kegworth. There is also several pubs and organised meals out or pub quix nights may occur in Kegworth village.

Students need to be able to access these social aspects of university safely and relatively simply to have the greatest university experience possible. Restricting the transport links between the local village and campus could affect many students meaning that are not able to participate in campus activities or activities in the wider university as this access is restricted and they simply cannot get there or get home. This has a large impact on the mental health and wellbeing as well as students perceptions of their university experience.

Impact on health, safety and mental wellbeing

Kegworth surgery is the main source of medical care for SB students and the chemist in Kegworth is also used for ailments that do not necessarily require access to a doctor. Students on campus that do not have access to a car and are too sick to get themselves to the surgery (either cycling or walking) may have no other choice than to ask someone else to for a lift. These may not be issues that they would like to speak to someone about or they may not know of anyone who can drive or would be able to give them a lift at the appropriate time. This could mean that students do not receive the medical attention they need. Welfare services that a provided on this campus must also be thought about. Some students may not have great access to these support services if they are relying on others for lifts or struggling to access the campus at convenient times this could impact heavily on people’s mental wellbeing.

Many students also got to sports clubs, societies, the gym and social events located on this campus as a form of relief from stress that is caused by being university. It is important that people can access these easily to improve work-life balance.

Limiting the bus service can lead students to feel even more isolated. These isolated students may struggle to reach out for help and if there access to support is also restricted this can worsen their feelings of isolation.

Increased road traffic from more people driving can be a danger to cyclists and pedestrians. This could cause a problem with bike and pedestrian safety. There also a risk currently, and especially in winter months, as many students are travelling in to university and back when it is dark which could be a safety issue.

Impact on international students

International students on this campus are even more reliant on transportation links. Many students do not hold a UK driving licence and so driving is not an option. The bus provides an opportunity for internationals that are unfamiliar with online shopping to get supplies that they need from the local village without making the journey into Nottingham or Loughborough (SkyLink service). It also means that students who do not want to live in halls so move to somewhere such as Kegworth can have better access to on campus international support networks and social events.

Drink driving risk

As SB is a small campus situated rurally there is an attitude that it is convenient to just drive home after a bar night to spare the 30-45minute walk. This is much more of a temptation if students have a car on campus as they driven to an event because there was no bus service provided. Because of the rural setting students are much more likely to think that they will not get caught and this could cause a problem for other road users or students walking home are at risk of unsafe driving under the influence of alcohol. This is issue is very difficult for the guild to do anything about as we cannot stop people driving home or check if people are in a fit state to drive. The guild have been trying to encourage societies when holding an event to put on a bus service to decrease this risk but this is a large expense that the guild and societies cannot regularly find. Other impacts

Due to the increase in cars being used to get to university there is a much larger increase in students wishing to purchase a parking permit. There is only a limited amount of parking spaces and demand has always outweighed supply. This increase in cars cannot be accommodated for and this is having an impact on staff as well as students who are struggling to be able to obtain a parking permit or find an available space if they do hold a permit.

The local community wants to get involved with the students on this campus; if they do not have access to transportation then this restricts chance for getting involved in opportunities such as volunteering in the local community.

Students are very proud of the university and SB campus they are very happy to be involved with showcasing the campus on open days and interview days. However they are very honest and will usually say what they believe. Students are likely to be honest about decreased transport links and this could have an impact on the intake of students in the following years.

More people are likely to rebook into halls this year as there is issues with the transport. There is a limited number of rooms available, some buildings are not able to be used this year, and this means that some students will not be able to get their first choice of housing or there may be issues with new students based on SB not being able to book into hall accommodation on this campus.

Evidence taken from recent SU survey (October 2016)

We asked students why they used the hopper service and what it meant to them. These were some of the responses which sum up our points.

Comments from students:

“Commuting, live in the city, based on SB. Only mode of transport to get there. Otherwise would have to get a car, which isn't sustainable and there isn't enough parking on SB for everyone to drive”

“I use it nearly every day to get to lectures/societies”

“The 901 service is vital for people without cars to get into Nottingham as you can feel a bit 'stuck out in the sticks' at SB. For those of us with cars, it is cheaper and better for the environment to use the bus and is much safer if there is a chance of someone deciding to drink alcohol once in Nottingham. Please don't take the bus away from us!!”

