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General Consultations 12 TAYSIDE AND CENTRAL SCOTLAND TRANSPORT PARTNERSHIP RTP/13/21 18 JUNE 2013 GENERAL CONSULTATIONS REPORT BY STRATEGY MANAGER This report asks the Partnership to endorse an officer response to consultation on refresh of the Nestrans RTS and to remit consideration of a response to the Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill proposals to the Executive Committee. 1 RECOMMENDATIONS 1.1 That the Partnership:- (i) endorses the officer response to consultation on the Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy refresh, as detailed in Appendix A; and (ii) agrees to remit consideration of responding to consultation on the Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill to the Executive Committee. 2 BACKGROUND 2.1 Nestrans has consulted on their refresh of the Regional Transport Strategy (RTS). Consultation responses were to be submitted by 31 May 2013. The consultation documents are available for inspection. 2.2 Iain Gray MSP has started consultation on a Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill. Consultation responses are to be submitted by 30 August 2013. The consultation document is available for inspection. 3 DISCUSSION Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy refresh 3.1 Nestrans has consulted on the refresh of their RTS. The purpose of the re-fresh to the 2008 RTS is not to change the direction of the RTS but to incorporate significant developments in policy and better align with the emerging Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan. The RTS re-fresh document will form an addendum to the RTS published in 2008. 3.2 A response was made to consultation on the Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan on 12 March 2013. This highlighted the need to take account of cross-Tactran/Nestrans boundary travel impacts as a consequence of SDP proposals for significant development in the Laurencekirk – Aberdeen corridor. 3.3 The officer response to the RTS refresh consultation is shown in Appendix A. Issues highlighted are promoting electrification of the Aberdeen – Central Belt railway lines and ensuring that account is taken of potentially increased demand for cross-boundary travel as a consequence of developments in the Laurencekirk – Aberdeen corridor. 1 Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill 3.4 Iain Gray MSP has launched a consultation in connection with a draft proposal which he has lodged as the first stage in the process of introducing a Private Members' Bill in the Scottish Parliament. The Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill would aim to provide transport authorities with greater powers to set service levels for local bus services, including a power to group profitable routes with non-profitable routes before they are put out to tender with operators, and greater ability to use local authority fleets to provide transport services. 3.5 The consultation seeks views on 8 specific questions regarding support for the general aims of the proposed Bill; views on the practical advantages or disadvantages of the proposed legislation; how regulation could be used to improve bus services; how community transport might be better utilised; whether the Traffic Commissioner should be able to impose greater penalties on operators who default on their responsibilities; assessment of the likely financial implications of the proposed Bill; views on any substantial implications on equality; and seeks any other comments or suggestions for inclusion in the proposed Bill. 3.6 The general ethos and principles underpinning the proposed Bill, which is aimed at giving transport authorities’ greater ability to influence the provision and stability of bus services and ensure that these meet the needs of communities, are likely to be widely supported. However, the proposals to grant transport authorities powers to bundle profitable and non-profitable routes without the need to prove “market failure” raise a number of potential questions and issues, including :- . compliance with competition and procurement legislation, including EU legislation; . public sector funding implications of franchising; . cross-boundary impacts on tendering and competition in franchised and non- franchised areas; . replacement of the current “market failure” test. 3.7 Discussions are continuing on the submission of a joint consultation response by the RTPs and a Tactran response with partner Councils. It is proposed to remit detailed consideration of responding to the consultation to the Executive Committee. 4 CONSULTATIONS 4.1 This report has been prepared in consultation with relevant officers from the four constituent Councils. 5 RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS 5.1 There are no resource implications arising directly from this report. 6 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS 6.1 There are no equality implications arising directly from this report. 2 Michael Cairns Strategy Manager Report prepared by Michael Cairns. For further information contact e-mail [email protected] or tel 01738 475774. NOTE No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above Report. 3 APPENDIX A Kirsty Chalmers Bordeaux House Transport Executive (Strategy & Delivery) 31 Kinnoull Street Nestrans PERTH Archibald Simpson House PH1 5EN 27-29 King Street Aberdeen Tel: 01738 475775 AB24 5AA Fax: 01738 639705 E-mail: [email protected] 31st May 2013 Dear Kirsty, RTS REFRESH – CONSULTATION Tactran welcomes the opportunity to respond to the above consultation. The Partnership supports and will work with Nestrans to achieve the RTS Vision and Strategic Objectives. Tactran’s primary interest is in the External Communications Strategy on pages 8 – 13 of the Refresh. Tactran welcomes the references to joint RTP working on cross-boundary connectivity and accessibility issues within this, and will continue to work with Nestrans in support of maintaining and enhancing strategic transport connections through the Tactran region to and from the north east. It is suggested that reference should be made specifically to electrification of the Edinburgh/Glasgow – Aberdeen route within this, and that this should be promoted as a high Scottish Government electrification priority upon completion of the current Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) proposals. The desire for faster rail services, as identified in policy EC1, is noted. Whilst fully supportive of STPR Project 23 proposals to enhance rail services between Aberdeen and the Central Belt, Tactran does not support faster journey times being achieved at the expense of existing stopping patterns at key stations along the route within the Tactran region. Tactran’s own Tay Estuary Rail Strategy (TERS) identifies proposals for introducing “semi-fast” services, initially operating between Arbroath – Glasgow and in the longer term between Aberdeen – Glasgow, as a complement to faster services between Aberdeen – Edinburgh/Glasgow. Nestrans support for TERS, as a means of achieving the objective of faster Aberdeen – Central Belt rail journey times whilst maintaining and potentially enhancing rail connectivity at intermediate halts along the route, would be welcomed. Tactran supports and shares Nestrans views on the future development of High Speed Rail and the need to prioritise HSR connections between Scotland and the south, and also the need for rail service enhancements north of the Central Belt, as identified in the STPR, to be implemented as a complement to, and ideally ahead of, HSR. 4 With regard to the wording of Strategy EC2, Tactran would request that references to the need to improve the A90 “through” Dundee are amended to read “through or around Dundee”, reflecting the two options currently identified in STPR Project 29. In terms of the Internal Connections Strategy and Bus Improvements (IC3), it is recommended that consideration should be given to future cross-boundary bus service requirements and provision between Aberdeenshire and Angus as a consequence of development proposals in the Laurencekirk – Aberdeen Strategic Growth Area identified in the Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan. In relation to Information, it is suggested that cross-RTP cooperation will be needed in considering further development of Real Time Information across the regional boundary. Under the Strategic Policy Framework, TB1 Tactran notes the reference to development of Car Clubs in the Mearns area and would welcome the opportunity to work jointly on such initiatives, where appropriate. Similarly, under strategy TB2, Tactran would welcome the opportunity to work with Nestrans in considering cross-boundary health and transport issues, linking with our own regional Health Transport Framework objectives, particularly in relation to access from the Mearns area to Stracathro Hospital and other regional health facilities. Tactran has no comments on the Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report and Equalities Impact Assessment Report. If you require any further information, or clarification of any of the above comments, please contact Michael Cairns, Strategy Manager on 01738 475774 or [email protected]. Yours sincerely, Eric Guthrie Director 5 .
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