Jurassic Coast Transport Infrastructure Gap Analysis Study Final Report November 2008

Jurassic Coast Transport Working Group Jurassic Coast Transport Infrastructure Gap Analysis Study

Final Report November 2008

Halcrow Group Limited

Halcrow Group Limited 1 The Square Templ e Quay Bristol BS1 6DG Tel +44 (0)117 910 2580 F ax +44 (0)117 910 2581 www.halcrow.com

Halcrow Group Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the i nstructions of the Jurassic Coast Transport Wor king Group for their sole and specific use. Any other persons who use any information contai ned herein do so at their own risk.

© Halcrow Group Limited 2009

Halcrow Group Limited 1 The Square Templ e Quay Bristol BS1 6DG Tel +44 (0)117 910 2580 F ax +44 (0)117 910 2581 www.halcrow.com

Jurassic Coast Transport Working Group Jurassic Coast Transport Infrastructure Gap Analysis Study

Final Report November 2008

Contents Amendment Record This report has been issued and amended as follows:

Issue Revision Description Date Signed

1 - Draft for discussion 25-08-08 JCP

Draft Final report for 2 A 19-09-08 JCP comment

3 B Final report 28-11-08 GD

Contents

1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Study area 1

2 Potential rural car-bus interchange sites 3 2.1 Introduction: Park and ride or car-bus interchanges? 3 2.2 Methodology 4 2.3 Case studies 5 2.4 General considerations 7 2.5 Site considerations 11 2.6 Analysis of Potential Sites 20 2.7 Summary & Recommendations 40

3 Bus services to serve camping and caravan sites 44 3.1 Methodology 44 3.2 Findings 49 3.3 Suggested Strategy: Introduction 49 3.4 Strategy Measure A: Bring services closer to accommodation sites 49 3.5 Strategy Measure B: Increase service frequencies 53 3.6 Strategy Measure C: Provide bus stops closer to accommodation sites 54 3.7 Strategy Measure D: Enhance routes from accommodation sites to bus stops and bus stop infrastructure 57 3.8 Strategy Measure E: Improve visitors’ awareness of local bus services at camping and caravan sites 57 3.9 Summary and Recommendations 58

4 Demand Responsive Transport Services: Constraints and Opportunities 61 4.1 Introduction 61 4.2 Types of DRT 61 4.3 Why DRT? 61 4.4 DRT and Policy 63 4.5 Barriers to visitors using DRT services 63 4.6 Barrier A: Lack of awareness of the service 63

4.7 Barrier B: Lack of understanding how the service works 64 4.8 Barrier C: Membership registration requirements 72 4.9 Barrier D: Journey pre-booking requirements 72 4.10 Barrier E: Reconciling journey patterns of residents and visitors 74 4.11 Barrier F: Image 75 4.12 Examples of Good Practice 75 4.13 The future application of the DRT in the study area 78 4.14 Summary and Recommendations 81

5 Rail-bus interchange audits 86 5.1 Introduction 86 5.2 Methodology 86 5.3 Axminster Railway Station 88 5.4 Honiton Railway Station 99 5.5 Exmouth Railway Station 110 5.6 Summary and Recommendations 120

6 Presenting Public Transport Information: Good Practice 123 6.1 Introduction 123 6.2 Local Authority Involvement in Public Transport Information 124 6.3 Conventional at-stop information 125 6.4 Bus flags 129 6.5 Bus stop names 129 6.6 Printed publicity: Area-wide 130 6.7 Printed publicity: service-specific 131 6.8 Printed publicity: Maps 136 6.9 Distribution of printed information 139 6.10 Online information 141 6.11 Real-time Passenger Information (RTPI) 146 6.12 Branding 148 6.13 Service Names Versus Route Numbers 151 6.14 Language 152 6.15 Fares 152 6.16 Summary & Recommendations 153

7 Partnership working 155

7.1 Introduction 155 7.2 Stakeholders 155 7.3 Effective partnership working – good practice 155 7.4 Partnership working in the Jurassic Coast 156 7.5 Summary and recommendations 157

8 Conclusions 158 8.1 Conclusions 158

Appendices

A Detailed information on existing bus services to camping and caravan sites

B Bus stop access audit

C Types of Demand Responsive Transport

D Additional details of Door to Dorset service 103/103A

E Rail-Bus Interchange Audit Checklist

1 Introduction

1.1 Backgroun d 1.1.1 Halcrow was commissioned by Devon County Council on behalf of the Jurassic Coast Transport Working Group (JCTWG) to analyse various elements of transport infrastructure within the Jurassic Coast and its hinterland. The steering group identified five study topics for Halcrow to research and report on, namely;

- Identifying potential for rural car-bus interchanges in the study area;

- Discussing how well camping and caravan sites in the study area were served by public transport;

- Investigating how well Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) Bus services can meet the visitor market;

- Auditing three rail-bus interchanges in East Devon; and

- Outlining good practice in presenting public transport information.

The results of this analysis is set out in the following chapters.

1.2 Study area 1.2.1 In general, the area covered by the Jurassic Coast Transport Strategy (JCTS) is bounded to the north by the Exeter to London Waterloo railway line as far as Axminster, the A35 (and thus most of the 31 bus route) as far as Dorchester, and the Weymouth to London Waterloo railway line from Dorchester to Poole. However, some of the topics of this study cover a much more specific area. These are exp lained in the methodology to each chapter.

1.2.2 The study area includes parts of both Devon and Dorset. Devon and Dorset County Councils (DeCC and DoCC) act as both local highway authority and local transport authority. They are the local authorities, in which most powers relating to transport are vested (maintenance of all pub lic highways except the trunk road in the study area, rights of way, preparation of Local transport Plans (LTPs), etc). The study area also covers parts of four local p lanning

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authorities (LPAs) – East Devon, Purbeck & West Dorset District Councils (EDDC, PDC & WDDC) and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council (WPBC), who have responsibilities covering control of development and preparing Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) setting out planning policy for their area. It includes two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – the East Devon & Dorset AONBs.

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2 Potential rural car-bus interchange sites

2.1 Introduction: Park and ride or car-bus interchanges? 2.1.1 ‘Park and ride’ is usually defined as a scheme where car travellers park on the periphery of settlements and comp lete their journey to settlement centres on dedicated public transport (bus) services. They are commonly found in larger towns and cities, but also to access smaller coastal settlements which have limited road access and parking.

2.1.2 Park and ride of this type already exists in a limited form within the Jurassic Coast Lyme Regis has two seasonal sites adjacent to the A3052 – one on Sidmouth Road, across the county boundary in Devon (maintained by Lyme Regis Town Council), and one on the Charmouth Road towards the summit of Dragon’s Hill (maintained by WDDC). Bridport has a seasonal site at West Bay operating on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Norden Park and Ride is unusual in that it is rail-based park and ride and further away from some of the intended destinations, allowing visitors to park and travel by train to Corfe Castle and Swanage 1. Additionally, in Sidmouth, EDDC promote the use of the Council Offices car park as a location for ‘park and walk’ to the town centre at weekends [EDDC 2006].

2.1.3 The JCTS [DeCC & DoCC 2005] view park and ride as one part of a wider parking strategy for the Jurassic Coast. A site for Weymouth will be constructed on the former Lodmoor North tip as part of the relief road planning permission [DoCC 2007], whilst the Lyme Regis Community P lan wishes to see the existing park and ride enhanced [Lyme Forward 2007]. A parking study in Sidmouth in 2001 noted that conventional park and ride would be unlikely to be viab le if it had less than 500 parking spaces and parking spaces continued to be readily availab le in the town centre [DeCC & DoCC 2005].

2.1.4 Research suggests that few people walk further than 400m to reach bus services [Kennisplatform Kerkeer en Vervoer 2006] and this is commonly used

1 See also Halcrow, 2008

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as a standard in guidance documents 2. This study examines potential locations for visitors to travel by car to bus stops, park their vehicles and undertake their onward travel by conventional, existing, bus services in the corridor served by the CoastlinX53 bus service. This is unlike most existing park and ride sites, which use dedicated bus services. As a rule, public car parks already have a range of roles, including, for examp le, access to local shops and facilities and longer-stay parking for visitors exploring the area. They may be already be used for informal transfer onto nearby bus services.

2.2 Methodology 2.2.1 This study concentrates on locations between Newton Poppleford to Chideock, which is referred to as the study corridor in this chapter of the report. This report has termed such sites as rural car-bus interchanges, rather than park and ride per se, because of the likely differences in their operation; however, they have in other examp les been referred to as parking pockets .

Assumptions 2.2.2 It has been assumed that, from an operational point of view, the most suitable rural car-bus interchange sites are those which are:

- Adjacent to the highest frequency bus routes and to major roads;

- Well-related to either visitors’ origins (such as inland settlements) or intended destinations (which have been assumed to mainly be the major coastal settlements); and

- Sufficiently f lat to allow safe manoeuvring of vehicles.

2.2.3 Sites which broadly met the above criteria were then further assessed against the frequency of bus services, the highway access and environmental, landscape and other planning policy considerations. It has been assumed that the AONB designations alone (which covers the vast majority of the study

2 It is not clear w hether the proportion of bus users in rural areas walking further than this differs from this general figure, although the DfT collects data from local authorities on households within 10 to 13 minutes’ walk of an hourly or better bus service [DfT 2004]. This is 770m-1km if def ault walk speeds from the accessibility modelling program are used (4.6km/hr).

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corridor) would not solely prevent the development of car-bus interchanges per se .

2.2.4 Due to the existing sites at Lyme Regis, additional sites for car-bus interchange have not been assessed there. However, commentary has been given on potential improvements which should be considered at this site.

2.2.5 Since it is the intention that visitors would use conventional, existing bus services, it is assumed that there is no threshold number of spaces required to ensure a site’s viability. Smaller sites may, in fact, reduce the environmenta l and/or landscape impact of the development. We have assumed that a site may be signed for between 10 and 40 spaces in the first instance.

2.3 Case studies 2.3.1 The marketing of sites for parking and transferring onto conventional buses has so far only been pioneered in a few locations across the UK, including Snowdonia National Park, Oldham and Wolverhampton. Of these, one of the most advanced is in Snowdonia National Park, where car parks and connecting bus services are just one part of the wider strategy – The Green Key - to minimise the impacts of visitor journeys on the natural environment. Case studies are set out below.

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Snowdonia Green Key / Snowdon Sherpa

The Snowdonia Green Key is a long-term strategy to promote and implement public transport alternatives to the use of the private car for recreational walking trips in the National Parks. Parking is limited at the points closest to the Snowdon footpaths and these quickly reach capacity on busy days. To this end, a set of strategy elements is being imp lemented:

- positive parking: steering visitors to clearly signed, official parking locations, with charging income contributing to bus services; and

- park and ride gateways: settlements within the National Park where visitors;

- Pass Snowdonia: a combined long-stay parking ticket and bus pass

As part of the strategy six walkers’ car parks have had £4 parking charges introduced, with a seventh to be included in winter 2008/09. The pay and display machines give 2-part tickets, one part to display in the car and the other which acts as a £4 all-day Snowdon Sherpa bus ticket, which allows travel to some of the passes where mountain walks commence.

Some of the locations have had bus interchange facilities added into the car parks

Wolverhampton Park and Ride Centro, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, advertises three free car parks adjacent to high frequency radial bus corridors (5-10 minute intervals) into Wolverhampton 3.These sites are between 62 and 192 spaces in size; two open between 7am and 7pm and one is open 24 hours a day, however, none of them have dedicated bus services.

3 http://www.wolver hamptoncity.co.uk/files/download/842921529411128.pdf

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Parking Pockets The Highways Agency commissioned Halcrow to investigate ways in which trunk road travel can be integrated with other forms of transport. This study highlighted to potential f or parking pockets , described as ‘small, designated parking areas usually 20 – 40 spaces within an existing under-utilised car park, within 1 mile of a motorway or trunk road junction. Parking Pockets are primarily intended to cater for long distance car sharing, although it is recognised that some people may wish to car share for the last leg of a journey into a town or city’. It found that, although several locations were used for such a purpose informally, no formal sites had been found to operate [Halcrow 2002]. It did find that a small number of retail store car parks had spaces allocated for travellers to interchange onto passing bus services (see photo below)

Photo: Park and ride

spaces in B & Q Oldham

2.4 General con sideration s 2.4.1 There are a series of issues which will need to be considered and dealt with for any interchange to be successful. These include:

(i) Planning permission and planning policy; (ii) Highway access; (iii) Security; (iv) Unintended uses and charging; (v) Marketing; and (vi) Encouraging modal transfer.

These are discussed in turn below.

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i) Planning Permission and Planning Policy

2.4.2 Any interchange which would not involve the use of an existing car park is anticipated to require a planning permission for both change of use of land and building on the land (such as hardstanding or any other necessary facilities). An exception to this will be where the change of use is temporary and takes place on no more than 28 days per calendar year 4, which is exempted from planning permission.

2.4.3 In addition, works to maintain or improve the highway are, in general, exempted from the need for planning permission 5. It is not considered that improvements to lay-bys for their use as car-bus interchanges could be constituted as ‘improving the highway’. This means that in most cases, a permanent car-bus interchange will require planning permission. Pre- application discussions will be required with the relevant LPA to estab lish the potential for individual sites.

ii) Highway access

2.4.4 Most of the public highways within the study corridor are the responsibility of the relevant County Council as local highway authority. The exception to this is the A35 in Dorset which, as a trunk road, is the responsibility of the Highways Agency. The formation, laying-out or material widening of an access onto a classified road (A, B or C class road) requires planning permission to b e granted by the local p lanning authority (EDDC or WDDC) and the local highway and/or trunk road authority are consulted for their opinion.

2.4.5 In planning policy terms, there is a presumption in favour of using existing accesses to the trunk road (and, by inference, a presumption against new accesses). The Highways Agency in particular is able to direct that planning

4 Class B, Part 4 in Schedule 2 of the General Permitted Development Order, 1995

5 Para. ( b) of section 55(2) of the Tow n & Country Planning Act 1990 excludes most works to maintain or improve the highway from the definition of ‘development’ (and thus not requiring planning permission). If the works are defined as ‘development’, then Part 13 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995 classes it as ‘permitted dev elopment’ (which does not require planning permission either)

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permission is not granted if the agency is of the opinion that the development would adversely affect the operation of its roads and could not suitab ly be mitigated.

2.4.6 Many of the public highways within the study corridor are narrow, of poor vertical and horizontal alignment and bounded by hedges; consequently visibility at junctions can be sub-standard. On many sections vehicle speeds are limited either by speed limits or by virtue of the road alignment itself.

iii) Security

2.4.7 Traditional park and ride sites tend to have both on-site staff and CCTV, whereas most other car parks in rural areas have neither of these. In line with the anticipated (small) size of the interchanges, costs would prohibit a full- time staff presence. The potential benefits of CCTV would have to be weighed against the visual impact and costs. Whilst users may have concerns about leaving vehicles in an isolated, unmanned or quiet location, this situation is no different to leaving a car all day in a walkers’ car park. A balance would also be required between providing visibility for security purposes and providing enclosure to reduce visual intrusion.

iv) Unintended Uses and Charging

2.4.8 As existing car parks are suitable to interchange to buses, so many potentia l car-bus interchanges could be suitable to park for other purposes (visiting nearby villages, accessing the Coast Path, overnight parking by Trunk Road travellers, etc).

2.4.9 Unintended use is difficult to prevent, but can be dissuaded by charging for parking. Charging may, of course, dissuade drivers in parking to catch a bus in the first place. As previously noted, an innovative way around this has been introduced as part of the Snowdon Sherpa bus. Certain car parks now issue a two-part £4 pay and display ticket, one part of which can be exchanged for a £4 all-day Sherpa bus ticket. In the Jurassic Coast study area, this kind of arrangement relies to some degree upon a suitable all-day ticket being availab le at a price which relates well to the parking charge implemented.

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v) Marketing

2.4.10 The success of the sites will in part depend on how the concept of the interchanges is conveyed to visitors, the wider travelling public, loca l residents and business owners. It will affect how they are perceived, how they are used and how acceptable they are. Whilst ‘park and ride sites’ (especially edge-of-town, large car parks with frequent, usually dedicated, shuttle bus services) are familiar to many peop le, the sites in the study corridor are likely to differ in several ways which may confuse visitors (less frequent, non- dedicated bus services, small sites, etc) and hence why this report terms them ‘car-bus interchanges’ .

2.4.11 Care will need to be taken in marketing existing car parks as suitab le for park and ride/car-bus interchange. Whilst no car park is expressly for one particular purpose, local residents and businesses may consider that over- emphasising their role for park and ride may be to the detriment of their current role in providing parking to access local facilities, for example. New visitors can themselves, of course, mean new trade.

vi) Encouraging modal transfer

2.4.12 Bus stops are usually deemed to have a 400m customer walk catchment, beyond which f ew travellers will use them. In comparison with rail travel, fewer local residents or visitors drive from their home or holiday accommodation and park informally to catch buses, either on-street or in existing car parks, since, having started their journey by car, there is often little incentive currently to transfer to bus 6. Interchanging between modes of any kind tends not to b e favoured by travellers due to ( inter alia ) the time penalty involved and uncertainty over connections.

6 Rail trav el tends to be longer (in duration and distance), be better perceiv ed as an acceptable alternative to car travel and have a limited number of stops (stations) at which parking facilities have traditionally been available. Rail is particularly effective at prov iding access to congested tow n and city centres. These (amongst other things) act as incentiv es to transfer modes and which are advantages which tend not to be shared by buses in the study area. That said, little research exists on ways in which customers access bus services.

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2.4.13 Encouraging travellers to interchange relies upon a combination of either:

- the interchange option being more attractive, including: o reducing average wait times (by increasing bus frequencies); o reducing uncertainty over connections (suitab le waiting facilities, real-time information at-stop, internet and mobile); o ensuring the bus journey is seen as an attraction in its own right 7; and o the user perceiving an environmental benefit of transferring to the bus.

- or the alternative (driving) being less attractive, including: o negative effects of congestion; o difficulty in parking at destination; and o cost of parking at destination.

2.4.14 The study area lends itself to capitalising on some of these features more than others. Whilst congestion and parking costs can be deterrents, perception of parking difficulties is more likely to lead visitors (who have more time but less local knowledge than residents) to change their journey planning. Visitors to the study area may respond well to marketing which emphasises the bus journey as an attraction in its own right (opportunity to take in the views, etc) and the environmental angle.

2.4.15 One current reason for parking to use the bus is to undertake linear walks (such as stretches of the Coast Path) without the need for a car to be parked at each end, a method which can provide benefits to both walkers and the environment [Halcrow 2007:61].

2.5 Site consideration s 2.5.1 In terms of considering individual sites, bus service frequencies and protection afforded to land by development control policies will be important. These are considered in turn below.

7 Press articles have already highlighted the advantages found on the scenic CoastlinX53 which other transport modes do not offer. It has previously been described as ‘Britain’ s greatest local bus ride’ [Bradt 2008] and mention is made that ‘a car driver sees little of what goes on behind the high banks and hedges of the West Country’ [ ibid].

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(a) Bus service frequency 2.5.2 The frequency of bus services in the study corridor are set out in Table 2.1 below and Figure 2.1. In broad terms, the western part of the study corridor (Newton Poppleford to Sidmouth) has the most frequent bus services (3 per hour) and the middle section (Colyford to Lyme Regis) has the least frequent services (8 per day).

Table 2.1 Summer weekday bus frequencies in study corridor

Frequency Part of study corridor

3 buses per hour Newton Poppleford to Bowd Cross 2 buses per hour Bowd Cross to Sidmouth Waitrose (Stowford Rise) At least 1 bus per hour Sidford to Colyford but less than 2 buses Lyme Regis to Chideock per hour Sidmouth Waitrose (Stowford Rise) to Sidford Less than 1 per hour Colyford to Lyme Regis Source: D eCC and DoCC public transport publications, summer 2008

Development P lan Policies 2.5.3 All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan 8 unless ‘material considerations’ indicate otherwise 9. This development p lan includes policies on ( inter alia ) transport, the landscap e and environment. The relevant development p lans for the study corridor contain development control policies relating to the designations. Policies relating to transport interchanges and landscape designations (which are relevant to many of the sites) are set out in Table 2.2 .