“I was pretty disappointed when I found out about the Kegworth service to be honest as i know that for many students living in Kegworth it makes their mornings that bit longer and I think it's easy to forget how big Kegworth is- I know some students who live on the other side of Kegworth, and if they nor any of their housemates drive, then they have to walk in each day which can take like 45 minutes or longer. I'm pretty lucky in that I live literally just at the start of Kegworth so my morning walk isn't too bad. The only problem is that if I am in lectures until 5, as I was today, by the time the bus arrives, I have to walk home in the dark at this time of year. I understand that we now have street lights along that road which is awesome, but there aren't lights on station rd until after you've crossed the bridge and gone round the corner. It's the same issue for if I attend any society events and am not getting the bus home until 9/9.30. Also, I don't know where abouts in Kegworth I will live next year and if I have a 9am lecture on UP, I have to get the 8.15 bus into uni... if I happened to live on the far side of Kegworth and had to walk in to get my bus each morning (I don't drive) it would be really inconvenient”

“I use the 901 to get to lectures I have on university park, and Jubilee campus. To be involved in societies on UP. Only public transport to get into Nottingham city centre, so to UP on weekdays, then the 34, or directly into the city at weekends. Use it to and from SB/Kegworth to get to lectures, chose Kegworth because this service was offered last year. Getting into campus for events there, such as bar nights. Without this bus I would be unable to attend some of my lectures, wouldn't have developed some of the friendships I have and wouldn't be enjoying university life nearly as much - the ability to get to societies has a huge impact. We would feel extremely isolated without the 901, giving us transport into the city and UP”

Evidence taken from recent SU survey (October 2016)

Methodology A survey produced on surveymonkey.com was sent via email by the Student’s Union to all students on the 3rd October running until the 24th October; spanning a total of 21 days. Surveymonkey.com is the preferred platform for the Student’s Union, with e-mail being the quickest and easiest way of distribution for the scale of the survey.

A total of 4021 number of students participated in the Welcome survey, in which the Hopper Bus section was included. The Hopper Bus questions were asked only to Returner students since they have experienced the Hopper Bus service for at least one year and therefore are in a better position to pass judgement. 1,808 students answered the Hopper Bus questions, which provides a sample that is 99% representative of returner students, with an error margin of 3%. This sample size (or over 10% of returner students) exceeds the required confidence level and confidence interval of 95% and 5% respectively. Q1 - What is your primary academic school/ department? Biosciences (408, 10%), Veterinary Medicine and Science (254, 6%) Biosciences and Vet Med are all studied on other smaller campuses than University Park and therefore are more likely to use transport to travel if they need to travel over to the main campus.

Q2A - Where are you from? 69% were from the UK. 9% from the EU and 22% from a non EU country. Totalling to just over 31% International Students answering the survey.

Q4b - Is English your first language? 75% had English as their first language, with 24% having English as a second language. 1% preferred not to say.

Q4d - Which of the below will be your main teaching/research campus at University? 61% were based on University Park 12% on Jubilee, 15% on Sutton Bonington 9% being QMC, 2% being Derby. 39% of students are based away from University Park, and therefore must often travel to experience activities such as the Welcome fair, sports and societies.

Q5a - What type of accommodation do you live in? 40% In halls with 23% in Halls of residence on campus and 17% Halls of residence off campus. 54% In privately rented accommodation 6% living at home, or are on Placement year.

Q5b - Where do you live? 24% In privately rented accommodation, but not in Lenton/Beeston This includes Kegworth, Loughborough and SB Village 23% Privately rented accommodation in Lenton, 7% private rental in Beeston. 7% Broadgate Park, 4% Raleigh Park, 2% Nottingham 1, 2% St Peter’s Court 5% Bonington Hall. A quarter of students answering the survey live in Lenton. A quarter also live outside of the main student areas which are closest to University Park and Jubilee campuses.

Q7 - Have you ever used the Hopper Bus service provided free of charge by the University of Nottingham? Yes 70%. Yes and have a Nottingham City Pass 17%. No 13% Q8 - Which Hopper Bus services do you use, and how often do you travel on it? (Single Journey’s) The service which most people used more than ten times a week was split even between the 903 and the 901 to Sutton Bonington at 3%. - 99.7% of Sutton Bonington students used the 901. 11% use it more than 10 times a week and 70% use it at least once a week. - 31% of University Park students use the 901. 0% use it more than 10 times a week, but 5% use it at least once a week.

