Contact Details What is SQPS? SQPS is short for Statutory Quality SQPS general queries: Partnership Scheme and is a legally Statutory Quality Partnership Scheme binding partnership between Nottingham Ian Combellack Nottingham City Centre City Council and local bus operators. Nottingham City Council Development Over the last few years the Council has Exchange Buildings North carried out improvements to bus stop Smithy Row infrastructure in the City Centre, including Nottingham providing modern clean shelters, electronic NG1 2BS displays, raised kerbs and public transport Tel: (0115) 915 5374 information. The Council is keen to protect this level of investment and will therefore Email: [email protected] be introducing minimum quality service standards for any bus operator that wishes Coach bookings at Broadmarsh Bus Station: to use the facilities in place, from Sunday

2nd May 2010. Broadmarsh Bus Station Canal Street Furthermore, the planned growth of the Nottingham City and the surrounding area will inevitably NG1 7LS place additional strain on bus stops which Tel: (0115) 915 3783 will need to be managed in an effective way. To help us achieve this, the Council will be introducing a slot booking system To request this information in an for all bus stops within the City Centre. alternative format, please call: Other Bus Quality Partnership Schemes (0115) 915 5073 have been introduced in Nottingham as voluntary agreements. However, these lack the power of enforcement and do not prevent other bus operators from providing a lower quality of service. The SQPS will A Bus and Coach Operators Guide help us to create and maintain a higher standard of service for all bus users.

Effective from 2 May 2010

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SQPS leaflet may10 v2.indd 4-6 20/04/2010 14:27:23 What is the City Council’s role? What is the bus operators role?

As you may be aware, the Council has If the bus operators wish to use the bus provided a large number of bus facilities facilities provided by the Council then in the City Centre over the last few years, they will be required to meet a minimum to improve the environment for bus users. standard of service. In return the Council The facilities include:- undertakes to maintain the facilities that have been provided. The standards of • Installing modern clean, illuminated service will include:- bus shelters for passenger comfort • Providing electronic displays showing • All services to be operated by low either real-time or scheduled floor vehicles to improve accessibility* information • Minimum engine standards for all • A bus stop information pole with up to vehicles, with higher standards for the date timetable information and most frequent services co-ordinated mapping, along with bus • Improvements to customer care and stop plate information driver training to improve the image of • Installing raised kerbs to improve bus services for passengers accessibility for passengers • The introduction of a slot booking * exemptions will apply to high quality system to effectively manage the use coaches used as local services. of City Centre stops • A new Public Transport Information Centre at Broadmarsh Bus Station providing information for all bus operators in the City Centre • A free Centrelink service which operates between Victoria Bus Station and Broadmarsh Bus Station via the City Centre No stopping except local buses 10 mins

SQPS leaflet may10 v2.indd 7-8 20/04/2010 14:27:24 Will passengers notice anything At these stands each slot will be 5-minutes different? long and a service may be scheduled to arrive and leave the stand at any point Most passengers won’t notice anything within its slot. In circumstances where very different as to how bus services the slot immediately before your departure operate currently. The main changes “on slot has not been booked, you may street” are that the Council has changed remain on-stand for up to 10 minutes and some of the existing BUS STOP markings this arrangement will have been agreed to BUS STAND. A bus stand will allow between the operator and the Council with local services to layover for up to 10 appropriate arrival and departure times minutes, whilst a bus stop will allow local shown on your scheduled timetable. services to layover for a maximum of 2 minutes. The following example shows the pattern of departure slots for one stand over a How does the Slot Booking 60-minute period between 10.00 am and 11.00 am :- System operate? To regulate the number of buses using Mins past 1000-1100 bus stands and bus stops, a slot booking 01-05 Service 91 system will be introduced. The main 06-10 Service 97 point to note is that bus stands and bus 11-15 Service 91 stops will be treated differently under 16-20 Available this scheme. Bus stands will be used as 21-25 Service 91 terminal layover points for bus services, 26-30 Service 83 while bus stops will be available for passing bus services to use. Bus stops will usually 31-35 Service 91 have an upper limit of 20 scheduled 36-40 Service 97 departures each hour operating from them, 41-45 Service 91 but with no specific departure times being 46-50 Available imposed on operators. At bus stands the 51-55 Service 91 situation will be more rigid in order to allow 56-00 Service 83 all services a reasonable period of layover time. 27 stops will be designated as bus A bus should not be scheduled to arrive on stands comprising about one-quarter of all stand before the start of its slot. It should stops within the SQPS area. At most bus be scheduled to leave the stand at or stands there will be 12 departure slots in before the end of its slot. each 60-minute period.

SQPS leaflet may10 v2.indd 9-10 20/04/2010 14:27:24 If your journey is not operating on time it Who enforces the SQPS? must still try to use its normal bus stand but should keep obstruction to any other services trying to use the stand at the same time to an absolute minimum as they will have a slot booked there themselves. In these circumstances, the delayed journey should not remain on-stand any No stopping longer than is absolutely necessary. except

What about coaches? local buses

Coaches will still be allowed within the scheme area. However, as the Council will The Council is responsible for the be restricting the use of all bus stops and enforcement of all of the bus stand bus stands to local services only, coaches clearways, bus stop clearways, bus lanes will not be permitted to use them. and bus gates. The Civil Enforcement Officers who are employed on behalf of the Boarding and alighting of passengers can Council will enforce contraventions of bus still be carried out on both single or double stand clearways and bus stop clearways. yellow lines, providing the driver is not causing an obstruction. However, once Enforcement of bus lanes and bus gates the passengers are off the coach, then the will be carried out using the latest CCTV coach must move off. If the coach turns technology. up early and the passengers are not ready for collection the coach cannot wait. Any The Council will employ Bus Facilities vehicle deemed to be just waiting may be Officers to ensure that bus operators issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). are complying with the standards of service. Incidents of non-compliance will A number of coach boarding and alighting be monitored and, if necessary, will be points are shown on the map for the reported to the Traffic Commissioner. main tourist attractions, which are not The Traffic Commissioner can enforce used by local services. Furthermore, the compliance standards on bus operators Broadmarsh Bus Station is also available and also impose penalties for non- for use, although a departure charge will compliance. be payable, and you will need to book in advance. Contact details for booking Broadmarsh Bus Station can be found on the reverse of this leaflet

SQPS leaflet may10 v2.indd 11-12 20/04/2010 14:27:24 Operators involved in the SQPS

K & H Doyle Coaches

Littles Travel

Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent

Nottingham City Transport

Nottingham Community Transport

Premiere Travel

Skills

Trent Barton

Veolia Transport

Yourbus

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