8 In East Devon, this is the Devon Structure Plan 2001 to 2016 (adopted October 2004) and East Devon Local Plan 1995 to 2011 (adopted July 2006). In W est D orset, this is the Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Structure Plan (adopted J uly 2000) and the West Dorset District Local Plan (adopted July 2006). However, more recent dev elopment plan documents which were not or have not yet been adopted are material considerations. This includes the Regional Spatial Strategy, now at an advanced stage, and the District Councils’ Local Development Framework documents.

9 section 38 of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

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Table 2.2: Selected planning policies applicable to development proposals in designated areas

Designation Coverage Relev ant policy References The aim of any transport strategy must be to encour age greater use of public transport by providing comfor table, convenient and safe inter changes. These aims ar e to be achieved through West Dorset the follow ing local objectives…iii) to improve facilities and accessibility to key r ural bus and coach WDLP Para 9.7.7 stops…iv) to make better arrangements for interconnecting services at inter changes v) to ensure ther e is publicity for inter change opportunities. Transport The Council will support the provision of par k and ride facilities where their location and design Inter changes will: - maintain and improve accessibility for all sector s of the community East Devon - Reduce the environmental impact of the private car on the EDLP Policy TA6 community - Encourage the use of more energy efficient modes of transport In all instances proposals will need to be sympathetic to and unobtrusive in their landscape setting Conser vation of natural beauty of landscape and countryside in AONBs should be given great w eight in planning policies and development control decisions PPS7 Par a 21 Major development should not take place in AONBs, ex cept in exceptional cir cumstances. Proposals should be demonstrated to be in the public interest before being allow ed proceed. The follow ing should be assessed: - the need for development, including national considerations, and PPS& Paras 22 impact of permitting or refusing it on the economy; and 23 East Devon and - cost of and scope for developing elsewher e outside designated area Dorset Areas of Majority of study area, except or meeting need in some other w ay; Outstanding par ts of Axe Valley and Sid Valley - detr imental effect on envir onment, landscape and r ecreational Natural Beauty oppor tunities and the extent to w hich these could be moderated In Ar eas of Outstanding Natural Beauty the conservation and enhancement of their natural beauty EDLP Policy EN1 will be given priority over other considerations Development which would harm the natural beauty of the AONB w ill not be permitted. Development will only be per mitted if its scale, siting and design conserves the quality of the landscape. Where development proposals relate to sites wher e the existing development is WDLP Policy SA1 visually of poor quality, opportunities will be taken by the District Council to secure visual enhancements. Ar eas of Great Par ts of study area in East Devon Priority will be given to the conservation and enhancement of the landscape in AGLV. EDLP Policy EN2 Landscape Value outside of AONB and built-up-ar ea Development in such ar eas will only be permitted wher e it w ould have limited visual impact. Development within Green Wedges will not be permitted if it w ould add to existing sporadic or Par ts of study area in East Devon Green Wedges isolated development or damage the individual identity of a settlement or could lead to or EDLP Policy S6 ar ound Seaton encourage settlement coalescence.

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Designation Coverage Relev ant policy References Within the Coastal Preservation Area, development other than that of a minor nature will not be Par ts of study area around per mitted except w here it is required for the benefit of the community at lar ge, in connection Coastal Sidmouth, Sidford, Salcombe Regis, with public access for informal r ecreation, or for the purposes of agriculture or forestry and only Devon Str ucture Preservation Area Beer , Seaton and south of A3052 w hen such development cannot r easonably be accommodated outside the protected areas. Such Plan CO5 10 betw een Colyfor d and Lyme Regis development w ill only be permitted w hen it w ould not detr act from the unspoilt character and appear ance of the coastal area Par ts of study area around Sidmouth, Sidford, Salcombe Regis, Development which would have an adverse effect on the character and/or natural beauty of the Her itage Coast Beer , Seaton, south of A3052 WDLP Policy SA2 Her itage Coast will not be permitted betw een Rousdon and Lyme Regis and Lyme Regis to Chideock

10 A ‘saved policy’ within the Devon Structure Plan, as determined by the Gov ernment Office of the S outh West

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2.5.4 Most of the study area has designations (AONB and Heritage Coast, for example) which give a presumption against major development. In terms of landscape designations, the majority of the study corridor falls within the East Devon or Dorset AONBs ( Figure 2.2). The only exceptions to this are the built-up areas of Seaton, Colyford and Sidmouth-Sidford and other parts of the Axe Valley, which themselves are designated as an Area of Outstanding Landscape Value or Green Wedge. Three parts of the study corridor are additionally designated as Heritage Coast: south of the A3052 in Salcombe Regis parish, between Boshill Cross and Lyme Regis, and most of the study corridor east of Lyme Regis to and including Chideock) or Land around Sidmouth, Sidford, Salcombe Regis, Seaton and all land south of the A3052 between Colyford and Lyme Regis is designated as a Coastal Preservation Area.

2.5.5 All the major settlements within the study corridor except Newton Poppleford have conservation areas ( Figure 2.3 ). Listed buildings occur in many parts of the study corridor; however, scheduled ancient monuments are less common. The study corridor has relatively few sites designated for their biological or heritage interest (Figure 2.4 ). The River Axe upstream from Axe Bridge is the only internationally designated site; b eing a Candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the 1992 EU Habitats Directive. This, along with land south of the A35 between Charmouth and Morecombelake, are the only Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

2.5.6 It is recommended that small capacity sites ( less than 50 spaces and, depending on location, less than 15) are trialled as the LPA will need to be satisfied that proposed sites have sufficiently limited impact as to warrant permission in protected areas. Early pre-application discussions with the LPA will be important in ascertaining the likelihood of being granted planning permission.

2.5.7 The need for car-bus interchanges within the AONB would need to be fully demonstrated at the planning application stage. The design, layout and scale would require careful thought to ensure its appropriateness. Whilst some existing car parks are within designated environmental or landscape sites, it has been assumed that these designations would not inhibit their use as an interchange if this did not require major works to be undertaken.

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2.6 An alysis of Poten tial Sites

2.6.1 A series of potential sites were identified within the study corridor. In general, these fall into three categories:

(a) Existing car parks outside of the town centres within the study corridor; (b) Making use of existing highway land (large laybys etc); and (c) All other potential sites.

Brief analysis of each potential site is set out in Tables 2.3 and 2.4 overleaf and a summary is given on the recommended approach for each of the categories.

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Table 2.3: Potential car bus interchanges: Existing car parks Landscape Character Type (EDDC) Potential park and Frequency of public Env ironmental & Landscape Character Area (Dorset ride location Parish Owner transport landscape constraints AONB) Newton Popplefor d School Lane EDDC 3 per hour AONB Within built-up ar ea boundary & Har pfor d Chur ch Street, Conser vation Area Sidmouth EDDC 2 per hour Within settlement Sidfor d (adjacent) Conser vation Area Or chard Road Seaton EDDC 1 per hour Within built-up ar ea boundary (adjacent) Har bour Road Conser vation Area Seaton EDDC 1 per hour Within built-up ar ea boundary (long-stay section) (adjacent) AONB/Her itage Within defined development Holmbush Lyme Regis WDDC 1 per hour Coast/Conservation Area boundary (part) AONB/Her itage Coast Charmouth Road Lyme Regis WDDC 1 per hour (part) AONB/Her itage Within defined development Lower Sea Lane Charmouth WDDC 1 per hour Coast/Conservation boundary Ar ea/ AONB/Her itage Coast/ Conser vation Area/Air Within defined development Foss Orchard Chideock Unknown 1 per hour Quality Management boundary Ar ea

Table 2.4: Potential car-bus interchanges: Highway land and all other sites

Potential park and Frequency of public Env ironmental & Landscape Character Type (EDDC) ride location Parish transport 11 landscape constraints Landscape Character Area (Dorset AONB) Hig hway access Other Notes

3B Lower rolling farmed and settled s lopes Newton Popplefor d Four Elms 3 per hour AONB High ecological sensitivity As per existing access & Har pfor d High cultural sensitivity Moderate visual sensitivity 3A Upper undulating farmed and wooded s lopes Would r equire significant r ealignment of Moderate ecological sensitivity, Moderate Bow d Cross Sidmouth 3 per hour AONB B3176 to make space for inter change Making use of highway land cultur al sensitivity High visual sensitivity 3A Upper undulating farmed and wooded Land at Higher & s lopes Land adjacent to A3052 and built-up area Sidmouth 2 per hour AONB Moderate ecological sensitivity, Moderate Likely to r equir e new access onto A3052 Middle Woolbrook boundary cultur al sensitivity High visual sensitivity 3A Upper undulating farmed and wooded Land at Stowford s lopes Via existing junction of Stowford Rise & Within built-up ar ea boundary. Allocated as Sidmouth 2 per hour AONB Moderate ecological sensitivity, Moderate Rise A3052 Recr eation Area in EDLP cultur al sensitivity High visual sensitivity 3A Upper undulating farmed and wooded s lopes EDLP policy LSI2 states that the only Moderate ecological sensitivity, Moderate development w hich w ill be permitted on The East and South of cultur al sensitivity AONB (ex cepting w est New access may be requir ed, or use of Byes (west of Stevens Cross and south of the Stevens Cross, Sidmouth 1 per hour of Stevens Cross) High visual sensitivity Stevens Cross A3052) is that which will not detract from its Sidfor d 4A Unsettled farmed valley floors amenity, nature conservation and/or Low ecological sensitivity recreational value to the town Moderate cultural sensitivity Low visual sensitivity

11 Unless specified, excludes CoastlinX53, which broadly operates 8 services per day within the study corridor (one ev ery 2 hours)

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Potential park and Frequency of public Env ironmental & Landscape Character Type (EDDC) ride location Parish transport 11 landscape constraints Landscape Character Area (Dorset AONB) Hig hway access Other Notes

AONB 1B Open Coastal Plateau Dunscombe Lane, Salcombe Regis 1 per hour Her itage Coast High ecological sensitivity Via Dunscombe Lane junction with A3052 Tr ow Coastal Preservation Moderate cultural sensitivity Ar ea Moderate visual sensitivity 1B Open Coastal Plateau High ecological sensitivity Making use of highway land. Well r elated to Hangman’s Stone Beer 1 per hour AONB Via existing junctions with A3052 Moderate cultural sensitivity inland villages. Moderate visual sensitivity AONB to w est of r oad, East and West of AGLV to east of r oad Would be likely to require new junction B3174 Hollyhead Beer 8 per day (X53) Coastal Preservation onto B3174 Road Ar ea Adjacent to Beer Conser vation Area Coastal Preservation 2B Coas tal Slopes and Combes South of B3174 Beer Ar ea Heritage Coast Moderate ecological sensitivity Would be likely to require new junction Beer 8 per day (X53) Road Adjacent to Beer Moderate cultural sensitivity onto B3174 Conser vation Area High visual sensitivity 3B Lower rolling farmed and settled s lopes East and west of Would be likely to require new junction Seaton 1 per hour AGLV / Green Wedge High ecological sensitivity Har epath Road High cultural sensitivity onto Har epath Road Moderate visual sensitivity New access required onto C87 Axminster Axminster Road Charmouth 1 per hour AONB Wootton Hills Road. Proximity to trunk r oad roundabout Making use of highway land. Very small site may lead to HA objection Newlands Bridge Stanton St Gabriel 1 per hour AONB Chideock/Wootton Hills As existing onto C87 (The Street) Making use of existing lay-by

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a1) Existing public car parks

2.6.2 Each of the main coastal settlements (Sidmouth, Beer, Seaton, Lyme Regis, Charmouth) has a set of public car parks, most of which are owned by the relevant district council. From west to east, the relevant car parks which are well-related to the coastal bus routes are as follows:

- School Lane, Newton Poppleford; - Church Street, Sidford; - Orchard Road and Harbour Road/The Underfleet, Seaton; - Holmbush and Charmouth Road, Lyme Regis; - Lower Sea Lane, Charmouth; and - Foss Orchard, Chideck.

Other car parks (e.g. those accessed off Broad Street in Lyme Regis) were discounted due to their size or absence of long-stay parking spaces.

2.6.3 In general, there are two options to promote interchange to bus services in public car parks. The first is to allocate a certain number of spaces within car parks for prospective bus users. On one hand, this guarantees that spaces will be available for a certain number of travellers, but on the other hand, it may prevent the most efficient use of car parking at other times.

2.6.4 The second – and recommended - option is to provide information on local bus services, both on the information/welcome boards in the car parks (as per Halcrow’s 2007 Access & Walks study), in printed literature, and online. Subject to the establishment of a suitable multi-operator bus ticket, pay and display tickets which act both as parking tickets and bus tickets are recommended in the long-term.

a2) Existing park and ride sites: Lyme Regis 2.6.5 Steps should also be taken in the short term to consolidate and broaden the role the existing park and ride sites at Lyme Regis. The two sites offer the opportunity to not only access Lyme itself (as is currently the case) but, with appropriate changes, to interchange to passing inter-urban bus services (CoastlinX53 and 31). The latter role is enhanced by Lyme’s central position on the Jurassic Coast.

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2.6.6 At Lyme’s park and ride sites, consideration should be given to:

(a) Providing new bus stops (and attendant b us stop infrastructure) on the A3052 adjacent to the sites. Providing facilities on-site would be more beneficial for bus users, but these are unlikely to be served by the existing inter-urban bus service passing the site and would delay the buses; (b) Ensuring direction signing appropriately indicates their wider transport role (e.g. Park and Ride & Transport Interchange ); (c) Providing welcome/information boards in the car park itself, as recommended by the Coast Path Access & Walks Study [Halcrow 2007]; and (d) Highlighting their dual roles in existing literature published by both County Councils.

a3) Car parks in private ownership

2.6.7 Many public houses have large car parks and some stakeholders have previously commented on their potential for general pub lic use (e.g. accessing the coast path, interchanging to buses, etc). Whilst there may be isolated examp les where this may be welcomed by publicans as a source of additional revenue, this use may be more generally opposed by publicans, since there is the risk that non-patrons’ cars may prevent pub customers being ab le to park, leading to either a loss in custom or displaced parking on nearby public highways.

2.6.8 There may however be greater potential for additional use of car parks at village halls or community centres, subject to such use not conflicting with its use for existing activities.

2.6.9 In either case, where specific pubs or halls with sufficient space and receptive owners have been identified, negotiation and discussion will be required to agree matters such as charging regimes and permits (if applicable), enforcement and public liability.

b) Highway land

2.6.10 A small number of parcels of highway land have been identified which may b e suitable for use as a car-bus interchange, as follows:

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- Land at Bowd Cross, between Newton Poppleford and Sidmouth; - Adjacent to the A35 roundabout at Axminster Road, Charmouth; and - The layby at Newlands Bridge, Charmouth.

The merits of these sites are discussed below.

2.6.11 Bowd Cross ( Figure 2.6) is at the junction of the A3052, B3176 to Sidmouth and minor road to Tipton St John. The road was realigned in 1972 and this improvement resulted in large areas of land in highway authority ownership, now mostly used as laybys (approximately 16ha). The site is situated on the section of the study corridor with highest frequency bus services (at least 3 per hour) and would not require the use of undeveloped open countryside.

2.6.12 Axminster Road (Figure 2.7) would use highway land (currently grass and scrub) and adjacent land on the approach to the A35 roundabout, but is likely to be more difficult to progress due to its proximity to the A35, requirement for a new access onto Axminster Road (and potential objection from the Highways Agency) and the potential for unintended uses (overnight stops by trunk road travellers, etc).

2.6.13 Newlands Bridge ( Figure 2.8) would formalise the use of an existing lay-by and, although very small (i.e. half a dozen spaces) is well located for interchange with the passing bus services. It could however end up being used as a parking location for the village and/or beach.

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c) Other sites

2.6.14 The third category of sites are those which are neither existing car parks nor highway land. Whilst in theory this leaves all other land within the study corridor, a more limited set of locations have been identified which are considered to sufficiently fulfil the criteria. These are:

- Four Elms; - Land at Middle & Higher Woolbrook; - Land at Stowford Rise; - Land East and South of Stevens Cross, Sidford; - Dunscombe Lane, Trow; - Hangman’s Stone; - Hollyhead Road, Beer; - Land south of Beer Road, Beer; and - East and West of Harepath Road, Seaton.

Each site is then discussed in turn in the following paragraphs.

2.6.15 Four Elms (Figure 2.9) is a small site situated at the crest of the hill b etween Newton Popp leford and Bowd. It is enclosed by the A3052 to the north and other minor county highways (green lanes) on all other sides).

2.6.16 Three sites have been assessed in the Sidmouth area. Of these, two (Woolbrook and Steven’s Cross – Figures 2.10 and 2.11) are outside the built- up-boundary and consist mainly of farmland or land uses for recreation on which development will be resisted. Any use as an interchange on these will rely upon demonstrating that an interchange could not be placed elsewhere. The third site, on land between Stowford Rise and the A3052 (Figure 2.10 ) is within the built-up area boundary, but on land allocated in the EDLP for recreation uses.

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2.6.17 Two sites have been identified between Sidmouth and Beer. The first, at Trow, is a triangle of land surrounded by the A3052, Dunscombe Lane and the new access road to the Donkey Sanctuary ( Figure 2.12). This land is however situated within the Coastal Preservation Area and Heritage Coast. The second location is Hangman’s Stone, at the junction of the A3052 and the B3174 (Figure 2.13), where the X53 and 52A bus routes divide. This site could use a combination of highway land and adjacent wood land, which could screen the site.

2.6.18 Lastly, a series of sites were identified in the Beer and Seaton areas, on the X53 approach routes to both towns and between the settlements, as follows:

- Adjacent to Hollyhead Cross, north of Beer ( Figure 2.14); - South of Beer Road, Beer ( Figure 2.15); and - Adjacent to Harepath Road, north of Seaton ( Figure 2.16).

Hollyhead Cross is located north of B eer and the area of search includes some of the f latter fields north-west of the football field. However, it has very some of the least frequent bus services in the study corridor. Beer Road is well related to both Seaton and Beer, but has it has some of the least frequent passing bus frequencies in the study corridor the smallest and has a position close to the sea and within the EDLP Area of Great Landscape Value and Coastal Preservation Area. In similarity to Hollyhead Cross, it has a very poor frequency of buses. Harepath Road has the highest frequency of bus services in the Seaton area, but sits within the EDLP A rea of Great Landscape Value and Green Wedge .

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2.7 Summary & Recommendations 2.7.1 Providing and marketing parking locations for travellers to interchange from private car to conventional bus services is a complex issue and there are limited numbers of examp les elsewhere in the UK. It has been pioneered in parts of Snowdonia National Park, where limited parking at destinations (the start of walks to Snowdon, for instance) creates the incentive to park and complete the journey by bus.

2.7.2 The three main options for rural car-park interchange sites are as follows:

- Existing car parks; - Spare highway land; and - Other sites (e.g. agricultural land).

2.7.3 Implementation of any new permanent facilities would require planning permission. This could be difficult to achieve in the study area as most of the study corridor is protected by landscape and biodiversity designations.

2.7.4 Other issues to be considered with car-bus interchange sites include whether the frequency of the bus services would be sufficient to attract interchange users, if the lack of a security presence would dissuade potential users from leaving their vehicles at the site, and in the case of an interchange site using an existing car park, how any existing parking charges might dissuad e potential users.

2.7.5 However, phased implementation of a rural car-bus interchange scheme on the Jurassic Coast - as one strand of a wider transport strategy - would have the potential to bring manifold benefits. These include enabling more visitors to access the area by bus, undertake less trips by private car and a reduction in congestion, particularly at popular destination settlements.

2.7.6 A three-point strategy is recommended to trial rural car-bus interchanges:

1) Market and promote the use of existing car parks which are well- placed for catching nearby bus services; 2) A small number of sites for temporary use (i.e. less than 28 days in the calendar year) should be sought with landowners, to

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operate during summer weekends only on a temporary trial basis; and 3) One or two sites should be investigated further with a view to progressing planning applications to create permanent facilities .