In summary of the above points, it is recommended that:  As fewer changes as possible are made to the 903 and 901 services given the number of students who rely on these bus routes.  Changes to the 901 service should reflect the interests of Sutton Bonington students, but also University Park students. The 901 service acts as a necessity for SB students.

Students were invited to comment on the services they make use of. 47% of students made use of this opportunity, allowing for the following themes to emerge:

- Students called to bring back the Kegworth bus. They feel as if the SU has overlooked Sutton Bonington students when it comes to this. Although there are roadworks, many students are unhappy that the service has been cancelled rather than an alternative been given, such as a single decker being used which would fit under the bridge/ Many students feel very, very strongly about this and feel let down by the university. - More frequent services at weekends. Weekends and especially Sundays, students still want to be able to use the service as they normally do. - Buses should run more frequently, every 15 minutes is not enough for some services, especially at peak times. - There is more demand for Double-deckers. The single decker’s get overcrowded sometimes, especially at peak times, and the numbers allowed on the bus is reduced. - The 901 and 903 services, were the most talked about. Most of the complaints and comments related to these two services, since these are the most popular. Students wanted to see more frequent services running on these particular routes. - More buses running at busy peak times especially before 9am. Some students commented this had made them missed lectures and stress.

Q9 - In general, how often do you make 'return' journeys on the bus rather than 'one way' only journeys? Most Times (<80%) are return Journeys - 55% Approximately (50-80%) Half are return journeys - 19% Not Many (>45%) are return journeys - 26%

- On the 901 service, 69% of students mostly make return journeys. Those who do not rely on taxis, walking, a different bus, or a lift share.

Q10 - Of the following journeys, which ones are the most important to you? The weekend journeys on all other routes other than the 901 were not important. All only being selected by under 2%. This is interesting since earlier demand called for more weekend transport, perhaps these comments were mostly from Sutton Bonington students. Q11 - Why do you use the Hopper Bus over alternative ways to travel? Most selected top 3 Reasons:

- It’s free 77% - There’s no alternative way to get there 53% - It allows me to access the places for my timetabled studies 51% - It’s easy to use 43% - It avoids having to park 39% - It’s the quickest option 39% - It’s the only way I know how to get to places 38%

Comments: - Students commented that they’re not allowed to park on Uni Park and there is limited parking on Hospital Campuses as a reason for using the hopper bus. - Offers shelter in bad weather - A lot of students said it was the only way to access Sutton Bonington, meaning a majority of the ‘no alternative way to get there’ was probably from these students. - Do not have a car or bike.

Q12 - Hypothetically, if changes were made to the Hopper Bus service that you use most frequently, what actions would you take? The £1 charge had the biggest impact on visiting other campuses less with 35% of students stating they would make the journey less often. If the charge was introduced, 12% of students say they would continue using the bus as normal, whereas 62% would use other forms of transport, 25% would attend fewer extracurricular activities and 22% would go to fewer lectures. Students based at different campuses responded slightly differently to this question:

- Sutton Bonington students: If the charge was introduced, 14% of students say they would continue using the bus as normal, whereas 37% would use other forms of transport, 46% would attend fewer extracurricular activities and 37% would go to fewer lectures.

The above information suggests that a £1 charge would impact the studies of Derby and Sutton Bonington students due to a lack of alternatives.

103 students provided comments to support their decisions (an optional opportunity). Their comments are summarised below:

 Students on Sutton Bonington were most vocal and would feel more isolated if they were made to pay a charge or a there was a change in service. There are no alternative routes for them and many of them felt very upset by the potential cost.  Again, for Sutton Bonington students, a change in hopper buses not running in term time would leave them stranded

When exploring how students from different campuses perceive the impact differently, it can be observed in the below graph that students from Sutton Bonington and Derby are more pessimistic about the proposal of changes than other campuses NOTE: SB are below 3 on Finances, mental health, social life, studies, sense of belonging, satisfaction with the university and university experience with an increased charge and an unreliable service.

