Appendix 2 West Midlands Bus Alliance Key Performance Indicators
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Appendix 2 West Midlands Bus Alliance Key Performance Indicators Date 16 January 2016 Report title Review of Key Performance Indicators for the West Midlands Bus Alliance Accountable Chief Officer Laura Shoaf, TfWM Managing Director Accountable Employee Jon Hayes, Head of Network Services Introduction 1. In 2016, the West Midlands Bus Alliance requested a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) be established to help monitor progress on its objectives, which could ideally be measured using already available data only. Suggested KPIs were presented to the Bus Alliance Board meeting on 23 September 2016. 2. The Board asked these KPIs be refined during data collection for the initial progress report they requested for the next meeting, and this initial report on the refined KPIs, with dashboard ‘infographic’, was submitted to the next Board meeting on 25 November 2016. 3. The intention now is that the initial report, after feedback from the Board on content and presentation of KPIs, will be the base for future six-monthly KPI progress reports. 4. Meanwhile, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) officers, in conjunction with operator and other Alliance colleagues have begun updating KPI data in the initial report, and this document provides the latest work in progress. Page 1 of 21 Background to Key Performance Indicators 5. The Terms of Reference adopted at the creation of the West Midlands Bus Alliance in November 2015 set a number of key objectives for the a five year period, against which the success or otherwise of the Alliance might be judged. 6. Proposed KPIs to measure progress therefore follow Alliance objectives very closely, and share the same grouping by outputs, outcomes, and impacts, as shown below (in no particular order – numbers are solely to aid location in the document and final infographic): Output objective KPIs – measuring progress on Alliance deliverables One Buses with at least Euro V engine emission standards Two Discounted bus travel for younger people Three Fare rises limited to Retail Price Index +1% each year Four Highway investment to raise bus speeds and cut delay Five Integrated smart ticketing availability and coverage Six Legible, turn-up-and-go frequency, core bus routes Seven Network Development Plans meeting future economic objectives Eight Vehicles with better seats, drivers, next-stop announcements and Wi-Fi Outcome objective KPIs – measuring positive effects on Alliance services and passengers Nine Customer satisfaction levels remain over 85% and increase satisfaction with on bus journey time and increase satisfaction with fares among younger people Ten Increase peak bus speeds to 16kph and increase population in reach of strategic centres by bus Eleven Punctual operation on core routes, 95% start/85% end non-core and reduce number and size of worst passenger delays Twelve Raise bus patronage by 5% Impact objective KPIs – evaluating overall success on Alliance aims Thirteen Raise strategic centre public transport share five percentage points Fourteen Revenue growth contributing to infrastructure as well as bus investment 7. Following sections look at each of these KPIs in turn, setting out current the position and background too, so that data on progress to date (where available at this early stage) can be judged in the context of past performance (red negative, green positive in the concluding infographic). 8. Future six-monthly reports will build up more data and allow any trends to emerge – and the infographic will help identify these. Page 2 of 21 One – Buses with at least Euro V engine emission standards 9. As part of general monitoring of initiatives such as Statutory Quality Bus Partnerships, data is collected from bus operators on bus fleets being operated and using this information it is possible to create an ongoing total percentage of the bus fleet being operated in the West Midlands area that at least meets the Euro V (or higher Euro VI) standard, for a KPI on this Alliance output objective 10. Since the Alliance launched, vehicle manufacturers have started to move towards more widely producing Euro VI emission standard buses. A number of operators such as National Express, Stagecoach and First are now only purchasing vehicles built to this improved standard. As the vehicle manufactures switch production to Euro VI vehicles a number of operators in our area such as Johnson’s Coach and Bus (who have also purchased Euro VI standard vehicles) and Central Buses have this year been able to take advantage of special deals on new Euro V vehicles. This has helped to increase the overall percentage of Euro V/VI buses in our area. 11. The following chart shows the percentage of Euro V and VI standard vehicles in local fleets at Alliance launch and one