2.7.7 Halcrow suggests that sites be further investigated in the Sidmouth area (particularly Bowd Cross and sites at Woolbrook) and north or west of Seaton/Beer (Hangman’s Stone or Hollyhead Cross) with a view to medium to longer-term construction. These can enab le car-borne travellers from inland settlements to transfer onto bus services and enab le travel into the larger coastal settlements in a more sustainable manner. Since most land surrounding Sidmouth, Seaton and Beer are protected by designations which strictly control development, it will be important to discuss their merits with the LPA. Preferred sites should then, where possible, be identified in the relevant part of the Local Development Framework.

2.7.8 Where coastal honeypots with poor road access can be accessed by parking at a car-bus interchange and onward bus travel, this should be highlighted in promotional literature. Consideration should also be given to ways in which less frequent bus services connect with, or serve, car-bus interchanges, to enab le better access to settlements away from the main bus corridor.

2.7.9 The information and marketing strategy for car-bus interchanges should cover as many angles as possib le; marking the location of relevant car parks on public transport literature, the location of bus stops on car park information boards and literature, and so on.

2.7.10 There are examples of leaflets which highlight walks from the bus, such as the ‘Take the bus for a walk/’Breeze up to the Downs’ campaign by Brighton & Hove City Council, the Sussex Downs Conservation Board and other stakeholders (see Figure 2.16 overleaf). However, consideration should be given to promoting walks where a car is parked and a bus used to complete (an otherwise linear) walk. In terms of circular walks, Halcrow’s 2007 report highlighted that there is great potential to substitute part of the walked ‘circle’ with bus travel, thus introducing sustainab le (bus) travel to those who may otherwise be infrequent users. Circular walks are therefore recommended as a suitab le way of introducing the concept of car-bus interchanges to the public, since this type of arrangement already informally occurs.

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2.7.11 Sites to be trialled on a temporary basis will need to be agreed sufficiently well in advance to form part of the County Council’s summer public transport publicity. Monitoring (of numbers of users, but ideally also q uestionnaires) will be required to gain an understanding of demand and how permanent sites should operate.

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Figure 2.16: Breeze Up To The Downs: Selling the benefits of visiting the area by bus

2.7.12 Car-bus interchanges cannot be seen in isolation and should be viewed as one part of a wider transport strategy; there are a whole series of comp lementary measures which can support them and increase demand for their use. This includes suitable all-day bus tickets, a parking charge policy which supports car-bus interchanges, improvements to bus information and bus stop infrastructure more generally. Recommendations on many of these are to be found elsewhere in this report.

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3 Bus services to serve camping and caravan sites

3.1 Methodology 3.1.1 Information on camping and caravan site locations was taken from the 2008 Jurassic Coast public transport publications, the relevant Ordnance Survey maps and holiday accommodation websites. Bus stop locations were plotted on the GIS program MapInfo from the National Public Transport Accessibility Node (NaPTAN) database (dated January 2008) and bus service frequencies were taken from the relevant County Council 2008 public transport publications.

3.1.2 Information has been gathered about the closest bus service excepting where other, more frequent, bus services are accessible slightly f urther away. In these cases, information is provided on services at both locations. Buses which run on certain days of the week only have not been includ ed unless they are the only availab le bus service. Some bus services are more frequent during summer months and where this is the case it has been noted. Summer frequencies have been used for assessment purposes as it is assumed that camping and caravan sites have highest occupancy and demand for public transport will be highest at these times.

3.1.3 The following factors were used to assess the appropriateness of bus services, as follows:

- Size of camping or caravan site (in terms of pitches, etc) (small, medium, large); - Distance to b us stops (Categories 1 to 4 depending on distance); and - Frequency of bus services (Categories 1 to 4 depending on frequency).

The rationale is that certain sites may be too far from bus stops or not have frequent enough bus services for the number of visitors they accommodate.

3.1.4 The criteria for the categories are set out in Table 3.1 below. Colour coding is used to highlight those sites that are relatively inaccessible by bus (in grades of yellow and red).

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Table 3.1 Appropriateness of bus services: criteria used Criteria Categories 1 Less than 100 units/pitches 2 100 - 250 units/pitches 3 250 units/pitches or more Size of accommodation site The larger the site, the mor e visitors and thus the assumption is that there should be a commensurately better bus service available Bus services stop within 400m of central point 1 of the site Bus services stop betw een 400m – 1000m of 2 centr al point of the site Buses stop betw een 1000m – 2000m of central 3 point of the site Walk distance to bus stops Buses stop at least 2000m away from central 4 point of the site Bus services pass closer than this distance but * no for mal bus stops exist Bus services are assumed or are known to stop + this distance from the site, although no bus stops shown on NaPTAN 1 Two buses per hour or more

At least hourly bus services, but less than 2 2 Fr equency of bus services buses per hour Less than hourly bus services but more than 4 (summer w eekdays) 3 services per day 4 4 bus services per day or less frequent

3.1.5 A total of 56 camping and caravan sites were assessed; based on the accommodation categories above this represents 15 large, 17 medium and 24 small accommodation sites. Details of the existing bus services to these sites are set out in Table 3.2 below and in greater detail in Appendix A. Small sites have been excluded from further analysis as these sites do not represent significant visitor numbers compared to the other sites. Medium and large sites denoted as being relatively inaccessib le by bus have been identified as a potential priority for action and analysed further (see the final column of Table 3.2 ). Portesham Dairy Farm camp site is a medium sized site that has

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been colour coded yellow for bus service frequency. However, it is actually reasonably well served by bus as the site is within a very short distance of bus stops served by the X53 service. The site has therefore been excluded from further analysis.

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Table 3.2 Existing bus provision to camping and caravan sites

Walk distance Bus service Priority for Parish Site Name Site size to bus frequency action stops Exmouth Devon Cliffs Large 1 2 Budleigh Salterton Pooh Cottage Holiday Park Small 3 1 Otterton Ladram Bay Holiday Centre Large 3 2 Yes Salcombe Regis Camping & Small 2 2 Salcombe Regis Caravan Park Dunscombe Manor Small 3 2 Oakdow n Touring & Holiday Medium 2* 2 Branscombe Caravan Park King’s Down Tail Caravan & Small 1 2 Camping Park Beer Beer Head Caravan Park Medium 2 3 Yes Couchill Farm Small 2 3 Seaton Seaton Heights Small 1 2 Manor Farm Caravan Site Large 1+ 2 Axmouth Axe Farm camping Medium 1 3 Yes Westhayes Carav an Park Medium 1 3 Yes Combpyne Shrubbery Caravan & Camping Rousdon Medium 1 3 Yes Park Hook Farm Caravan & Camping Uplyme Small 1+ 2 Park Wood Farm Medium 2+ 2 Manor Farm Holiday Centre Large 1+ 2 Charmouth Seadown Holiday Park Medium 1+ 2 Whitchurch Newlands Holiday Centre Large 1 2 Canonicorum Chideock Golden Cap Holiday Park Large 2-3 2 Yes Eype House Small 4 2/3 Symondsbury Highlands End Farm Holiday Park Medium 3/4 2/3 Yes Brit Valley Small 2 2 Bridport West Bay Holiday Centre Large 1 2 Freshwater Beach Large 2 2 Burton Bradstock Coastal Caravan Park Small 3 2 Larkfield Caravan Park Small 1 2 Puncknowle Home Farm Small 1-2 4 Sywre Gorselands Small 1 2

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Portesham Portesham Dairy Farm Medium 1 3 Yes Bagwell Farm Large 1 3 Yes

West Fleet Farm Large 2 3 Yes Sea Barn Farm Large 3 3 Yes Fleet East Fleet Touring Park Large 3 3 Yes Littlesea Holiday Park Large 1 2 Chickerell Pebble Bank Medium 2 1 Weymouth (Wyke Chesil Beach Holiday Park Medium 1 1 Regis) Portland Cove Caravan Park Small 1 3 Weymouth Bay Large 1 1 Weymouth Seaview Holiday Park Large 1 1 (Preston) Waterside Holiday Park Medium 1 1 Osmington Osmington Mills Medium 3 3 Yes West Lulworth Durdle Door Holiday Park Medium 1 4 Yes Kimmeridge Smedmore House Small 3 4 Woodhy de Camping Site Medium 2* 4 Yes Worth Matravers Downshay Small 3 2 Haycrafts Caravan Club Site Small 2 2 Primrose Hill Small 2 2 Acton Field Small 2 2 Tom’s Field Small 2 2 Langton Matrav ers Knitson Farm Tourers Site 3 2 (accessibility assessed to 2 bus Small 3 4 stops and 1 rail station) 4 2 Priestway Small 2 2 Swanage Bay View Holiday Park Medium 2 2 Swanage Herston Yards Farm Small 2 2 Ulwell Cottage Small 1 2

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3.2 Fin dings 3.2.1 The majority of the accommodation sites examined are situated within 1000m walk distance of a bus service of hourly or more frequent bus service, and 25 are within 400m. All bar two of the large accommodation sites are within 1000m of bus services (Ladram Bay Holiday Centre and Golden Cap Holiday Park). 31 of the 56 sites (including all of the large sites) have an hourly or better service frequency from the nearest bus stop to one or more destinations. However, there are 8 medium sized sites for which the nearest bus service is less than hourly.

3.3 Suggested Strategy: Introduction 3.3.1 The remainder of this chapter analyses sites identified as priorities for action. The analysis includes a description of why the sites are currently not very accessible by public transport, along with a brief outline of any potentia l measures that could improve accessibility. The sites are described on the basis of which measures would have the greatest potential to improve public transport accessibility. The five broad types of measure are as follows:

(a) Bring services closer to accommodation sites; (b) Increase service frequencies; (c) Provide bus stops closer to accommodation sites; (d) Enhance routes from accommodation sites to bus stops and bus stop infrastructure; and (e) Improve visitors’ awareness of local bus services at camping and caravan sites.

These are discussed in turn below.

3.4 Strategy Measure A: Bring services closer to accommodation sites 3.4.1 Five sites were further assessed with regard to bring bus services closer, as follows:

- Ladram Bay Holiday Centre; - Golden Cap Holiday Park; - Highland End, Eype; - Sea Barn Farm, Fleet; and - East Fleet Touring Park, Fleet.

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3.4.2 Ladram Bay Holiday Centre is a fairly large site of 305 pitches located south- east of Otterton. The village is served by an hourly bus service (157), but the nearest bus stops are 1300m from the holiday park. The 157 service operates between Exmouth and Sidmouth via Bud leigh Salterton and Newton Poppleford and is routed entirely on main roads excepting the access to and from Otterton. Here the buses serve three sets of stops in Otterton Village, and turn around at a purpose-built bus turning circle in Otterton Street at the eastern end of the village before returning to the B3178.

3.4.3 The 157 bus service is operated entirely commercially by Stagecoach, and Stagecoach were contacted to ascertain the potential to route the service closer to the holiday park Stagecoach state that there are two main reasons preventing route changes as follows:

- Insufficient time in the timetab le to serve Ladram Bay; and - Narrow road between Otterton and Ladram Bay.

3.4.4 Stagecoach state that two vehicles are used to operate an hourly service on the 157 service and that layover time is just six minutes. If Ladram Bay were to be served, then either an additional vehicle would be required or the service would no longer be able to run hourly. As this would undermine the commercial viability of the service, Stagecoach state that it is very difficult to imagine a situation where a decision would be taken to serve Ladram Bay while the 157 service remains a commercially operated service. In addition, many parts of Bell Street and Ladram Road are currently of insufficient width for a bus and other vehicles to pass. Stagecoach state that they would be unwilling to run the low f loor single-deck buses that are used on the 157 service down these roads. In summary, it is extremely unlikely that the 157 service can be re-routed to serve Ladram Bay unless both a significant amount of subsidy can be found for an additional bus to be operated and access difficulties can be overcome.

3.4.5 The Golden Cap Holiday Park has 280 pitches and is located on the coast due south of Chideock. The 31 and X53bus services that serve Chideock on the main road 12 are inter-urban services that offer a good combined frequency of

12 X67 (Yeovil to Seaton & S idmouth) and X88 (Bridgwater to Bridport and Weymouth) also serv e the v illage but operate only one service apiece on Sunday s and Public Holidays from 29 J uly to 2 September

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service, but the holiday park is 860-1300m away from Chideock down a narrow cul-de-sac lane leading to the sea. The nature of the bus services – relatively high frequency inter-urban services that keep to major roads for the length of their routes – means that they are not well suited to undertaking the kind of diversion required if they were to serve to the holiday park. It is extremely unlikely that re-routing these services would be justified in terms of potentia l demand versus the additional costs that would be incurred .

3.4.6 The camping and caravan sites at Eype (Eype House and Highlands End ) are two of the least accessible sites by public transport, being 2100m and 1160m respectively away from the nearest bus stops at West Bay (via the Coast Path). These sites have the same accessibility issues as the Golden Cap site in that it would not be practical for the relatively high frequency inter-urban bus services such as the X53 to divert off the route just to serve these holiday sites. In the case of the Eype House site, the access road, Mount Lane, is too narrow and steep to be practically served even by the smallest conventiona l bus.

3.4.7 There is some potential in the medium to long term to consider a local service to cater for visitors to Golden Cap Holiday Park and sites in Eype. However, there is a short footpath that links the Eype House site to the Highlands End site and there is potential, subject to the installation of a turning circle at the site, to serve Highlands End directly via either the A35 or Broad Lane with a small vehicle. A service would have to be created from scratch, and would probably be based on a direct agreement between a local operator - perhaps a taxi firm – and the holiday sites. It might only be viable in high season and would need to be simple, focussing on transporting visitors from the holiday sites to Bridport and/or West Bay.

3.4.8 There are four large camping and caravan sites at Fleet located relatively close together - Bagwell Farm, West Fleet Farm, Sea Barn Farm and East Fleet Touring Park. Whilst the nearest local bus service, the X53, operates 10 trips a day in the summer, 2 of the 4 sites (Sea Barn Farm & East Fleet Touring Park ) are a significant distance from the service. In addition, the sites collectively account for over 1000 pitches, and on this basis, warrant further analysis as part of this chapter.

3.4.9 The quality of the roads to the Fleet holiday sites do not lend themselves to diverting the X53 service. However, the sheer collective size of the sites has

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led to a joint venture between local bus operator Wessex Bus and the holiday sites. The proprietor of Wessex Bus states that the service runs in July and August only, the odd Bank Holiday excepted. Four return journeys a day are operated between the sites and Weymouth, and the service makes no intermediate stops. The service is therefore very useful for the two months of high season, but for the rest of the summer the sites have no direct service.

3.4.10 The Wessex Bus operated service appears on the DoCC public transport maps as service 1. It might be better for DoCC to refer to the service with a different name or number as there is potential for conf usion with the number 1 service operated by First that runs between Weymouth and Portland. No timetable information is displayed on the pub lic transport map, and given that the service runs non-stop between the holiday sites and Weymouth, it might be better just to flag up that a high season only service exists, and that passengers should contact the holiday sites or Wessex Bus for further information.

3.4.11 There are several small campsites scattered in the countryside between Corfe Castle and Swanage, often distant from existing bus services. There are few settlements of significant size close by so it is difficult to envisage these sites being served by a conventional bus service in the short or medium term. However, recent bus service changes in the Purbeck area offer the opportunity to have a fresh look at public transport provision in the area.

3.4.12 In May 2008 Wilts & Dorset withdrew their 142 (Poole to Swanage via Harman’s Cross) and 143 (Poole to Swanage via Langton Matravers) services and replaced them with the 40 service (Poole to Swanage via Langton Matravers). The 40 service does not vary its route and the result is that Valley Road and Harmans Cross is no longer served. DoCC have provided financial support for the 44 service to ensure Harmans Cross retains a bus service, but there may now be scope to do something more innovative in this area. Thought could be given to the potential for introducing a new service that would effectively combine service 44 and service 275. Service 275 serves Kimmeridge, Church Knowle, Creech, Creech Bottom and East Creech and operates on Thursdays only. By combining service 44 with service 275, it might be possible to increase the frequency of operation to the popular visitor destination of Kimmeridge and maybe also serve campsites like Knitson Farm.

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3.4.13 As an alternative to combining the services, it would also be worth investigating the potential for a DRT service for the area. DRT would be better suited to local residents than visitors, so a DRT service aimed at loca l residents alongside a non-DRT service for visitors that could run at peak visitor times only, would also be worth investigating. It is also worth noting that some campsites in Purbeck are within easy reach of some of the Corfe Castle to Swanage railway stations.

3.5 Strategy Measure B: Increase service frequen cies 3.5.1 Eight sites for which the nearest bus service is less than hourly have been further analysed to assess how frequency could be improved, as follows:

- Beer Head, Beer; - Axe Farm, Axmouth; - Westhayes & Shrubbery, Rousdon; - Osmington Mills; - Durdle Door; and - Kimmeridge & Woodhayes (in south Purbeck).

3.5.2 Three of the sites (two in Rousdon and the Osmington Mills site) would benefit from an enhanced X53 service frequency. Most of the other sites are served by bus services for which increasing the frequency to hourly would be an unrealistic proposition, as the services are rural community style services than on the whole require a significant amount of financial support from the relevant local authority.

3.5.3 The large site at B eer Head is 470 metres away from the nearest bus stop that is served by the 899 bus service. The 899 service is operated by Axe Valley Mini-Travel and five return journeys a day serve Beer. The service runs between Seaton and Sidmouth with some journeys serving Branscombe and Axmouth also. Certain journeys for this service are financially supported by DeCC. Increasing the frequency of this service would therefore require increased financial support, and it is unlikely that DeCC would be able to justify the increased subsidy required, purely to meet the needs of holidaymakers. The same rationale applies to the site at Axmouth that is also served by the 899 bus service. It is difficult to envisage an increase in frequency being justified, particularly when the site is very close – 250m – to the nearest bus stop.

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3.5.4 The Durdle Door camping and caravan site is served by the D2D demand responsive 103 service. Only three journeys per day serve Durdle Door and, considering the remoteness, sparse population and distance from the X53 bus corridor, it is difficult to envisage how the frequency of the service could be increased. On the p lus side, the service allows passengers to book the service so that it serves the site itself, rather than just the nearest bus stop.

3.5.5 The Kimmeridge sites are the most isolated in terms of public transport accessibility, several miles away from the main service 40 bus corridor, and served by the 275 bus service that operates on Thursdays only. Considering the remoteness of Kimmeridge and its sparse population, it is difficult to see how bus service frequency could be increased, unless a flexibly routed demand responsive service is introduced in the Purbeck area (as described towards the end of the Bring services closer to site section).

3.5.6 There are also some smaller, remoter sites that are either a significant distance from the nearest bus stop or that are served by a very infrequent bus service. These sites have not been further analysed for the following reasons:

- By their very nature, visitor numbers at these sites will be smaller; and - Visitors to these sites may have lower expectations about the quality of the transport links availab le.

3.6 Strategy Measure C: Provide bus stops closer to accommodation sites 3.6.1 There are several camping and caravan sites where either buses pass much closer to the site than the nearest ‘official’ bus stop or where nearby stops do not exist in the official NaPTAN database (and consequently do not appear in Traveline online timetab les). Table 3.3 highlights locations where some kind of bus stop infrastructure exists on the ground, but where there is no record of the stop in terms of the NaPTAN data. Table 3.4 highlights locations where no bus stop infrastructure is present (and likewise does not exist on the NaPTAN database) but where new bus stops would reduce the walk distance from the accommodation site.

3.6.2 Steps should therefore be taken to reduce the distance visitors are required to walk to access bus services by formalising existing ones and providing new bus stops with bus stop infrastructure, as per the action points in Tables 3.3 and 3.4 .