 Limited service would make students unable to do other things Such as less inclined to take part in university events and extra-curricular events because of the extra cost and effort.  Sutton Bonnington is already excluded reducing frequency and adding a charge would be extremely unfair and student’s would feel very let down  More inclined to miss lectures and/or be late for lectures Not having the money and a lack of reliability would impact on students studies  Feel much less safe in the dark especially in the dark winters, and the buses help students feel safe.  A lot of students rely on the service. Adding a charge would limit me in my opportunities and impact study and finances greatly.  £1 adds up especially if using it every day and frequently. £10 a week to use the service if used every day.  Should be a positive change Increasing frequency and reliability should be the priority, not reducing the service.  Hard to find correct change without the correct change wouldn’t be able to get to Uni.  Lower attendance for big events Less people would be inclined to go to things such as the Welcome Fair

Q14 - What are your main reasons for not using the Hopper Bus? Comments: - The Kegworth service has been stopped so don’t use it anymore

Part 2: Staff feedback

The most popular service amongst staff was the 901 service, with 71% of staff using at some point in their employment, 6% using it more than 10 times a week, and 23% using it at least once a week.

When staff were asked what action they would take if a change in service level or price were to be introduced, their feedback was as follows:

- If a £1 charge was introduced, the majority of staff would use another form of transport (57%).

- A change to the service in any other way (i.e. charge, reduced timetable, reduced reliability) would lead to significant and negative changes in behaviour Comments regarding employment impact:  ‘I would probably look into changing jobs as part of the reason I decided to work in SB was the option of the bus’  ‘From experience, you will lose valuable staff and potential students to the SB’

Comments regarding alternatives to the Hopper bus  ‘If you were to stop buses outside of term time to SB, this would discriminate against any member of staff or post-graduate student that is unable to afford their own vehicle’  ‘You can't lump all the bus services together and treat them equally. For some services (especially 902 and 903) viable alternative forms of transport exist, whereas the 901 service is sometimes the only possibility for students to get to the campus’  Skylink alternatives are slow and expensive

Comments specific to Sutton Bonington students (current and prospective)  ‘It would damage the student attendance at the campus which already suffers from the lack of facilities compared to the city campuses … another nail in the coffin’  ‘The *free* SB hopper bus service is ESSENTIAL in terms of undergraduate recruitment to Sutton Bonington. I'm an Admissions Tutor here at SB. I can persuade potential students & their parents that SB campus is a viable option because there are free links to civilisation’  ‘Do not charge - this would have a considerable negative impact on recruitment for SB’  The closure of route to Kegworth has impacted on staff  Provide more services at weekends, out of hours and holidays to prevent feelings of isolation at SB  ‘901 to run at least some of the time during Christmas and Easter closure periods. Students can still be in residence at SB yet the library, shop, sports facilities and academic buildings are all shut, at Christmas for around 12 days. This is a long period to have no bus to Nottingham’ Part 3: Overall summary and conclusions Changes to the 901 service should reflect the interests of Sutton Bonington students (and staff based on the anxious feedback collected), but also University Park students. The 901 service acts as a necessity for SB students and staff both during and outside of term time (with 71% of UoN staff making use of the service at some point). The majority of users make return journeys on this route.

Requests for the Hopper Bus service that emerged as a byproduct of the survey include:

- Support for transport to Kegworth - Weekend service improvements (especially Sundays)

3 in 4 students state that having a free Hopper Bus is one of the main reasons why they use it, whereas 1 in 2 students go on to explain they use it because they have no other way of moving to places, such as their place of place of study. This latter reason is felt more significantly across those students who make use of the 901 and 904 services and have become somewhat reliant on its availability.

Focusing on these services specifically, it concluded that the introduction of a charge has implication for both students and staff in the following ways:

 44% will take part in fewer extra curricular activities (this is compared to 20% of students based at UP, Jubilee, City or QMC)  37% will take part in fewer lectures (this is compared to 18% of students based at UP, Jubilee, City or QMC)  Feelings of isolation amongst Derby and SB campuses would increase  Perception of negative impact of changes (including finances, mental health, sense of belonging, university satisfaction and social/study life) was far higher amongst users of the 901 and 904 services than amongst users of the 902, 903, and 905 services.  Staff strongly advice against changes to these services in fear that it would lead to the loss of good staff members who are no longer able to get to work practically, and the loss of prospective students who perceive a free, regular bus service as a supportive reason to study at remote campuses.  Staff and students repeatedly reinforced throughout the survey that SB in particular was, in there eyes, already treated as a ‘poor cousin’ of the University, experiencing poor facilities and expensive rent in the area, meaning a change to the buses would be a significant blow to already dissatisfied students.