year on. Euro V and Euro VI buses in the TfWM area 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Euro V+VI Euro VI Euro V Nov-15 Jan-17 Page 3 of 21 Two – Discounted bus travel for younger people 12. Schoolchildren (up to age 18) generally travel for half-fare in the West Midlands and elsewhere in England (except London where they travel free). The following table compares available fare discounts (at time of writing) for younger people across the English metropolitan areas (including London), and with adult fares, for large operators in each area. Adult and younger persons fares – January 2017 – English metropolitan areas Discounts Adult Area Large operators University day Apprentices Others students First £4.50 Yes >50% 5% Greater Arriva £4.20 No 33% None Manchester Stagecoach £4.00 No 33% London n/a £5.00 30% 30% 50% under-18 Arriva £4.30 Yes 33% Merseyside 50% under-19 Stagecoach £4.00 Yes 33% Arriva £4.30 No 23% North East Stagecoach £3.95 Yes 33% 50% under-19 Go-Ahead £5.00 Yes 33% First £5.00 Yes 33% South Yorkshire None Stagecoach £3.90 No 33% West Midlands National Express £4.60 No 33% None First £4.80 Yes 33% West Yorkshire 50% under-19 Arriva £4.80 No 25% 13. The table shows that the West Midlands does not have the most expensive fares among comparator areas, but the level of help for younger people is lower than in many others, being limited to those in full time education – the base for the KPI on this output objective. 14. Conversely, other metropolitan areas can offer their under-19s discounted travel regardless of status, and also offer reductions to apprentices (frequently as generous as student discounts), trainees, volunteer workers, and jobseekers. Some operators also offer discounted season tickets for individual routes to a particular college or training centre. 15. These areas have better kept pace with recent education legislation, which means all under- 19s are now required to stay on in education or training (if not working), and more need for bus travel, especially as the younger population of the West Midlands is growing rapidly (Birmingham is now Europe’s youngest city). 16. At the same time, their average incomes are falling, taking the car alternative out of reach for many. Transport problems help explain 25% apprentice dropout rates, and were stated as a problem in accessing work and training by 30% of younger people in recent National Foundation for Educational Research studies. Page 4 of 21 17. A poorer, less mobile, expanding younger population, unable to reach jobs or training will not support Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) objectives, and jeopardises the target of a half- million new jobs and apprenticeships in the area, and in turn the aim of growing bus patronage. 18. In response, TfWM and operators are starting to explore apprentice discounts, whilst for the longer-term, TfWM are drafting a Younger Peoples Policy, covering fares, safety and security, equality and sustainable travel. There is also a wider commitment to including younger people in policy making, already in evidence through the Alliance creation of a Young Persons Representative on the Board, and the ongoing HYPE project that will research into the link between employment and bus fares. Page 5 of 21 Three – Fare rises limited to Retail Price Index +1% each year 19. Traditionally, in the West Midlands area the largest operator, National Express West Midlands increase their fares during the first week of the calendar year. 20. This is the fare rise monitored as the KPI for the fares output objective, since on the subsidised bus network (where TfWM takes the revenue risk) policy, operators can and usually do to increase their fares in line with National Express, and like National Express, other local operators are free to change fares any time for commercially-operated services, but again many do so at the start of the year as well. 21. When considering fares increases, the costs of both cash on-bus fares as well as season tickets are taken as a whole and often referred to as the ‘basket of fares’ available to customers. 22. At the first large fare rise since Alliance launch, in January 2016, the overall average increase for the basket of fares was 2%. This was a smaller real-terms rise than in previous years, and met the Retail Price Index (RPI) +1% commitment, since projected annual RPI growth at that time was 1% (although this turned out at 1.7% by the end of 2016). 23. On January 2nd 2017 National Express made their annual fare rise, with a 2.4% increase on the basket of fares. This was a higher rise than in 2016, but based on RPI projections of 2% and expected to rise further, so still within the RPI+1% Alliance commitment. At the same time it is not expected that major bus passenger groups, particularly younger people, will see their incomes rise with RPI – in effect a higher rise for them in 2017.