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3.6.3 Inconsistencies with NaPTAN data or stops which do not currently exist in the database should be rectified or added by the ‘stop owner’ (usually the County Council as local highway authority). County Councils have a responsibility to provide up-to-date bus timetable information in their area to South West Passenger Transport Information (SWPTI), the regional partnership of local authorities and major bus operators, to provide data for Traveline, the national public transport enquiry service. A nominated SWPTI co-ordinator at each County Council will have responsibility for providing the updated bus service information and NaPTAN data, and is likely to be this officer who, after discussion with the relevant local bus operator/s, will change the NaPTAN details.

3.6.4 The siting of new bus stops suggested overleaf will require the agreement of the relevant county council (as local highway authority) and the relevant bus operators. Road safety, bus operations and the convenience of passengers will also need to be considered as part of this process.

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Table 3.3: Bus stops not on NaPTAN Nearby Bus stop accommodation infrastructure Notes Action site present? Bus stop infrastr ucture exists, but Seaton Heights Yes needs to be added to NaPTAN and Traveline database The Talbot Arms in Uplyme is a popular bus stop (if seemingly Provide bus stop infrastr ucture and Hook Farm, No unrecognised as part of Traveline and NaPTAN). We have add information to NaPTAN and Uplyme assumed its use for the purposes of measuring distances. Traveline databases Provide bus stop infrastr ucture on There is a First bus flag affix ed to a highway sign on the (flag and timetable on north side of Wood Farm, Charmouth side of the A35 r oundabout. This stop halves the Axminster Road, timetable on south Yes (par tial) Charmouth distance to access the 31 bus as compar ed w ith ‘official’ stops side of Axminster Road) and add at Fernhill and Higher Sea Lane infor mation to NaPTAN and Traveline databases Manor Farm / Whilst bus flags, timetables and painted markings on the road Add infor mation to NApTAN and Seadown, Yes exist, this stop close to Bridge Road does not appear on the Traveline databases Charmouth NaPTAN GIS layer or Traveline data

Table 3.4: Accommodation sites where new, closer, bus stops are recommended Location Notes Action

Oakdown, The NAPTAN database does not indicate any bus stops close to this holiday park. It has Branscombe been assumed that visitors w ould be required to walk to King’s Down Tail. Provide bus stop infrastr ucture and Manor Farm, It has been assumed that buses would, if r equested, stop in the vicinity of the site, Seaton but no infrastructure exists, w hich w ould put off visitors add information to NaPTAN and Traveline databases The Bagw ell Farm site entrance is the near est point at w hich the X53 can be accessed Bagw ell Farm for most of the Fleet camping and caravan sites, but does not have any bus stop infrastr ucture or appear in Traveline or NAPTAN data.

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3.7 Strategy Measure D: Enhance routes from accommodation sites to bus stops and bus stop in frastructure 3.7.1 The benefit of proximity to a bus service is greatly reduced if the walking route to the bus stop is arduous or dangerous, and if the quality of the bus stop infrastructure is poor. Whilst a detailed audit of walking routes and bus stops has not been und ertaken, there are locations which could be improved.

3.7.2 An audit of pedestrian access from camping and caravan sites to bus stops would be useful for medium and large campsites where the nearest bus stop is well used (or has the potential to be well used). Such an audit would identify routes where pedestrian improvements would be desirable, such as footways on critical sections of highway, measures to reduce traffic speed, installation of pedestrian crossings, and investigating new Rights of Way or permitted paths. An examp le of a pedestrian access checklist that could be used for the study area appears as Appendix B.

3.7.3 The audit of pedestrian access would also identify bus stops that require infrastructure improvements. At a basic level this would mean ensuring every bus stop allows waiting passengers space to stand off the highway. It should also ensure that all useful bus stops actually exist in some physical form (flag, timetable, hardstanding, etc as appropriate) so as to provide a visual cue to visitors that a local bus service exists (see also Chapter 6 on bus information).

3.8 Strategy Measure E: Improve visitors’ awareness of local bus services at camping and caravan sites 3.8.1 Regardless of how near or frequent bus services are to camping and caravan sites, their use relies on visitors’ knowledge that they exist, where and when they run to and how to use them. Whilst good practice in the provision of public transport information is set out in detail in Chapter 6 of this report, below are suggestions specific to promoting bus services on camping and caravan sites.

3.8.2 Although some of the camping and caravan sites on the Jurassic Coast already give out useful pub lic transport information to their guests, the quality and quantity of information is variable. DeCC and DoCC could take a proactive stance and contact selected sites to dispense travel planning advice to help sites. The travel p lanning advice could include information regarding:

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- Noticeboards giving site-specific information on public transport links, location of bus stops and the best walking routes to reach them; - Travel information packs for visitors; - Training staff to advise visitors on public transport; - On-site discounted day tickets through agreements with the relevant bus operators; and - Co-ordination with neighbouring sites to provide improved transport.

3.8.3 A travel planning approach of this nature is equally applicable to well-served sites (increasing patronage onto existing services; achieving a shift away from car use) and those medium and large sites that are relatively inaccessib le by bus (where working in partnership an identify opportunities to improve the transport situation). The travel planning guidance dispensed to sites should highlight how sites can liaise with local transport operators to provide shuttle services in high season, perhaps in collaboration with neighbouring sites. The examp le of the service in the Fleet area operated by Wessex Bus could be highlighted as an examp le of good practice.

Good Practice example

The Bagwell Farm, West Fleet Farm, Sea Barn Farm and East Fleet camping and caravan sites are served by a shuttle bus service run by Wessex Bus. The service is a joint venture between the caravan sites and local b us operator Wessex Bus. The service operates in July and August only, and the occasional Bank Holiday outside of high season. Four return journeys a day are operated between the sites and Weymouth, and the service makes no intermediate stops.

3.9 Summary and Recommen dations 3.9.1 Despite the largely rural nature of the study area, a majority of camping or caravan sites are within 1000m of a b us stop and a majority have access to an hourly or better bus service 13 .

13 Whilst most sites are both w ithin 1000m of a bus stop and hav e an hourly service, some have one but not the other

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3.9.2 Of the sites that are not well served, several are located on bus routes but lack a conveniently located bus stop (or physical evidence of bus stops). For the remaining sites that are less well served, there are often valid operationa l reasons which make service improvements difficult to achieve without very significant revenue and capital expenditure. These reasons include being located on roads or tracks that are inaccessible by bus, and simply being too far from the main bus route making it impractical, given timetabling constraints, for bus services to divert from the main route to serve the site.

3.9.3 Notwithstanding this, there are several ways in which bus access can b e improved with the aim of increasing visitor bus patronage. This ranges from the relatively inexpensive (provision of information at accommodation sites, siting of new bus stop infrastructure) to significant capital and revenue expenditure (modifying bus routes and frequencies). Of these, tailoring travel information for the accommodation providers, training accommodation staff and providing advice to individual sites may help create mode shift at the points where visitors most require information to help them make informed travel choices.

3.9.4 The following is a summary of the main recommendations relating to access to camping and caravan sites:

Shorter-term /relatively inexpensive - Where bus stop infrastructure is absent, provide new bus stops or formalise existing ones with bus stop infrastructure to reduce the walk distances; - Conduct an audit of pedestrian access from medium and large sites to bus stops to identify routes requiring pedestrian improvements and improved bus stop infrastructure; - Provide travel planning advice to medium and large camping and caravan sites to upgrade the information available at accommodation sites; - Provide travel planning advice to medium and large camping and caravan sites regarding on-site discounted day tickets through agreements with the relevant bus operators; and - Provide travel planning advice to medium and large camping and caravan sites encourage co-ordination with neighbouring sites to provide improved transport.

Longer-term/relatively expensive

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- Consider the potential for a local service that would cater for visitors and connect Golden Cap Holiday Park, the sites in Eype and Bridport; - Consider the potential for introducing a new service or services in south Purbeck that would effectively combine service 44 and service 275 to serve scattered visitor accommodation sites; and - Consider increasing the frequency of the X53 bus service as a way of improving accessibility to a significant number of sites, including the Rousdon and Osmington Mills sites.

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4 Demand Responsive Transport Services: Constraints and Opportunities

4.1 In troduction 4.1.1 Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services already operate in both Devon and Dorset, branded as Fare Car in the former and Door to Dorset (D2D) in the latter. Whilst only one DRT service operates in the study area (D2D service 103/103A), continuing local authority budgetary pressures will see existing supported services reappraised and additional services may be introduced. This chapter therefore examines their constraints and opportunities and suggests how DRT services can best meet visitor travel needs.

4.2 Types of DRT 4.2.1 There are three commonly operated types of DRT service:

- Flexible bus services (such as D2D ) - Shared car services (such as Fare Car); and - Taxibus services.

Each type can be defined as a bus service that shares the following characteristics:

- has at least some element of f lexible routing to cater for demand; - is subject to pre-booking by passengers; and - is open to all residents and visitors, regardless of mobility.

Additional details on the types of DRT are set out in Appendix C and background details on D2D service 103/103A are contained in Appendix D .

4.3 Wh y DRT? 4.3.1 Delivering accessibility is one of government’s four shared priorities which must be covered by 2 nd LTPs. Accessibility is defined as enabling peop le to access emp loyment, education, healthcare facilities, food shops and - importantly for this report - leisure and exercise opportunities.

4.3.2 Low population densities (and thus low passenger demand) make efficient and profitable public transport difficult to provide in many rural areas in

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conventional forms. As a result, DRT services have been imp lemented as another mechanism to improve or maintain accessibility, both in terms of widening geographical coverage (by diverting from fixed routes to pick up passengers at more convenient locations) as well as to the vehicle itself (which are often low-floor and step-free). In some cases, they are introduced to reduce local authority subsidy of supported services.

4.3.3 DoCC view DRT as a cost effective of ‘ addressing rural accessibility and achieving [passenger] growth in the rural area’ [DoCC 2006: 77]. It is seen as a way of enab ling all households within the service area to access bus services, and the County Council intend to systematically review existing bus services to identify services to be replaced with flexible types of service, focussing on areas having the highest indices of unmet need’ [ibid].

4.3.4 Many DRT services in the UK were launched on receipt of monies from successful Rural and Urban Bus Challenge bids by local authorities. Most required significant levels of local authority financial support for ongoing operation, and due to funding shortfalls, some have recently been discontinued. Urban DRT services do exist, but the vast majority of are found in sparsely populated rural areas where their flexibility can be put to greatest effect.

Enoch et al 2004 have asserted that DRT has traditionally been ‘ driven by the social exclusion agenda, and features schemes that are cumbersome, expensive, bespoke and cost heavy. In general, the systems have tended to have their own call centres, sometimes combining other local authority functions to save replication and thus reduce costs. The subsidy levels of th e infrastructure (call centres, software, vehicles, etc.) are enormous burdens for councils but so are the operational cost elements. It is debatable that current systems can be made more effective to provide good value for money’ [Enoch et al 2004: 15].

4.3.5 Shared car schemes are more cost effective than f lexib le bus services where passenger demand levels are low, partly because they do not require the loca l authority to purchase and operating expensive hardware and software or pay for a call centre. The DfT state that ‘ the next level in terms of ‘commercial viability’ refers to the low-tech shared taxi schemes, e.g. Lovedean Carshare in Hampshire. Average subsidy per passenger trip here is roughly £1. However, a more rural scheme of a similar type, the Fare Car in Devon costs

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rather more than that – £10 per trip. Once again the routes operate in relatively compact communities and the technology, staff and vehicle costs are minimal’ [ibid:15].

4.4 DRT and Policy 4.4.1 Rural accessibility has tended to focus on improving residents’ access to the first four types of destination; however, recent emphasis on healthy lifestyles and tackling obesity (as seen in government initiatives such as ‘Walking for health’) means improving accessibility to leisure attractions – including the Coast Path or other rights of way – must not be ignored.

4.4.2 Aside from the direct health agenda, local residents have a desire to access these areas for reasons of enjoyment in the same way that visitors have. Improving residents’ access to leisure and recreation locations is therefore very much part of the social agenda and can aid physical and mental health.

4.5 Barriers to visitors using DRT services 4.5.1 This section of this chapter identifies the various barriers to using DRT, referencing service 103/103A as an examp le of current practice. Additional details regarding the operation of service 103/103A are contained in Appendix E . Each barrier is subsequently examined in terms of how they can be overcome, particularly with the visitor market in mind.

4.5.2 The main barriers to DRT usage are:

(a) Lack of awareness of the service; (b) Lack of understanding as to how the service works; (c) Membership registration requirements; (d) Journey pre-booking requirements; (e) Reconciling journey patterns of residents and visitors; and (f) DRT’s image.

4.6 Barrier A: Lack of awareness of the service Explanation and general recommendations 4.6.1 Prospective passengers cannot use a service if they are unaware that it exists. Most visitors are unfamiliar with the local geography or lack detailed knowledge of local transport services. Without this, most visitors are reliant on visual triggers (such as bus stops) to generate service awareness but DRT services, by their very nature, often lack the usual visual triggers. ‘Flexible’

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parts of DRT services do not necessarily have bus stops. Service 103/103A does feature physical bus stops in the f lexible area and this is good practice.

4.6.2 The actual vehicles used on the service should also feature branding (as is the case for the 103/103A) as they are an advertising space for the service. The livery should make it clear what the service is, destinations it serves, and how the service can be used.

4.6.3 Other barriers relating to lack of awareness can be overcome in various ways. Service publicity information should be concise, legible, and located in the right places. The same information should be available in electronic and printed form. Electronic information should be availab le on websites that visitors will use, and in the most obvious places on those websites.

Service 103 Recommendations 4.6.4 Stop-specific, branded, timetable information should be provided in timetable cases and clear and consistent bus stop flags with the D2D brand (in line with recommendations in section 6 ).Online information at dorsetforyou.com should be more prominent, merged with information on ‘conventional’ bus services and require less ‘clicks’ of the mouse to reach it.

4.6.5 The leaflet available online includes an out-of-date timetab le. This document should be removed immediately and replaced with a current and service- specific leaflet. This should be availab le in print form and ensure that this leaflet is available at prominent visitor locations and access points, such as Wool. Printed information should be available at visitor accommodation sites and visitor attractions. Best use should also be made of community notice boards and amenable local businesses to display information.

4.6.6 At very important visitor sites, including major Tourist Information Centres, local authorities should be proactive and identify members of staff who can act as ‘champions’ or ‘agents’ for the service.

4.7 Barrier B: Lack of understanding how the service works Explanation and general recommendations 4.7.1 If visitors are aware of a service, the next step is to ensure they understand they are welcome to use it and understand how it works. Visitors may think the service is only availab le to residents (see Barrier E), or be put off by a

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complicated timetable or a lack of clear information on how the service works.

4.7.2 A general D2D and a series of individual service-specific leaflets were published by DoCC. The generic D2D leaf let ( Figure 4.1 below) is quite clear that visitors can use the service. However, a specific 103 service timetable leaflet containing a frequently asked question section, a map, and the service timetable is of greater use to potential passengers. It is recognised by DoCC that one of the challenges in designing a DRT timetab le leaflet is packing in all the information about how the service works in addition to finding space for the timetable and map.

Figure 4.1: Generic D2D promotional literature : Brief mention is made of visitors being able to use the service

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Figure 4.2: sample of D2D Service 103 timetable from the South Dorset Bus & Rail Times timetable booklet

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Figure 4.3: D2D Service 103 instructions on how to use the service from page 14 of the South Dorset Bus & Rail Times timetable booklet

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4.7.3 The legibility of a bus timetab le leaf let is very closely linked to the simp licity of the service itself. A simpler service that offers fewer journeys may generate more passengers than a more complex service with more journeys because it can be more easily understood by potential users, including visitors. Additional information on this topic is covered in Chapter 6 .

4.7.4 In the absence of an up-to-date service leaflet, the following analysis applies to the inf ormation within the Bus & Train Times South Dorset booklet, and suggestions are aimed at how a future service 103 specific leaflet should be produced.

4.7.5 The telephone symbol is deployed to good effect to denote that bookings must be made for the DRT stops. To improve legibility, font sizes could be increased and best practice guidance should be referred to in terms of general design and presentation. The two different parts to the timetab le - 103 and 103A - make it confusing for the uninitiated. In fact, NORDCAT report that when visitors enquire about the service, they refer to the two aspects of the service as the ‘big bus’ and the ‘small bus’ to avoid any conf usion (rather than 103 and 103A).

4.7.6 If a specific timetable leaf let is produced, legibility is the key and the actua l timetable itself should be minimalist in use of colour and design. Reference should be made to best practice guidance, such as that by ATOC.

4.7.7 The non-timetable part of the leaflet should be attractive to read and clearly explain what a DRT service is and how it works (potentially written as ‘frequently asked questions’). A map should be used including explanations of all symbols. In general terms, text information on a DRT leaflet should assume that users and potential users have absolutely no knowledge of how (any) bus services work. Some of the text used on the D2D publicity information assumes too much knowledge on behalf of passengers and potential passengers. The text would be improved by being written in clearer, plainer english, avoiding all technical jargon, and by taking potential passengers through how the service works step by step assuming zero knowledge. The existing service information contains terms which potential travellers may not be familiar with, such as ‘timing points’. The use of technical terms such as timing point, flexib le area, fixed stop, and Hail & Ride should be minimised, and if these terms are to be used, they should be accompanied by a clear explanation of their meaning. It is important that all publicity material

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highlights that the f lexib le DRT aspect of the service will pick up at any point, within reason, in the f lexib le area (and that the boundaries of such an area are clearly shown or explained).

4.7.8 Promotional information for Cango in Hampshire is a good examp le of communicating the necessary information in a presentable, clear, simple but non-patronising way (see Figure 4.4 ). It explains all the jargon and technica l details in simple, everyday terms. Due to their key tourism destinations served by service 103, it is of double importance that DoCC take a similar approach to their DRT promotional literature.

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Figure 4.4 – Cango Promotional Leaflet: Unambiguous, simple information

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4.7.9 Whilst local residents using DRT services may be concessionary bus pass holders (and therefore not fare-paying), this will not apply to many visitors. The latter group will find fare information helpful, even if it is indicative. Allied to this, a simple f lat fare system is sometimes the best option for DRT as it is easier to administer, communicate in publicity and for all user groups to understand.

4.7.10 Strong branding can be useful for in raising awareness of a service for potential passengers and in creating an understanding of the kind of service it is, and the destinations served. DoCC brands all its DRT services as Door to Dorset. This branding has most value for the Council itself, some value for local residents, and very little value for visitors. It is worth pointing out that the Door to Dorset brand will soon change to All Around Dorset , as another company already uses the name. The new brand name is again intended to b e used for all D2D services.

4.7.11 The visitor market may respond better to a service name which includes the key destinations. This is used in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, where the Strumble Shuttle and Poppit Rocket operate.

Service 103 Recommendations 4.7.12 An up-to-date specific timetab le leaf let should be reproduced. Instructions on using service 103 currently differs between the South Dorset timetab le booklet and the public transport map and this should harmonised and consistently available in print and online.

4.7.13 A stronger individual identity for service 103 may be a better way to market the service to visitors. All Around Dorset , the new brand for Dorset’s DRT, will cover all services, and will thus not address the issue of creating stronger individual identities for the various DRT services.

4.7.14 Related to the point made in the Lack of awareness of the service part of this section of the report, visitor understanding of how the services work can be enhanced through the successful engagement of DRT ‘champions’ or ‘agents’ at important visitor accommodation sites and attractions. Such people might even act as booking agents for the service.

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4.8 Barrier C: Membership registration requiremen ts Explanation and general recommendations 4.8.1 The easier a service is to use, the easier it is to attract passengers; however, requiring passengers to apply for membership before they can use a service makes things more difficult, not easier. Some visitors will wrongly assume that they are not eligible for the service, and others will simply not want to go to the bother of calling up/logging on and giving up their personal information.

4.8.2 Despite no legislative requirements to do so, the vast majority of DRT services require membership/registration. Instead, legislation requires passengers using the f lexib le part of the service to pre-book their journeys, and that for flexible bus services, details of all bookings made, including pick-up times, drop-off times and passenger names must be recorded.

Service 103 Recommendations 4.8.3 The scheme registration requirement should be removed. If the scheme booking system requires a membership number at the booking stage, spare visitor membership numbers can be used, or membership numbers that are allocated to accommodation sites should be used. Alternatively, the scheme booking system should be changed.

4.9 Barrier D: Journey pre-booking requiremen ts Explanation and general recommendations 4.9.1 The legal requirement that passengers must pre-book a journey on a flexib le part of DRT service is in itself a significant barrier to use. The further in advance the booking must be made, the greater the barrier to travel it represents. It precludes prospective passengers from making a spontaneous decision to travel, and requires journeys to be planned in advance. Travellers may not have made the decision to travel by the cut-off point for bookings, as decisions may decided very shortly before the intended time of departure and based on factors such as the weather and how individuals feel.

4.9.2 Pre-booking the return trip is also problematic since most people will not know how long their intended activity/task will take before they wish to make the return journey. This is applies equally to residents (unknown duration of doctor’s appointment) and visitors (depending on the weather).

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4.9.3 Potential users may not be confident in phoning up a stranger to book an unfamiliar service. NORDCAT report that many visitors to the Lulworth area are from overseas with limited grasp of the English language. Requiring these potential passengers to make a telephone call before they can use the service is daunting and a major barrier to usage (assuming that, to get this far, they have understood how the service works and registered). Finally, visitors, since they are on holiday, may wish to do as little ‘work’ as possible, and the more steps involved in using a service the less likely they are to use it.

4.9.4 The pre-booking barrier can be lessened by minimising the number of pre- booked journeys. Although detailed information could not readily be provided by NORDCAT, it would appear that the vast majority of 103A journeys operate, and that Wool railway station is a major gateway to the Jurassic Coast for visitors without their own transport. Most visitors wish to travel to Lulworth or Durdle Door so it is recommended that these destinations are non- bookable fixed stop, removing the pre-booking barrier completely.

4.9.5 For destinations which retain pre-booking, the process needs to be as simp le as possible. Since no minimum pre-booking period is required by legislation for either flexible bus or shared car services, the cut-off point should be as close to the departure time as is possible. The only stipulation is that for flexible bus services passengers cannot book via the driver or via a booking centre when the vehicle is present.

4.9.6 D2D service 103/103A currently allows pre-booking period up to an hour before travel. This is good, but pre-booking right up to the time of travel should be strived for. A review of the current manual dispatching system is required to see if this is possible, or if messaging/dispatching software would be required. The ability to take bookings for the period of time that the service operates is therefore very important. For the 103/103A service, the call centre is open from 0830 to 1700 Mondays to Saturdays. This is good, but could be improved by being extended to 1800.

4.9.7 The barrier of pre-booking is can also be overcome by proactively identifying members of staff at visitor accommodation sites and attractions to act as ‘champions’ or ‘agents’ for the service. This is already the case at Lulworth Heritage Centre. Such members of staff would be able to assist visitors in understanding the service and make bookings.

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4.10 Barrier E: Recon ciling journey patterns of residen ts and visitors Explanation and general recommendations 4.10.1 DRT services in Dorset and Devon are of the type described as substitute DRT services , where instead of complementing conventional bus services, a DRT system totally (or substantially) replaces them [Enoch et al 2004]. These have been driven by social policy objectives and hence focused upon ‘captive’ users, who by definition have restricted transport choices, and in particular have low levels of access to cars’ [ibid:15]. By contrast, a large proportion of the visitor market consists of ‘choice’ users –who could have chosen to make the trip by car. There are key differences in the user requirements of the two markets, notably that ‘ what captive users most want is a bus or minicab, whereas the last thing choice users want is a bus. Captive users value bus-like attributes. Choice users value taxi/hirecar type attributes’ [ibid:15].

4.10.2 Given that the two user groups have different requirements, attempting to operate and promote successful ‘one size fits all’ DRT services can be difficult. Due to the conf lict in interest between the two user groups, it is likely that DRT schemes will successfully serve the needs of local residents and visitors who do not have access to private transport, but will not successfully serve the needs of those users who have a choice.

4.10.3 DRT services present several barriers which prevent car-driving visitors using them and given this, it is our recommendation that visitors are better served by conventional bus services. If DRT is to be aimed at visitors, bus stops at key visitor destinations must be fixed stops rather than bookable stops and this must be clear in all service information.

4.10.4 DRT services can be made more visitor friendly in the ways described above, and visitor numbers can potentially be increased significantly. In promoting DRT services to visitors, local authorities need to be mindful that services such as the 103/103A service act as a transport lifeline to the local residents that rely on them, and that if visitor passengers are attracted in significant numbers, this could have a negative effect in terms of reliability and availab le capacity on the ‘core’ service that local residents rely on.

4.10.5 In conducting research for this study, good practice examples of DRT schemes that successfully serve the visitor market, either in terms of schemes aimed at the visitor market, or in terms of attracting significant visitor passenger numbers, could not be f ound (see section 4.7 below). This underlines the fact

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that DRT are comp licated by their very nature and that DRT services generally serve local residents rather than visitors. However, despite the barriers that exist, potential visitor patronage can be maximised by making it clear in service publicity that visitors are welcome to use the service.

4.11 Barrier F: Image Explanation and general recommendations 4.11.1 DRT schemes have tended to suffer from an image problem with the general public perceiving them as a form of social service transport serving ‘other people; e.g. the poor, elderly, mobility impaired people, rather than the general public. This is fostered by the fact that most of the users are poor, elderly and mobility impaired people (who are often more aware of this type of travel option) combined with…the insistence on membership schemes (required if a DRT service is to be eligible for Bus Service Operating Grant) and poor marketing’ [Enoch et al 2006].

4.11.2 If DRT schemes are to realise their potential and maximise patronage from all user groups they must be promoted as pub lic transport services available to all. A clear distinction must be made between community transport (for users with mobility difficulties) and other DRT. Services that are marketed under the Ring & Ride or Dial & Ride label are likely to be perceived as community transport services and cannot be expected to attract significant visitor numbers. DRT services that have more in common with a taxi service than a community bus service is likely to better appeal to visitors.

Service 103 Recommendations 4.11.3 DoCC should therefore review the use of the call, book, ride slogan as this may well be dissuading many potential passengers, particularly visitors who have little local knowledge, from using the services. The D2D branding is also likely to project the wrong image for visitors, although if the all around dorset brand is used as intended, this should present less of a barrier.

4.12 Examples of Good Practice 4.12.1 In researching this chapter of the report, no UK DRT services could be found that are aimed primarily at the visitor market. In fact, there were very few DRT services for which the service information contained more than a solitary paragraph regarding visitors being able to use the services. Some of the best practice examples in overcoming barriers to use are outlined in Table 4.1 overleaf.

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Table 4.1 – Examples of DRT best practice Best Practice DRT Further Information pointers scheme Frequently Comprehensive, jargon free & http://www3.hants.gov.uk/passengertransport/ca Cango asked questions legib le ngo Consistently applied on vehicle http://www3.hants.gov.uk/passengertransport/ca Branding livery, bus stops and publicity Cango ngo information Registration Users do not have to register if Connect2 http://www.bookaride.net/c2w/index.html requirement they do not want to Wiltshire

Certain Connect2Wiltshire Connect2 http://www.bookaride.net/c2w/assets/C2W179_C Bicycle carriage services feature bike carriage Wiltshire alne_Kennet_72dpi.pdf Clear wording and publicity Promotion to Connect2 includes information on visitor http://www.bookaride.net/c2w/activities.html visitors Wiltshire attractions and country walks Fare Car information can be Location on Devon http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/transport/public found under Bus service Website Fare Car _transport/buses/services-4.htm information Fare Car 5 features one flat Devon Flat Fare system http://www.devon.gov.uk/f are-car-f5. pdf fare, no concessions Fare Car

4.12.2 Wiltshire County Council appears to lead the way in overtly encouraging visitor patronage on DRT services (in contrast to many other authorities, where a single sentence may indicate that visitors are welcome). The publicity states that ‘ whether you are shopping, sightseeing, or looking to make a train or bus connection – there’s a C2W vehicle just a phone call away ). The pub licity also includes information on visitor attractions, and walking booklets that show how Connect2Wiltshire services can be used to access walks ( Figures 4.5 and 4.6 overleaf).

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Figure 4.5 and 4.6 – The home page of Connect2Wiltshire makes it clear visitors are welcome

Figure 4.2 – Connect2Wiltshire promotes the services as ways to access walks

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4.12.3 Facilities such as bicycle carriage are also likely to be more useful to visitors than local residents. In similarity with conventional bus services, there are very few DRT services which incorporate bicycle carriage, although Connect2Wiltshire services does include this facility. The Frequently Asked Questions section of the Connect2Wiltshire booklet states that; … th e Connect2 vehicles that operate in the Calne and Kennet Valley rural areas are both equipped to carry up to two bicycles. You are advised to book your bike space on the bus, as space may be limited at certain times on some vehicles.

4.12.4 Wiltshire County Council make a virtue of the DRT aspect of the service by only guaranteeing booked bicycles will be accommodated, although, un- booked bicycles subject to space, bicycles that have not been pre-booked can also be taken. By accommodating bicycles on the bus, difficulties with bicycle trailers or external bicycle racks are overcome.

Additional recommendations f or the study area 4.12.5 DoCC should consider implementing a similar bicycle carriage system on D2D services, whilst recognising that space taken up by bicycles means less capacity for passengers.

4.13 The future application of the DRT in the study area 4.13.1 The Devon section of the Jurassic Coast is reasonab ly well served by conventional bus services. Accessibility analysis may well show that there is no urgent need for a DRT service in this area of the Jurassic Coast at the present time. Should, for instance, the 899 be considered for DRT, then the area south of the A3052 between Beer and Salcombe Regis may be suitab le for flexible operation to enable a series of caravan sites to be served as demand dictates.

4.13.2 DoCC plans to develop a DRT service in the extreme west of the county, in the Marshwood Vale. If and when the development of this service is progressed, consideration should be given to better serving those parts of the study area

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between Charmouth and Symondsbury and which are away from the inter- urban bus corridor 14 .

Service 103 4.13.3 DoCC state that the 103 service is a ‘work in progress’ in terms of estab lishing patterns of demand and how best the service can meet that demand. Further changes to the service may take p lace now that DoCC have an integrated transport unit. DoCC also state that they will shortly b e investigating the feasibility of a Jurassic Coast service that will run between Weymouth and Swanage via destinations such as Lulworth and Kimmeridge. Such a service would operate from April to October and be aimed at visitors. The fact that such a service is being investigated underlines the difficulties in successfully serving visitors needs with the 103 service. If such a service is implemented, it would enable service 103 to concentrate on the needs of local residents.

4.13.4 One option to change service 103 would be to omit those settlements that already have access to other regular bus services. For example, Owermoigne and East Knighton are served by the X53, and already have access to facilities and rail links. This could allow more journeys on the 103 service to be availab le to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.

4.13.5 The alternative to the above two options would be to retain the 103 service largely as it is currently, but to make the service more accessible to visitors in terms of the registration system, the pre-booking system, the legibility of the service, and the way the service is marketed, by implementing the various changes outlined in previous sections of this chapter of the report and summarised in the summary and recommendations section that concludes this chapter of the report.

4.13.6 Chapter 3 highlighted the series of isolated camping and caravan sites that are not well-served by public transport between Swanage and Corfe Castle. If the potential Weymouth to Swanage service is implemented, in addition to serving the important visitor attraction of Kimmeridge, consideration could be

14 It should be noted that there are no signif icant legislative barriers to setting up cross-boundary schemes. The Western Marshwood Vale, may, for instance, be better suited to services which connect them to Axminster, along with settlements in Devon such as Hawkchurch.

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given to how a new service could help meet the needs of visitors at these accommodation sites in reaching visitor destinations, and potentially p laces where interchange is possib le for onward travel ( e.g. Corfe Castle, and subject to future interchange improvements, Norden Park and Ride).

4.13.7 In addition to the accommodation sites between Swanage and Corfe Castle, the potential Weymouth to Swanage service could incorporate the settlements between the Army Ranges and Corfe Castle (including Church Knowle, Creech and Kimmeridge). These destinations have one bus service per week (service 275), which in practical terms is virtually useless for visitors, so a new service would greatly increase the public transport accessibility of these settlements.

4.13.8 If the potential Weymouth to Swanage service does not come to fruition in the future, another option to consider would be to discontinue the one day a week 275 service and effectively combine it with the 44 service that serves Worth Matravers and Harmans Cross.

4.13.9 The type of public transport service to be introduced in east Purbeck should be dependent on a robust analysis of current transport provision in the area including passenger numbers, cost per passenger journey and total contract cost of existing financially supported services. This kind of analysis is beyond the scope of this study. As has been discussed in previous sections of this chapter, DRT can be a good way of serving the transport needs of loca l residents but may not be the best way of serving visitor needs. Planning of future services should therefore consider all potential options. The options include the potential Weymouth to Swanage service, a DRT service that would cover the whole of east Purbeck, two separate DRT services in east Purbeck for the two different user groups, a combination of DRT service and conventional bus service (perhaps running in peak season only for visitors), and one conventional bus service for the whole area.

4.13.10 The success of increasing visitor numbers on pub lic transport services in the future would be enhanced by adopting policies that not only promote the public transport services in question, but that make the alternatives less attractive. A review of the availability and supply of car parking, the cost of car parking, and how public transport services are promoted, should therefore take place alongside the various measures outlined to make p ublic transport services more visitor-friendly.

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4.14 Summary and Recommen dations 4.14.1 Both Fare Car and Door to Dorset services are available to visitors as well as residents. However, there are very few good practice examples in the UK of DRT services being promoted to visitors and, in general, various barriers exist in attracting visitors onto them. DRT is by its very nature complex and this contrasts with the demands of most public transport users, particularly visitors, who require services that are easy to understand and simple to use. DRT is best suited to rural areas of low population where potential users are scattered over a relatively wide area. DRT services are expensive to run and a number of schemes in the UK have been discontinued in recent years due to lack of sufficient ongoing subsidy. Destinations that are known to have to have regular demand, such as popular visitor destinations, are better served by non-bookable services.

4.14.2 It is our recommendation that, in general, conventional bus services with fixed routes are a better way of serving the needs of visitors than DRT services as they are easier to understand and simpler to use. However, in areas where DRT services are operating, the services can be made visitor- friendly by ensuring that popular visitor destinations are fixed stops rather than bookable stops, by ensuring that less busy visitor destinations/locations have clear information about how the DRT aspect of the service can be used, and by appropriate use of the different mechanisms of DRT (flexible bus service or taxibus/shared car services) to reflect passenger numbers. Other changes can be made to the way DRT services are organised and promoted to visitors to make them more visitor friendly. DRT services that successfully attract visitors in addition to residents will increase overall passenger numbers and help reduce the service’s operating cost per passenger journey. This will bolster the medium to long term viability of the service.

4.14.3 It is important to highlight that the transport needs of different areas - and the services required to meet them - should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The public transport solution implemented should be the most appropriate one, whether it be DRT or conventional, fixed route service.

4.14.4 In terms of assessing the effectiveness of existing DRT service in serving the needs of both local residents and visitors, North Dorset Community Accessib le Transport (NORDCAT) and DoCC need to be more readily able to provide an audit trail and breakdown of DRT bookings.

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4.14.5 It is our recommendation that the best way of serving the needs of visitors is by conventional fixed route services, as these services are easy to understand and simple to use. DoCC recognise that the best way forward may be to divorce the needs of local residents from visitors, but state that the sticking point is the availability of development f unding to enable separate services to be implemented.

4.14.6 In lieu of additional funding for separate services, DRT services can be made more visitor friendly by making popular visitor destinations non-bookab le fixed stops rather than DRT stops and by applying the following recommendations:

Service Awareness - Electronic information should be available on websites that visitors will visit, and in the most usef ul p laces on those websites. More prominent locations on the website and links from tourist websites. - Printed information should be available at visitor accommodation sites and visitor attractions. Best use should also be made of community notice boards and amenable local businesses to display information. - Local authorities should be proactive and identify members of staff who can act as ‘champions’ or ‘agents’ for the service at important visitor accommodation sites, attractions and Tourist Information Centres. - Better use should be mad e of physical infrastructure at the ‘other bus stops’. These stops should have f lags that advertise that the service exists, and timetab le displays should have at-stop specific information clearly explaining how the service works. - The vehicle itself is an advertising space for the service. The vehicle livery should make it clear what the service is, destinations it serves, and how the service can be used.

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Service understanding - Ensure that DRT service information is consistent across all pub lications and up to date. Remove old information from website. - Ensure that the website version of the South Dorset Bus & Train Travel Times booklet includes the instructions on how to use the service. - Produce an up to date 103/103A service information and timetab le leaflet. - Make it clear on a 103 timetable leaf let that visitors are welcome to use the service. - Refer to good practice such as ATCO 2004: Printed Public Transport Information: A code of good practice, when producing service timetable leaflets including the 103 leaflet. - Remove the ‘third’ part of the 103 timetable (the 103A part) or make it clearer how this relates with main part of the timetable. - A ‘frequently asked questions’ section should be part of a DRT information leaflet and should be in a good font size and be comprehensive. Technical jargon should be minimised and plain English should be used. See Cango example for example of good practice. - Greater clarity is required in explaining and depicting how the flexib le aspect of the service works, particularly in describing that the service is not just restricted to the physical stops. - Produce service information in other languages at key locations such as Wool railway station. - Introduce a f lat fare system and explain fare system clearly on the 103 leaflet. - Create a stronger individual identity for service 103 which more clearly indicates what the service does, where it goes and how it works. Branding should be consistent to vehicle livery, bus stops (where applicable) and all publicity information. - Engage of DRT ‘champions’ or ‘agents’ at important visitor accommodation sites and attractions. Such people might even act as booking agents for the service.

Membership requirements - For the 103 service, the requirement for scheme registration should be removed.

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Pre-booking requirements - Important visitor stops should be made fixed stops rather than bookab le stops. - Conduct audit of flexible area and ensure that the most useful visitor locations – popular walking route access points for example – have a ‘flexible bus stop’ with instructions on how the service works and how to book it. - Pre-booking periods for DRT services should be as close to the time of travel as possible given the operational and routing practicalities of the service in question. Ability to book up to the time of departure is preferable. - Call centres, where used, should be open f or at least the period of time that the service operates. - All DRT passengers, not just regular passengers, should be allowed to book journeys two weeks in advance unless there are strong operational reasons why this should not be the case. - ‘Champions’ or ‘agents’ for DRT services identified at key visitor sites should be encouraged to assist visitors in pre-booking the service.

Reconciling the transport needs and journey patterns of residents and visitors - It is recommended that the best way to reconcile the transport needs and journey patterns of residents and visitors is to implement and promote non-DRT services for visitors. - Where a DRT service is implemented, it is recommended that the appropriate type of DRT service is chosen depending on the area in question and the passenger demand that exists.

Image and marketing - DoCC should review the use of the call, book, ride slogan as this can give the impression that DoCC DRT services are Community Transport service. - DoCC should review the use of the Door to Dorset branding as this is also likely to project the wrong image of the service to visitors. - DoCC should undertake a thorough review of DRT service marketing, incorporating all aspects of brand image and service publicity. Thought should be given to marketing each DRT service on an individual basis.

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Joint working - DoCC should work closely with other organisations such as Dorset AONB, PDC Tourism, and WHJC transport group to produce a coherent visitor management strategy that will include maximising potential visitor patronage on pub lic transport services such as service 103/103A, and help achieve many of the recommendations outlined in this summary. - Joint working should achieve more effective marketing of DRT services, ensuring that non-transport publications include information on service 103/103A, and that new publications are produced such as ‘coastal walks using public transport’. - DoCC should work with local camping and caravan sites to establish if high season bus services are viable as an alternative to DRT, and to seek potential funding contributions.

Other points - DoCC should consider implementing an on-bus bicycle carriage system on D2D service, either on-bus as with Connect2Wiltshire services (recognising this can result in less capacity for passengers) or with bike racks. - Current booking and record keeping system should be reviewed. A more robust procedure should be implemented to ensure compliance with legislation and to better record DRT bookings and journeys. - Regular analysis of DRT bookings and journey patterns should b e undertaken to allow effectiveness of service to be more greatly understood and service to be changed as appropriate. - DoCC should issue feedback questionnaires on an annual basis and they should be issued on-bus, as opposed to passenger’s home address, so that visitor feedback is gained. - Feedback questionnaires should include questions about age, journey purpose, how passengers became aware of the service, what aspect of the service they used (fixed stop or DRT aspect), and how easily they understood the service.

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5 Rail-bus interchange audits

5.1 In troduction 5.1.1 There are a limited number of rail stations close to the Jurassic Coast and, of these, a small numb er from which onward connections are currently possible the coast by bus. This chapter reports the findings of the three rail-bus interchange audits which were carried out, the recommendations for improvements at the interchanges and notes the potential for undertaking audits elsewhere within the study area.

5.1.2 A Stations Strategy formed part of Network Rail’s strategic business plan [2007], but did not set standards; however a Strategy for Devon Rail Stations has been published by the Devon County Council [DeCC 2007].

5.2 Methodology 5.2.1 Three rail-bus interchange points in East Devon were appraised as part of the study, as follows:

- Axminster rail station and bus services 31 and 885; - Honiton rail station and bus service 52B; and - Exmouth rail station and bus services 95 and 157.

5.2.2 The following guidance documents were consulted in developing the appraisal methodology:

- Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA): Standards For Local Bus Services (2004); and - Bus Users UK: Good Practice Guide (2007).

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5.2.3 The appraisal methodology looked at the following aspects of each identified site. An audit checklist for each aspect is included in Appendix E.

- Information provision: including the provision of easily readable bus and rail timetab les (ideally showing connections), route maps, real-time information, branding of stops and services, fares information, staffing, opening hours of ticket offices; - Quality of walking routes: including the provision of direction signs, clear uncluttered and safe routes, accessibility for disabled users, cleanliness and lack of graffiti; - Quality of waiting environments: including provision of shelter from the weather, seating, lighting, security, additional facilities (for examp le toilets, telephone, café, shop, cash machine), aesthetic quality, cleanliness and lack of graffiti; and - Usefulness and likely usage: including assessment of the usefulness of the connection and the degree of integration of bus and rail timetab les.

5.2.4 For each interchange, a general description is provided followed by specific commentaries on information provision, quality of walking routes, quality of waiting environments, and an assessment of the likely usage of the interchange. A summary table is included showing a score between 5 (best) and 0 (worst) for each of the four aspects. The individual scores are summed to give a total between 20 and 0 to provide a quick comparison between the interchanges. An examp le layout for the summary table is shown below in Table 5.1 . Appendix D shows the elements that were considered in determining each score.

Table 5.1 Example summary table and scoring system Rail Bus Information Walking Waiting Location Usefulness Total Services Services Provision Routes Environment Score Score Score Score Text Text Text Score 0-5 0-5 0-5 0-5 0-20

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5.3 Axmin ster Railway Station

Introduction

5.3.1 Axminster railway station provides an interchange between the Exeter to London Waterloo railway line and two b us services to the Jurassic Coast:

• First Dorset service 31 to Lyme Regis, Bridport, Dorchester and Weymouth. Hourly, Monday to Saturday and 6 buses on Sundays; and • Axe Valley Mini Travel service 885 to Colyton and Seaton. Every 1 to 1.5 hours on weekdays and 5 buses on Sundays.

5.3.2 Figure 5.1 overleaf shows the layout of Axminster station. The bus stop is immediately outside the railway station. The station has a single platform and there are no steps or ramps between the platform and the bus stop.

Information Provision

5.3.3 Information provision at Axminster is very good. The signs on the station platform are branded with the Jurassic Coast logo. The railway station has standard timetable display boards as well as electronic departure boards on the platform (showing the next 3 trains) and in the ticket office (showing the next 8 trains). In addition, the ticket office carries a range of leaf lets and timetable booklets.

5.3.4 The bus stop has standard timetables displayed in a timetable case. The text of these timetab les is small, and they are not stop-specific, and may therefore be difficult for many people to use. Neither of the relevant timetables for interchanging to the Jurassic Coast has the Axminster station bus stop highlighted (although one of the other buses using this stop does have it highlighted). The bus stop flag does not have any Jurassic Coast branding, although the 31 bus timetab le is branded.

5.3.5 Neither the bus nor rail timetables at the station show any information about rail-bus connections. Connecting times for trains are however shown in the service 31 timetable within the Bridport & Lyme Regis area timetab le booklet produced by DoCC. These are not shown in the East Devon bus times booklet.

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5.3.6 The incumbent train operating company provides information on the link to Lyme Regis 15 and Seaton 16 on its website. Until their withdrawal earlier this year, the same inf ormation was provided in their Train Times book.

Walking Routes

5.3.7 There are two walking routes from the railway station platform to the bus stop. Both routes are signed for buses to the Jurassic Coast. One route goes through a gateway from the platform adjacent to the café which leads directly to the bus stop. This route is signed with pictograms and labelled ‘Way out for buses to Lyme Regis, Bridport & JURASSIC COAST’. The route is level, but a small upstand in the gateway could cause difficulties for people with mobility impairments, including wheelchair users.

5.3.8 The second route goes through the ticket office and along a very narrow footway in front of the station building to the bus stop. The route is signed from the platform with pictograms and labelled ‘Way out & buses to JURASSIC COAST’. Inside the ticket office a further sign states ‘Outside and turn left for buses to JURASSIC COAST’. The route is level but there are two doors on the route which are not automatic and could cause problems for those with mobility impairments. The narrow width of the f ootway in front of the station building could also cause problems.

Waiting Environments

5.3.9 The waiting environment at the railway station is good. There are seats insid e the ticket office and benches on the platform, two of which are protected from the weather by the station awning. The area is clean, well lit and free of graffiti. Safety is enhanced by the station is staffed from 6:15am to 8:30p m on weekdays, 6:20am to 8:20pm on Saturdays and 9:45am to 9:00pm on Sundays.

15 http://www.southwesttrains.co. uk/SWTrains/TravelInformation/RailLinks/Bus+connections.htm?tab=1

16 http://www.southwesttrains.co. uk/SWTrains/TravelInformation/RailLinks/Bus+connections.htm?tab=2

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5.3.10 The waiting environment at the bus stop is fair. There is a shelter with a perch seat. The area is clean but the bus timetable case has glue or sticky tape marks on it which makes the small text on the timetab les harder to read.

Interchange Facilities

5.3.11 Axminster rail-bus interchange has a good range of facilities. The railway station has a staffed ticket office open throughout the day, toilets, a self- service ticket machine, a full range of information leaf lets and standard timetables, an electronic departures board on the platform and another in the ticket office. The station has good signage and there are also luggage trolleys. There is a café on the station p latform with indoor and outdoor seating on the platform. It is open from early morning to early afternoon. There is a public telephone outside the station.

Likely Usage

‘The main bus service through [Uplyme] is the No.31 service from Weymouth to Axminster…Unfortunately, this service is nearly always late, so do not rely on it if you have a tight transfer at Axminster’ ‘There is a station cafe where a hearty breakfast and a mug of tea can be bought while you wait for the train [after the one] you missed because the bus was late.’ [Browne 2008]

5.3.12 The Axminster Rail-Bus interchange is likely to be well used on weekdays and Saturdays, but is less usef ul on Sundays. The buses serve a range of coasta l destinations with a good service frequency and journey time. From Monday to Saturday, the connections in both directions (Exeter and London) work well when travelling to the Jurassic Coast. Connection times from the Jurassic Coast are poor in the London direction, where a wait of around 50 minutes is usually required. Whilst wait times for Exeter trains tend to be short, delays accrued on the 31 bus service over its 2h 20min journey from Weymouth often result in advertised connections being missed (and consequent very long wait times). However, On Sundays the b us-rail connections are, in general, poor, and the 885 bus does not operate.

5.3.13 Service 31 is financially supported by the two County Councils. Steps should therefore be taken at the time of contract renewal to ensure improved

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connections are in place (especially from bus to rail, with consideration of longer wait times sufficient to account for delays on service 31). It is acknowledged that, with another bus-rail connection at Dorchester South, competing connection needs make these difficult to reconcile.

5.3.14 Service 885 is a commercial service and therefore DeCC cannot directly influence the timetab le, although the bus operator may still be open to suggestions as better connections may increase their passenger numbers.

5.3.15 Rail add-on fares are availab le for onward bus travel to Lyme Regis. These cost £2.80 for a single or £3.20 for a day or period return. No add-on fares are availab le to Seaton.

Other comments: p lanned changes to rail services 5.3.16 An hourly service frequency will be introduced on the London Waterloo to Exeter line from December 2009 and the longer-term aspiration to complement this with an additional hourly Exeter to Axminster service [DeCC 2007a, Network Rail 2007]. The introduction of these new rail services (with the assumption that this allows ‘clockface’ departure times - i.e. same minute past each hour) should offer the opportunity to create much better connections with appropriate wait times (i.e. sufficient to account for delays on the 31 bus). The hourly frequency will require a passing loop to b e constructed in the Axminster and Chard Junction area; this may necessitate the reopening of a second platform. Should this be necessary, it has been assumed that Disability Discrimination Act regulations will ensure that suitab le step-free access is created to link this new p latform to the facilities availab le at the main station building.

Other comments: Bus Access

5.3.17 The station approach road from King Edward Road is relatively narrow and can prove problematic for buses approaching the station if vehicles are queued up the hill to the junction.

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Summary of potential improvements: Axminster

5.3.18 The following improvements specific to Axminster are recommended:

- Eliminate small upstand in gateway adjacent to café; - Widen footway outside station building; - Provide stop-specific bus timetable information; - Continue to liaise with rail and b us operators to achieve better bus-rail connections, especially for the new hourly rail timetable in 2009; and - Highlight the unpredictability of bus journey times (and consequent inability to guarantee bus-rail connections) as reason f or better managing traffic in town centres on 31 bus route.

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Figures 5.2 to 5.5: Axminster Railway Station Railway Station - Information Provision

Station sign with Jurassic Coast branding and information

Leaflet stand and departures screen

Standard train timetables which are clear but do not Real-time information provision on the platform give bus connection information.

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Figures 5.6 to 5.7: Axminster Railway Station Information Provision –Bus Stop

Bus stop flag Bus timetable case and timetables

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Figures 5.8 to 5.12 Axminster Railway Station Walking Routes

General view of walking route and direction sign Upstand in gateway could cause problems for those with mobility impairments.

Entrance to ticket office from the platform Exit from the ticket office and direction sign to buses

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Narrow footpath in front of the station building

Figures 5.13 to 5.14 Axminster Railway Station Waiting Environment – Railway Station

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Figure 5.15 Axminster Railway Station Waiting Environment – Bus Stop

Figures 5.16 to 5.17 Axminster Railway Station: Additional Facilities

The café at Axminster station

The toilets are accessed from the railway station platform

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5.4 Honiton Railway Station Introduction

5.4.1 Honiton railway station provides an interchange between the Exeter to London Waterloo railway line and two b us services to the Jurassic Coast:

• Stagecoach Devon 52B to Sidmouth. Operates hourly, Monday to Saturday; and • Stagecoach Devon 379 to Sidmouth. Operates 3 services per day, Sundays only.

5.4.2 Figure 5.18 overleaf shows the layout of Honiton station. The bus stop is immediately outside the railway station building. The station has two platforms, the closer of which is used by most trains and has level access to the bus stop. The further platform is accessed by a footbridge, a leve l walkway at the end of the platform usable with staff assistance, and a much longer ramp access route via the road underbridge.

Information Provision

5.4.3 Information provision at Honiton is good. The railway station has standard timetable display boards as well as electronic departure boards on the platform (showing the next 3 trains) and in the ticket office (showing the next 8 trains). In addition, the ticket office carries a range of leaf lets and timetable booklets. However, the signs on the station platform are not branded with the Jurassic Coast logo and there are no signs giving directions to the bus connection.

5.4.4 The bus stop has standard timetables displayed in a timetable case. The text of these timetab les is small, and they are not stop-specific, and may therefore be difficult for many people to use. Neither of the timetab les has the Honiton railway station bus stop highlighted. The bus stop flag is blank does not have service numbers or Jurassic Coast branding.

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5.4.5 Neither the bus nor rail timetables show any information about rail-bus connections. The incumbent train operating company does provide information on the link to Sidmouth on its website, although this only mentions service 52B, not 379 on Sundays 17 . Until their withdrawal earlier this year, the same inf ormation was provided in their Train Times book.

Walking Routes

5.4.6 There are five walking routes from the railway station platforms to the bus stop. None of the routes are signed for the bus connection. From the south- side platform, one route goes through a gateway from the platform adjacent to the station b uilding and leads round the front of the station down a very gentle ramp to the bus stop. The route is level and problem-free.

5.4.7 The second route from the south-side platform goes through the ticket office and down a gentle ramp to the bus stop. There are three doors on the route which are not automatic and could cause problems for those with mobility impairments.

5.4.8 There are also three routes from the north-side platform, which is on the far side of the railway tracks from the bus stop. The main route goes over the footbridge to the south-side platform and either of the routes above. The steps onto the footbridge could be difficult for people with mobility impairments, children in pushchairs, or heavy luggage.

5.4.9 The best step-free access route between the two p latforms is at the eastern end, a level foot crossing across the railway tracks. This route is only usab le with staff assistance and therefore only during the staffed hours of the station. It involves two ramps and crossing the two railway lines.

5.4.10 Without staff assistance, a much longer step-free route between the two platforms is available, leaving the north-side platform by a path to the car park and then proceeding to the south side of the station along the footways of the road, which is narrow where the road passes underneath the railway. This route is also long and quite steep. The alternative ramp access from the

17 http://www.southwesttrains.co. uk/SWTrains/TravelInformation/RailLinks/Bus+connections.htm?tab=1

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road to the north-side platform, while shorter, is very steep and unsuitab le for many people with mobility impairments.

Waiting Environments

5.4.11 The waiting environment at the railway station is good. There are seats insid e the ticket office and benches on the platform, two of which are protected from the weather by the station awning. The area is clean, well lit and free of graffiti. Safety is good as the station is staffed from 5:50am to 7:45pm on weekdays, 6:10am to 7:45pm on Saturdays and 8:30am to 7:50pm on Sundays. The north-side platform also has a shelter with seating, and benches on the platform.

5.4.12 The waiting environment at the bus stop is fair. There is shelter availab le under the overhang of the railway station roof but no seating. The area is clean and free of graffiti but the bus timetab le case is scratched and has glue or sticky tape marks on it which makes the small text on the timetab les harder to read.

Interchange Facilities

5.4.13 Honiton rail-bus interchange has a fairly good range of facilities. The railway station has a staffed ticket office open throughout the day, toilets, a self- service ticket machine, a full range of information leaf lets and standard timetables, an electronic departures board on the platform and another in the ticket office. The station has good signage. There is a public telephone outside the station.

Likely Usage

5.4.14 The Honiton Rail-Bus interchange already provides useful connections on weekdays and Saturdays to access the coast. However, interchange returning from the coast is poor, since only three buses a day from Sidmouth stop at the railway station. At other times a walk of about 10 minutes from Lace Walk on Honiton High Street is required. On Sundays rail-bus connections at Honiton are very poor in both directions.

5.4.15 Connections from the train to the bus are best coming from the London direction. From the Exeter direction, most connections require a significant

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wait at Honiton. As at Axminster, hourly service frequencies are to be introduced in December 2009 and these are anticipated to result in a clockface rail timetable. This improves the likelihood of achieving clockface timetabling and standardised, shortened wait times. On the other hand, it will mean that a greater number of trains will use the northern platform, which has fewer facilities and a much longer step-free route to the bus stops.

5.4.16 Service 379 and the Honiton to Sidbury section of service 52B are financially supported by DeCC. As such, and at the next contract renewal, the loca l authority should look to improve bus-rail connections in general, and ensure that service 52B calls at the station in both directions in particular.

5.4.17 No rail add-on fares are availab le to Sidmouth.

Other comments: Bus Access

5.4.18 Due to limited space being availab le in the station forecourt, buses serving the station forecourt proceed forwards into the hatched road markings closest to the platform before reversing into the bus stop outside the station building entrance. This is not an ideal manoeuvre at a busy interchange, but measures have already been taken to prevent the path being blocked by other parked or waiting vehicles. Figure 5.19 overleaf demonstrates how a standard single- decker bus can undertake the manoeuvre within the space available.

Summary of potential improvements: Honiton

5.4.19 The following are recommended specific to Honiton Station:

- Provide stop-specific bus timetable information; - Continue to liaise with rail and b us operators to achieve better bus-rail connections, to ensure that all buses stop at the railway station in both directions, and to take account of the new hourly rail timetable in 2009; - Consider branding the station name signs on the p latform; - Provide signs from the platform to the bus connection; and - Add service numbers and Jurassic Coast branding to the bus f lag.

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Figures 5.20 to 5.23 Honiton Railway Station Information Provision – Railway Station

The ticket window and leaflet display Departures screen in the waiting room

Information board on the access ramp to the north-side platform

Real-time departures information and help/information point on the north-side platform

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Figures 5.24 to 5.25 Honiton Railway Station Information Provision – Bus Stop

The bus stop flag has no service numbers. The bus timetable case is a little scratched, and the small text of the timetables can be hard to read

Figures 5.26 to 5.32 Honiton Railway Station Walking Routes

Main station exit with level access to the bus stop Route to the bus stop showing the ramp to the booking office

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The footbridge to the north-side platform Step-free access route between the two platforms – only usable with staff assistance

Steep ramp from the road to the north-side platform Access from the north-side platform to the station car (left) and the gentler route via the station car park. park

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The road underneath the station has a narrow footpath on the station side

Figures 5.33 to 5.36 Honiton Railway Station: Waiting Environment – Railway Station

Railway station waiting room and toilets Sheltered outdoor waiting area

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Bench and waiting room on the north-side platform Inside the waiting room on the north-side platform

Figure 5.37 Honiton Railway Station: Waiting Environment – Bus Stop

The bus stop waiting area is sheltered but has no seating

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5.5 Exmouth Railway Station

Introduction

5.5.1 Exmouth railway station provides an interchange between the Exeter to Exmouth railway line and two bus services to the Jurassic Coast:

• Stagecoach Devon 157 to Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. Operates hourly, Monday to Saturday and 5 services per day on Sunday; and • Stagecoach Devon 95 to Devon Cliffs/Sandy Bay. Operates hourly, every day.

5.5.2 Figure 5.38 shows the layout of Exmouth rail and bus stations. Exmouth Bus Station is immediately adjacent to the railway station. The station is a terminus with a single platform. Normal access is through the ticket office, which is reached by either steps or a gentle ramp from the bus station level. Outside of opening hours, an alternative route through the car park is used.

Information Provision

5.5.3 Information provision at Exmouth is fairly good. The railway station has standard timetable display boards as well as one electronic departure board on the approach to the platform (showing the next train). In addition, the ticket office carries a range of leaflets and timetable booklets. The station signs and the station itself are branded with the Jurassic Coast logo and there is a sign in the ticket office indicating the route to the buses.

5.5.4 The bus stop has standard timetables displayed in a timetable case. The text of these timetab les is small, and they are not stop-specific, and may therefore be difficult for many peop le to use. None of the timetab les has Exmouth bus station highlighted, and some timetables refer to services which do not stop at the bus station, but about 5 minutes walk away in the town centre.

5.5.5 Neither the bus nor rail timetables show any information about rail-bus connections nor does information appear to be available on the First Great Western website.

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Walking Routes 5.5.7 There are three walking routes from the railway station platforms to the bus stop. Two routes are signed ‘Way Out’ and later ‘Buses’ and the third is signed with a wheelchair symbol. Two routes are availab le during station opening hours (which are not posted), and one route out of hours. The first route, signed ‘Way Out’ on the p latform and signed ‘Buses’ from the ticket office, goes through the ticket office and down a short flight of steps directly to the bus station. A second route also goes through the ticket office and then down a shallow ramp to the bus station. The route is step-free, with one set of swing doors.

5.5.8 The final route is normally locked but is opened when the ticket office is closed. It leads down a fairly steep ramp from the platform into the car park. The route within the car park is not obvious, and a subsequent ramp has a significant upstand which would pose a difficulty to many people with mobility impairments. The only signs directing people to buses on this route are at the end of the route by the rear entrance to the bus station, from where a shallow ramp leads down into the bus station. This route has problems at present, both for people with mobility impairments, and in its lack of signing. Additionally, the opening hours of the ticket office are not published and can very from day to day, so it cannot be worked out in advance which route will be in use at any time.

Waiting Environments 5.5.9 The waiting environment at the railway station is good. There are seats insid e the ticket office, two shelters on the p latform with seating, and also benches on the open platform. The area is clean, well lit and free of graffiti. Safety is good during staffing hours but the route to the station through the car park outside of opening hours may feel unsafe after dark.

5.5.10 The waiting environment at the bus station is functional but not attractive, with a large sheltered area but no seating. The bus station generally seems to suffer from a lack of investment however it is fairly clean and free of graffiti.

Interchange Facilities 5.5.11 Exmouth rail-bus interchange has a fairly good range of facilities. The railway station has a staffed ticket office open during the day, a self-service ticket machine, a full range of information leaf lets and standard timetables, and an electronic departures board at the entrance to the platform. The station has

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fairly good signage. There is a public telephone outside the station. The bus station has public toilets and a rack of timetab le and information leaflets.

Likely Usage 5.5.12 The Exmouth Rail-Bus interchange provides good interchange opportunities when arriving at Exmouth by service 157 and changing to the train, or when arriving by train changing to service 95, but other connections require a wait of 20-30 minutes on weekdays. On Sundays, all connections are quite poor. The best is the 20 minute wait from the 95 bus onto the train. The two buses provide good access to the stretch of coast between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton, and then on to Sidmouth.

5.5.13 Service 157 is financially supported by DeCC on Sundays and rail-bus connections are currently poor. At the time of the next contract renewal, the local authority should look to reduce wait times.

5.5.14 Service 95 is commercially operated and therefore DeCC cannot directly influence the timetable. However, the bus operator may still be open to timetabling suggestions, as improved connections may increase their passenger numbers.

5.5.15 No rail add-on fares are availab le for onward bus travel from Exmouth.

Other comments: Development Proposals 5.5.16 The land adjacent to the bus and rail stations is subject to proposals to develop a supermarket. This may give a rare opportunity to construct a greatly improved joint facility with contributions sought from the adjacent retail development. Of particular importance would be:

- Integrating bus and rail facilities in one building; - Avoiding the need for ramps and steps; - Minimising walk route distances when buildings are closed; - Providing bright, airy and attractive waiting areas with seating, a manned ticket and information office, timetab le information (paper and electronic); - Making the most of the positioning of neighbouring retail uses to ensure natural surveillance (and potentially the use of convenient kiosk and café facilities) for waiting bus and rail passengers; and

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- Safeguarding land for additional rail platforms which may be necessary in order to increase service frequencies.

5.5.17 These and other relevant themes should be highlighted in any Area Action Plan or similar Local Development Framework documents prepared for the site.

Summary of potential improvements (short-term): Exmouth - Publish ticket office opening hours at station; - Provide stop-specific timetables; - Provide signs to inform travellers of the route to the bus stops via the ramp when the ticket office is closed; - Continue to negotiate with bus operators to enhance rail-bus interchange possibilities at Exmouth station, with shorter wait times; and - Ensure the development designs for the proposed supermarket suitably enhance the quality of the interchange offered at Exmouth station.

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Figures 5.39 to 5.42 Exmouth Railway Station Information Provision – Railway Station

Ticket machine, ticket office and leaflets

Information and timetables

Signing and Jurassic Coast branding at Exmouth The departures screen at the entrance to the platform

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Figures 5.43 to 5.44 Exmouth Railway Station: Information Provision – Bus Station

Bus timetables leaflets and signs at Exmouth bus station

Timetable for the 157 bus to Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth

Figures 5.45 to 5.52 Exmouth Railway Station Walking Routes

The exit from the platform when the ticket office is The route signed ‘Buses’ from the ticket office leads open down a flight of steps

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The stepped entrance to the ticket office The alternative access to the railway ticket office uses a shallow ramp

The steep ramp which forms the only access to the station platform when the ticket office is closed.

Swing doors to access the ticket office at the top of the ramp.

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Ramp in the car park. The significant upstand at the top The rear entrance to the bus station which forms of the ramp could be difficult for many people with part of the route to the station platform when the mobility impairments ticket office is closed

Figure 5.53 Exmouth Railway Station: Waiting Environment – Railway Station

Benches and shelters on the station platform

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Figures 5.54 to 5.55 Exmouth Railway Station Waiting Environment – Bus Station

The waiting area for the 157 bus The waiting area for the 95 bus

Figure 5.56 Exmouth Railway Station Additional Facilities

Public toilets and photo machine in the bus station

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5.6 Summary and Recommen dations 5.6.1 Audits were undertaken at the following railway stations: Axminster, Honiton and Exmouth. All three stations provide an acceptable range of facilities and a useful interchange. Axminster currently provides the best rail-bus interchange of the three audited. As well as excellent information provision and waiting environment at the railway station and good walking routes to the very near bus stops, the usefulness of the interchange offered is also the best of the three. Exmouth also provides a useful interchange, with a functional but unattractive bus waiting environment, while Honiton is currently least usefu l because connecting buses only stop on their way to the coast and not on the way back. A walk of about 5 minutes is necessary to connect from buses to train services in this direction.

5.6.2 Information is rarely provided in bus publicity on connecting rail services (and vice versa), although there exceptions to this. Similarly, very few combined fares exist within the study area, and where they exist these are rail tickets valid on certain bus services. There are no instances of on-bus issuing of tickets valid for bus and onward train travel (these are rare nationally 18 ). Interchange times (and consequent waiting times) vary very considerably at all three stations across the day or depending whether the passenger is transferring from train to bus or vice versa. There are situations where a short delay will mean connecting services are missed; conversely there are instances of very long wait times.

5.6.3 Table 5.2 summarises the rail-bus interchanges with six scores from 0 (worst) to 5 (best). The scores are for information provision (rail and bus), walking routes, waiting environment (rail and bus) and usefulness of the interchange. The sum gives a total score from 0 to 30.

18 On- bus issuing of j oint tickets takes place on Truronian (now First) service T34 from the Lizard to Redruth Station, where Almex ticket machines are used and links to the National Rail ticketing system established [Cornwall County Council 2008].

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Table 5.2 Rail-Bus Interchange Audit Summary

Information Waiting Rail Bus Walking Location Provision Environment Usefulness Total Services Services Routes Rail Bus Rail Bus London Axminster 31, 885 5 2 4 5 3 4 23 -Exeter London Honiton 52B, 379 4 2 3 5 2 2 18 -Exeter Exeter- Exmouth 157, 95 4 3 3 5 1 3 19 Exmouth

5.6.4 At all three stations would benefit from an improved quality of the (bus) waiting environment, including stop-specific timetables and better quality information provision at the bus stops. At Honiton and Exmouth, route signing could also be improved. A few specific problems with the walking routes highlighted in this report, particularly for people with mobility impairments, could, if overcome, make the interchange easier for all users.

5.6.5 Additional information should be provided on the connecting mode of transport in printed and online publicity, both that provided by the County Councils and by service providers. Efforts should continue to be made to improve connecting wait times, both at the time of contract renewal for supported services, and through negotiation with operators for commercial services. The programmed line improvements (and enhanced frequencies) on the Waterloo to Exeter line are likely to allow standard connection times at Honiton and Axminster.

5.6.6 Negotiations with bus and rail operators should be entered into with the aim of achieving combined fares. In the first instance, rail tickets that are valid on certain bus services should be strived for. Secondly, tickets issued on the bus that are also valid for onward train travel should be investigated. The supermarket development proposals for the site adjacent to Exmouth rail and bus station should be capitalised on as a rare opportunity to provide a better quality facility for the town and which functions well as a rail-bus interchange.

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5.6.7 Other rail stations such as Weymouth, Dorchester, Wool, Wareham, Swanage and Poole have connecting bus services to the Jurassic Coast and these would equally benefit from rail-bus interchange audits being undertaken to identify station-specific improvements. These should ideally be an independent audit by people who are unfamiliar with the station and connections from it, in order to best replicate the impression visitors will get on their first visit. Such audits are recommended for Weymouth, Dorchester (South and West), Wool, Wareham, Poole and Swanage. The checklist used for the three Devon stations may be a usef ul starting point for these audits and is contained in Appendix E.

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6 Presenting Public Transport Information: Good Practice

6.1 Introduction 6.1.1 The provision of good quality pub lic transport services on the Jurassic Coast has greatest value if residents and visitors are made aware of the services availab le through the provision of high quality, clear information. This chapter outlines good practice in presenting pub lic transport information, including traditional at-stop timetab le information, printed publicity, online information, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) including Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI), signage and branding. The review includes selected information from best practice documents, including the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers’ (ATCO) guidance, and the relevant findings from Halcrow’s Coast Path Access & Walks Study Final Report [Halcrow 2007]. Since the Jurassic Coast has few timetab led ferry services or rail services, this chapter only discusses bus service information.

6.1.2 The focus of the review will be on good practice/improvements that can b e best applied to the Jurassic Coast. The information that is disseminated needs to recognise the diversity of users and potential users, including those who:

• are unfamiliar with using buses; • are unfamiliar with the area; and • may be visitors who do not speak English as their first language.

The good practice outlined in this document will therefore go beyond the Bus Information Strategies (BIS) and focus on methods that are, at least in terms of the DeCC and DoCC BIS, more ambitious and aspirational.

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6.2 Local Authority In volvemen t in Public Transport In formation 6.2.1 Section 139 of the Transport Act 2000 places an obligation on local transport authorities 19 to:

“from time to time determine …what local bus information should be made available to the public…and the way in which this should be made available.”

The act empowers these authorities to require certain standards for the bus operators’ information provision, and where operators fall short of those standards, to recoup reasonable costs from operators to enable the authority to meet them instead.

6.2.2 The same act also requires the local transport authorities to produce a BIS. Dorset’s dates from 2004, while Devon’s is a draft strategy forming part of the LTP2.

6.2.3 Both strategies set out standards regarding the quality of bus inf ormation. However, many of the standards are rather conservative and betray the fear that if aspirations are too ambitious then they will not be realised. For examp le, both strategies state that font size should be a minimum of size 8 for bus information booklets and leaf lets, while no specific minimum f ont size is stipulated for at-stop timetable displays. Both local authorities in this instance appear to have settled for what they know can definitely b e achieved, rather than what they think should be achieved. Size 8 is really an absolute minimum in terms of font size, and it could be argued that both DeCC and DoCC should set their standards higher.

6.2.4 Local transport authorities have a responsibility for providing up-to-date bus timetable information in their area to SWPTI to provide data for Traveline, the national pub lic transport enquiry service. The transfer of data is achieved via a bespoke I.T. system. The exception to this is that some major bus operators, such as Stagecoach in Devon, take responsibility for providing updated information on their own bus services for Traveline.

19 which, in the study area, are the County Councils

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6.3 Con ven tion al at-stop in formation Existing situation 6.3.1 The quality of at-stop information about bus services and when and where they operate varies quite significantly from place to place within the study area. At one extreme, there are bus stops with real-time information screens, shelters with stop-specific timetable information and bus flags which name the locality and the services stopping there. At the other extreme there are some places where buses have traditionally stopped but which lack any evidence (bus f lag, road markings etc) that this is the case.

6.3.2 Most stops, of course, have a level of information somewhere in b etween these extremes. They usually have some infrastructure on the ground to highlight their existence to potential passengers, but not the full comp lement of information prospective passengers may require. In a similar way, the various sources of information (at-stop, printed information from operators and local authorities, the official NaPTAN database which updates Traveline) may not give the same name for the same stop.

6.3.3 Both local authorities produce at–stop timetable displays for the bus services that they financially support. Timetables for commercially operated services are produced by the major bus operators; First, Stagecoach and Wilts & Dorset. The division in responsibility is logical, but results in the production and presentation of at-stop information for the most important and heavily used services being outside the control of the local authority. In most cases, the major bus operators display timetab les that are not stop-specific and for which the font size is often very small. The timetab les can be difficult to read and spare timetable case space often un-utilised.

6.3.4 Most people, even regular bus users, do not enjoy reading bus timetable displays. Most people are prepared to look at timetable inf ormation for 8 seconds and ‘if after this length of time they have not been able to interpret some useful information for which they are searching they are very likely to give up trying’ [ATCO 2004:7]. Information therefore needs to be straightforward, simple and highly legible.

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Suggested good practice 6.3.5 It is now relatively easy to produce high quality, stop-specific timetable information (see Figures 6.1 and 6.2). These can be simp ler and clearer than traditional matrix timetab le display formats, and this is certainly an advantage for those users who are unfamiliar with the area and have little or no prior knowledge of the local bus services.

Figure 6.1: Stop-specific timetable at Clive, Figure 6.2: Stop-specific timetable at East Shropshire Harptree (maintained by Shropshire County Council) (maintained by Bath & North East Somerset Council)

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6.3.6 At-stop bus information in the study area should, wherever possible, include:

- Stop-specific timetable information; - Little or no need for passengers to refer to codes, letters and symbols in the timetable; - A route map (stylised or geographically accurate) with the destinations served by the service; - Useful information/maps on location of visitor attractions and access to the Coast Path; - A minimum of size 14 font size for timetable displays; and - Black type on a white or yellow background for maximum legibility.

6.3.7 Stop-specific timetables allow superfluous detail to be omitted. This can free up space to increase font sizes and include a route map. ATCO guidance states that ‘generally 14 pt is the ideal size for most parts of a bus stop display, though in certain circumstances it may be appropriate to go down to 10 pt.’ [ATCO 2004:19]

6.3.8 The 24 hour clock has now become standard for bus timetables, but an explanation as to how the 24 hour clock works should be included for the avoidance of doubt.

6.3.9 As noted above, the major bus operators maintain timetable information for their services. The County Councils would have to weigh up the extra time and costs involved in taking on the responsibility for producing timetable information on these services against the benefits of having greater control over the design and of the information. Another risk in taking on more timetable display production is the increasing number of times that major bus operators change their timetables.

6.3.10 Wherever space allows (i.e. in all shelters) larger timetable cases should b e used so the size of the display case is not a constraint on the information provided (see Figure 6.3 overleaf). It is recommended that, wherever possible, information on the location - and means of accessing - loca l attractions is provided at bus stops. Transport is not an end in itself. Many people using bus services in the study area will be visitors who are unfamiliar with the area and would benefit from information once they have alighted at a bus stop.

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Figure 6.3: Stop-specific timetable information in large timetable cases, with the use of colour, is provided in selected locations in the study area and should continue to be rolled out wherever space allows.

6.3.11 An audit should take place to identify which bus stops have timetab le information, and whether such information should be provided. Whilst many stops are very rural, they either are, or could be, used by visitors due to their proximity to the coast, attractions, or walking routes. At-stop timetable information should be provided where potential use requires it and where funds allow.

6.3.12 Finally, the mechanism by which local authorities ensure that bus stop information is up to date could be reviewed. When bus operators make changes to their services, they submit a change of registration document to the office of the Traffic Commissioner, a copy of which goes to the loca l transport authority. When the local transport authority receives this copy, this is generally the trigger to change the information on the SWPTI system,

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and to change the relevant timetable displays within the local authority’s control. The change of registration process generally works well so out of date physical timetable information only usually occurs when there is a staffing shortage to physically get the information out to the bus stops. Those timetable displays that are controlled by the main bus operator are entirely within the bus operator’s control. How up to date the displays are is therefore dependant on how efficient they are, but given the commercial imperative, the displays are usually up to date. In rare cases, where local authorities have found bus operators to be inefficient in updating displays, local authorities have assumed control for all timetab le displays. However, this extra work has to be resourced and is therefore an extra cost that must be borne by the loca l authority.

6.4 Bus flags 6.4.1 ‘Bus flags’ are the name of the small signs which indicate that buses stop at that particular location. They are one of the more basic (and commonp lace) features which can give bus service information. They should ideally include:

• A location name (which matches that used in the SWPTI database); • The service number and destination; and • Telephone number and internet address of Traveline.

The f lags should give clear summary information for all services that stop there and, where possible, information should be contained on one bus stop flag. If this is not possib le, more than one f lag is required.

6.5 Bus stop names 6.5.1 Care should be taken to ensure that non- locals can identify the location of bus stops from the name. ‘Bridport Frosts’ may exactly identify the location of the stop, but relies upon the traveller knowing that Frosts is a shop on the south side of West Street. Road names are less prone to change than (for examp le) post offices, telephone boxes and pubs (although can be less memorable) 20 .

20 The Portman Society were recently bought out by Nationwide and this has been reflected in the ‘Bridport Portman Society’ bus stop (opposite Frosts) being renamed ‘Bridport Nationwide’ and timing point inf ormation in printed timetables updated.

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6.5.2 It is good practice to carry out an audit to identify any discrepancies with bus stop names so these can then be rectified. It is confusing for the passenger when the name of the stop they have obtained from Traveline differs from the name of the stop on printed literature, and in some cases differs again from the name on the bus stop flag.

6.6 Prin ted publicity: Area-wide Existing situation 6.6.1 In advance of their journey, prospective bus passengers need to know when the bus departs and from where. Printed information can help to provide this.

6.6.2 The two County Councils take the lead in producing maps and timetable books which combine services by all operators. Whilst travellers may be keen to understand all their journey options, there is little incentive for operators, who have purely commercial concerns, to do provide this kind of inf ormation. The two County Councils produce:

- Area timetable booklets; - Area public transport maps; and - Timetable leaf lets for specific services

6.6.3 DoCC produce six Bus & Train Travel Times booklets, each covering a different area of the County. Usefully, these are not based on District Council boundaries (e.g. Dorchester and Weymouth are in the same book). DeCC also produce six area booklets that include bus and rail timetab le information (although the publication is simply entitled Bus times .) The booklets are all A5 in size, and presumably for reasons of minimising the number of pages in the document, font sizes are small, and text spacing is tight. Both authorities use horizontal coloured shading behind the text and times, which adds to the colour of the document but does not necessarily improve legibility. The DoCC booklets mainly use capital letters in the timetables, which is not as easy legib le as lower case text.

6.6.4 Both County Councils produce countywide bus maps (although Dorset’s is entitled a Bus & Train Map). DoCC also produce two bus maps covering coasta l areas (S ervices Around The Jurassic Purbeck Coast and Services Around The Jurassic Coast Western Dorset). Because these maps cover a smaller area, more detailed information can be given. Individual services are shown on the map, rather than just combined route frequency, along with a range of visitor

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attractions and accommodation sites (they do not however show the bus stop locations). The reverse of the map contains timetable information. These maps are therefore useful for residents and visitors alike, and include usefu l visitor information such as tourist attractions, camping and caravan sites, and walking routes. DeCC do not produce an equivalent map for their section of the Jurassic Coast.

6.7 Prin ted publicity: service-specific Existing situation 6.7.1 DeCC and DoCC jointly produce the Jurassic Coast by bus CoastLinx53 map. This map is squarely aimed at the visitor market and focuses almost exclusively on the CoastlinX53 service (supported by both County Councils and operated by bus operator First). The map provides written information on towns and places of interest along the route, but this unfortunately is at the expense of having actual timetable information on the map - which would be of greater practical value to the traveller. The location of bus stops is also missing from the map, and these would also be of great practical value to the visitor, as most visitors will be unfamiliar as to where bus stops are located.

6.7.2 DeCC and DoCC produce specific timetable leaflets for services that are not operated by the main bus operators. Most of the DoCC timetab le leaf lets that are produced are for their demand responsive transport services which are all branded Door to Dorset .

6.7.3 Although the local authorities take the lead, bus operators also produce promotional printed literature, including area books (in the case of Wilts & Dorset) and individual timetab le leaflets, all of which varies in quality. Small operators tend to rely on the local authority to promote those services that are financially supported.

Suggested good practice 6.7.4 Although local authority publications in the study area demonstrate certain elements of good practice, there is room for improvement. Steps can be taken to improve both the legibility (and therefore usefulness) of and conformity between the County Councils’ printed publicity. The guidelines have been taken from the ATCO Printed Public Transport Information, A Code of Good Practice .

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6.7.5 In terms of layout:

- As these publications are only readily available in one size, the font size should be 14 point or larger; - The font type needs to be chosen carefully, with maximum legibility in mind; - Quirky fonts should be avoided in favour of highly legible fonts such as Arial; - Lower case print is much easier to read than upper case print and should therefore be used almost exclusively; - Increasing the leading between the lines can improve legibility so leading of at least 120% should be used (e.g. 14 point type with 16.8 point leading); - A horizontal line should be provided across the timetab le page, preferably below every third line, to act as a guide; - Vertical lines should be avoided where possible as b lank column space is more effective; - Timetables should appear on quality white paper, and print should be in black. Shading and coloured tints, other than pale yellow, should be avoided; - Background colour should be used to highlight or supplement specific items of information, and not be used as the sole means of conveying such information; and - Where a journey does not call at every place shown in the column of timing points but only at some of them, it is preferable to show this by using a vertical line or downward pointing arrow in the column for that journey. This helps the eye to read down rather than across.

6.7.6 The timetab le booklets that are currently produced by DoCC and DeCC feature a smaller font size than outlined above so applying these font guidelines will mean that the size of the timetab le booklets increases. However, the result will be increased legibility, which is particularly important for people who are visually impaired, and would ensure that the local authorities are complying with Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). At the very least it should be made clear in the timetab le booklets that larger type timetables are available on request.

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6.7.7 Operators and local authorities should take account of the need for clearly understood information when designing services. This allows codes (eg an asterisk to denote one bus operates a particular route) to be kept to an absolute minimum. Codes that are absolutely necessary should be used consistently in all tables. Users should certainly not have to turn over pages to find the explanation of codes.

6.7.8 People with disabilities need to know how to find out about accessible local bus services. In bus timetables, the international recognised wheelchair symbol should be used to denote a journey or service operated by a vehicle that meets DDA regulations and may be termed ‘wheelchair accessible low floor’.

6.7.9 Plain English should be used at all times, with technical terms, jargon and acronyms avoided. The booklet should include a summary of the route and service changes made since the last book or leaf let was issued. The Traveline number should be advertised within the publication.

6.7.10 Keeping public transport information up-to-date is not always easy, and it can be a frustrating exercise for local authorities who have no control over bus operators changing the timetables of their commercially operated bus services. To this end, publications should have a ‘valid from’ date to indicate when it was produced, and include the Traveline telephone number for enquiries.

6.7.11 Some operators have moved away from simply entitling publications ‘bus times’ (or similar). This may be an appropriate approach for the study area and examples are set out in Figure 6.4 overleaf.

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Figure 6.4: Examples of Differently titled publications Harrogate & District’s Stagecoach Devon’s Go Out: Places Service 36 User Guide Third Edition to go and how to get there by bus

The example of Wilts and Dorset publicity 6.7.12 The leaflet issued by Wilts & Dorset in conjunction with the changes to services 40 and 50 is an example of good practice in printed publicity ( Figure 6.5). These timetables follow most ATCO guidelines (but not all) and are inviting to read. Colour has been used to make the timetable more attractive and inviting, but not at the expense of clarity. Aside from white, only one colour is used as background shading for the destinations and times, with alternate rows being shaded in a subtle colour. This helps guide the eye from the destination part of the timetable across to the times. The leaflet includes a map showing the location of all bus stops and journeys which operate on certain days only are specified with text, rather than codes. The result is an inviting timetab le that looks clear, crisp, colourful and modern.

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6.7.13 Service 40 operates a simpler route and timetable then the service it replaced, which permits the printed timetables to b e simple and easy to read. The service operating every hour and with ‘clockface’ departure times (i.e. departing at the same time every hour) makes the timetable easy to understand and easy to memorise for the passenger. It demonstrates the clear link between simp le bus service design in terms of what the bus actually does, and simple timetable presentation to get that information across to the passenger. Wilts & Dorset have clearly taken the decision to simplify the timetable that the bus service operates on the road, so that the service is clear to understand and simple to market.

Figure 6.5: Wilts & Dorset printed publicity for Service 50: avoidance of codes and map with bus stops

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6.8 Prin ted publicity: Maps Existing situation and suggested good practice 6.8.1 Countywide public transport maps are published by both County Councils. Although there is no official industry standard for maps which are colour coded by combined frequency of service, the most commonly used colour- coding system is a three-tier system using red (denoting the most frequent services), blue (denoting less frequent services), and green (denoting the least frequent services). DeCC adhere to this system but DoCC do not.

6.8.2 The Devon and Dorset area booklets contain town maps, although Devon’s are not in colour. Neither depict bus stop locations 21 .

6.8.3 Some companies have begun adding route maps to their service-specific timetables, although at present these are uncommon in the study area (one examp le being Wilts & Dorset’s service 50, above). These are very useful and should be promoted. Where this is not possible, an alternative is to describe the route taken with places and street names.

6.8.4 For maps of bus networks, London Underground-style diagrams, with a different colour line denoting each service, can be effective. There are two types: ‘spider maps’, which show all services departing from one stop ( Figure 6.6 ), and network diagrams ( Figure 6.7 ) which show a network of bus routes which join towns and villages. Again, the best are those which are simple, clear and uncluttered. If there is space, bus stops, and bus stop names can be shown.

21 In terms of nearby counties, Somerset, Cornwall and Hampshire similarly do not depict bus stops, but Wiltshire does

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Figure 6.6: Example of a Spider Map: ‘Bus Services from Barnes Bridge’ These are available in print form and at bus stops

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Figure 6.7: Stagecoach Devon’s network diagram: simplification, use of colour and some tourist attraction locations (but without other operators’ services)

6.8.5 In terms of published maps, the County Councils should consider:

- Adoption of the same colour coding on Devon and Dorset countywide bus maps; - Continuing production of the existing Services around the Jurassic Coast maps, with addition of bus stop locations - Production of a Services around the Jurassic Coast: East Devon map; - Discontinuing the existing CoastlinX53 map and leaflet; if continued, add timetable information and more detail on the map (eg bus stops); and - Marking the locations of bus stops on town maps in the area booklets.

6.8.6 The Services Around The Jurassic Purbeck Coast and Services Around The Jurassic Coast Western Dorset map and timetable leaflets provide useful, accessible

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information for visitors. These could be enhanced by increasing the size of the map to firstly permit timetable information to be displayed in larger font, and secondly to show bus stop locations on the map. The names of the bus stops, or the name of bus stops that serve key visitor attractions, should be included on the map.

6.8.7 It is recommended that DeCC produce an area bus map to cover the Jurassic Coast in East Devon in a similar manner. County Council boundaries are of very little importance to visitors and completing a series of three maps would cover the study area. Both local authorities should work together, as they have done in production of the Coast by bus CoastLinx53 map , to ensure all three maps are consistent in terms of style and content (i.e. not necessarily in corporate colours of either authority). It should be clear to the visitor that the three maps belong to the same suite of publications.

6.8.8 The resources used to produce the Jurassic Coast by bus CoastLinx53 map may be better diverted to producing a The Jurassic Coast East Devon map as described above. If the Jurassic Coast by bus CoastLinx53 map is to be continued it should be improved by adding timetable information, adding bus stops to the map, adding symbols to the map denoting local attractions, camping and caravan sites, and other visitor attractions. The necessary space would be created by making the text much more concise and punchy, or by removing most of the text places descriptions altogether.

6.9 Distribution of prin ted in formation Existing situation 6.9.1 The County Councils’ BIS set out standards relating to the distribution of printed information. Both local authorities agree that printed information should be distributed to the following:

- Bus stations; - Bus operators; - Public libraries; - Tourist information centres; - Post offices; - Community transport offices; and - The relevant District Council, Town Council & Parish Councils.

6.9.2 DeCC state that sufficient copies of publications should also be sent to:

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- Staffed railway stations; - Principal points in adjoining local authority areas; - On all buses on that route; and - If no Post Office, local shops (minimum one outlet per Parish).

6.9.3 DoCC state that sufficient copies of publications should also be sent to:

- Hospitals/Medical Centres/Doctors Surgeries; - Social Services offices (on request); - Community centres (on request); - Careers Offices/Job Centres (on request); and - Colleges (on request).

6.9.4 Whilst this represents a considerable number of locations, it only includes a limited number of places outside of the main settlements - and only a few that tourists may visit or be able to find. The B us Information Strategies d o not outline the means by which distribution to the outlets listed above is achieved. For example, putting relevant promotional literature on all buses on a particular bus route is desirable, but difficult to achieve in practice. For those outlets who will be sent information when requested, how do those outlets know what information is availab le and who they should request it from?

Suggested good practice 6.9.5 Consideration should be given to a creating a joint distribution database of tourist-related outlets (camping and caravan sites, hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, guesthouses and tourist attractions). A pilot could be set up to, for instance, target, those sites within a short walking distance of the X53 corridor. These outlets could be mailed sample copies of publicity pertinent to the corridor only.

6.9.6 Once created, all outlets on the database should be contacted with information on what public transport literature is available and how it can b e obtained. As outlets respond, the leaf lets that they wish to receive, and the number requested, should be assigned against the outlet on the database. This will help getting print quantities right for future print runs. When outlets are mailed with the publications, a blank order form should be sent including contact details for future orders and the list of publications availab le.

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6.9.7 A certain amount of pro-activity is thus required to maximise the effectiveness of a distribution system. The Council may need to contact the outlets rather than rely on the outlets to contact the Council, as a single mail- shot or phone call may be insufficient. Subject to resourcing, physical visits may be the best way of getting outlets to take pub licity material.

6.9.8 Publicity distribution can be frustrating. Many outlets, including libraries and hospitals, do not manage the display of transport publicity very well, with leaflets not displayed or not re-ordered. Many hotels and visitor attractions are reluctant to take pub licity because they have an agreement with a company that manages the displays. This tends to preclude the inclusion of bus timetables.

6.9.9 So for a successful distribution system, the requirements are a database, a set of agreed processes often involving pro-activity on a regular basis, and the necessary officer time available. As an alternative to creating an in-house publicity database, DeCC and DoCC could contract this task a company (eg Take One Media) who manage leaflet displays for businesses.

6.10 On line information Existing situation 6.10.1 Bus information is available on both the DeCC 22 and DoCC 23 websites. DeCC have made availab le online the countywide bus map, all town plans and the CoastlinX53 leaf let, but not the area timetables. DoCC have mad e availab le the area timetables, but not the countywide or Jurassic Coast bus maps, town plans or the CoastlinX53 leaf let. It should be noted that the online versions of the area timetables do not include the general information pages which precede the timetab les (and thus excludes the inf ormation on how to use the bus generally, or the DRT services in particular). In addition, the ‘park and ride’ sections of either website does not include information on Norden, Bridport or Lyme Regis services.

6.10.2 Whilst D2D timetab les are availab le on the DoCC website, they are accessed separately to other bus timetable information via a ‘Demand Responsive Transport’ weblink ( Figure 6.8 ) . However, this title means very little to the

22 http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/transport/public_transport/buses. htm 23 http://www.dorsetfory ou.com/index.j sp?articleid=387272

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general public and it is not intuitive for a visitor to expect to find information on, for instance, a Lulworth Cove bus service, under this title.

6.10.3 Meanwhile, the jurassiccoast.com website has timetables for the X53, 899, and Sidmouth Hopper and an interactive map, but not the area timetables or

Figure 6.8: Online information on DRT services is found separately from all other bus services

Jurassic Coast bus maps. The interactive map currently refers to services (eg X25, 103) for which there are not presently timetables availab le on the website.

6.10.4 Online information is also availab le from two national, government-approved, sources - Traveline 24 and Transport Direct. The former gives journey planning

24 http://www.travelinesw.com/nbindex. htm

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and timetable information, whereas the latter has the added advantage of having searchable maps 25 for the user to select their origin and destination points.

6.10.5 Following an agreement with Google, data for the Traveline SouthEast authorities has been made availab le on Google Transit 26 for journey planning, with bus stops appearing on Google Maps (See Figure 6.9 overleaf). Small bus pictograms appear on the online map or satellite images and, when the pictograms are clicked on, bus service information appears. If these in turn are clicked on then the next bus departures appear. Whilst this is innovative and user-friendly, it is not widely known about.

6.10.6 Other innovative online practices have been pioneered in London, where Transport for London’s website offers the ability to download .pdf timetables for every service from every bus stop across Greater London. These .pdfs exactly reproduce those f ound at the bus stop (see Figure 6.10 ).

Suggested good practice: online information 6.10.7 It is recommended that there is conformity of online resources such that:

- The Bus Times East Devon publication is made availab le online at devon.gov.uk; - The information pages which preface the timetables in Dorset’s area-wide bus leaflets be made available online at dorsetforyou.com; - The CoastlinX53 leaf let, countywide and Jurassic Coast bus maps and town p lans are made availab le online at dorsetforyou.com; - The Jurassic Coast bus maps and other specific timetables relevant to accessing the Jurassic Coast (eg services 157, 31, 1, 40, 50, etc) are mad e availab le online at jurassiccoast.com; and - Information on the park and ride services at Lyme Regis, Bridport and Norden are available at dorsetforyou.com and jurassiccoast.com.

Over and above this, consideration should be given to working towards an agreement for data to be provided for inclusion in Google Transit.

25 http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/Maps/Journey PlannerLocationMap. aspx 26 http://www.google.com/transit

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Figure 6.9: Public Transport Information on Google Maps for South-East England

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Figure 6.10: Stop-specific timetable downloaded from www.tfl.gov.uk and which replicates that available at the bus stop

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6.11 Real-time Passenger In formation (RTPI) 6.11.1 RTPI can raise the bar in terms of providing higher-quality and up-to-date bus information for passengers, by providing reassurance that the service is running on time, is running late or services are disrupted. It can be presented in a range of formats and via various media. Most commonly, RTPI is provided at bus stops on electronic screens, commonly counting down the minutes to the next bus departure. The RTPI electronic screens tend to complement printed timetable information (showing scheduled, not actual, departure times), usually still present at the bus stop.

6.11.2 RTPI can also be delivered via mobile phones using text messages (SMS) or via the Internet, either on computers or using Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), such as on mobile phones. In this way RTPI can be made availab le at the time and place where prospective passengers make the decision to travel or set off to catch their bus. If reliable information can be provided on departure times, then an abortive trip to the bus stop can be avoided.

6.11.3 RTPI systems require complex technical and operational systems to make them work effectively. There are approximately 60 RTPI systems in the UK, and the quality of the information provided varies greatly. There are best examp les of RTPI systems such as Brighton & Hove and Oxfordshire, but there are also systems that work less well and in some cases fall into disrepute.

6.11.4 In terms of a simp le overview, all RTPI systems need the buses to be tracked, normally via Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. This tracked location needs to be communicated to either, or both, the at-stop signs and/or a central computer server. This can be communicated by either analogue Private Mobile Radio (PMR) or digital General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile phone technology. Here the actual location of the bus is compared to the timetable to work out if the bus is running on time, early, or late. From this predictions are made on the time of arrival at stops along the route, taking into account previous journey times if comparable.

6.11.5 However to work RTPI systems also need good operating systems and procedures, such as the bus operator ensuring that the on-bus equipment is in good working order and connects to the on-bus ticket machines to correctly identify the service being operated. RTPI equipped buses need to be correctly allocated to RTPI routes by the bus schedulers. Also there needs to be an

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effective partnership between the bus operators and the local highway authority/authorities to succeed.

6.11.6 RTPI also benefits bus operators, giving them an up-to-date picture of where their buses are, and to enable them to dynamically manage their fleet, especially in times of delays and disruption. It also helps identify delay points, and operators can use this information to work with the relevant highway authority to address these points.

6.11.7 Traditionally RTPI is made available at bus stops on frequent urban bus routes. However, where for example bus services operate every 5 or 10 minutes there is more certainty that a bus will be along soon; it could therefore be argued that RTPI can bring greater passenger benefits to passengers on less frequent, or longer, inter-urban and rural bus routes.

6.11.8 At around £5,000 per stop, and excluding the cost of physical works such as providing an electricity supply, electronic displays are comparatively expensive. Experiments to use solar powered displays have not been successful due to the inability of them to meet the power requirements of large, robust RTI displays that can be easily read. Whilst it can be argued that at-stop displays (rather mobile telephone technology) are better suited to all age groups, text messages can provide a much wider coverage of RTPI for the same funding.

6.11.9 In the study area, information screens are in p lace at selected bus stops on service 40 (Poole – Wareham – Swanage, operated by Wilts & Dorset). This is an AIM / Trapeze RTPI systems led by Poole Borough Council and rolled out to Dorset where bus services commencing in Poole terminate in the authority area. The information is currently only availab le Passengers via the screens at bus stops; however the system is now being expanded to include text messaging.

6.11.10 At the western end of the study area, a pilot RTPI scheme is running in Exeter. This is a JMW supplied RTPI system. 31 bus stops in the city have RTPI electronic displays, and the pilot scheme has been launched in partnership with Stagecoach and Cooks Coaches. The RTPI information is also availab le on a website.

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6.11.11 Whilst there is a national Real Time Information Group (www.rtig.org.uk ), working to estab lish common standards for RTPI systems, each system is currently largely bespoke and not easily inter-operable. This creates problems in terms of linking up RTPI systems, and this would cause difficulties in terms of providing joined-up RTPI information in the study area. RTPI systems can be best linked by linking the servers together, rather than each piece of on- bus and at-stop equipment, but this can be costly and will require agreement from all parties and suppliers. It is however recommended that this is investigated further by the County Councils and their respective RTI system providers.

6.11.12 It is understood that DoCC are currently investigating extending RTPI wider within the county. It is recommended that this and the existing DeCC RTPI system should include additional bus services (such as CoastlinX53) and bus operators (including First).

6.11.13 It is recommended that RTPI in the study area should focus on mobile phone text messaging. This will be a more cost-effective way of providing information at a wider number of bus stops, many of which do not individually have large numbers of passengers. However, electronic RTPI displays are recommended for key bus stops with higher numbers of boarding passengers or where interchange is promoted (viewed as mostly being in settlement centres). Where RTPI screens are provided, they should be suitable for the environment in which they are located. Many parts of the study area are within an AONB, or in otherwise protected settings. Where this is the case, the RTPI system that is installed should be sensitive in design, minimal in impact and appropriate for the area in question.

6.12 Branding Existing situation 6.12.1 Currently most buses are in the operators’ corporate colours and the majority of printed information about bus services simply has the operator’s name, logo and service number on it. Bus f lags tend to contain the same information in the same fashion. Where these services are provided or maintained by the County Council, then the relevant authority logo and colour will appear.

6.12.2 Consistent, quality branding can raise awareness about a product (in this case, bus services in the Jurassic Coast) and selected examples of this already exist in the study area. The X53 bus service is the most prominent of these, where

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close working between the three main partners (the county councils and First Group) led to a branding and marketing exercise being undertaken and the route being relaunched as CoastLinx53 . This, the Jurassic Coast logo, and a colour scheme were applied to the bus livery, publicity material, and to bus stops (see Figure 6.11 below). It should be noted that neither brand specifically mentions travel or buses. A similar exercise has seen other routes rebranded in a similar vein as the CoastHopper 157 and 899.

Figure 6.11: Branding across the board: logo, literature and buses

6.12.3 The D2D DRT services also have strong branding, carried through from printed information to the vehicle livery. At the east of the study area, Wilts and Dorset have relaunched services 40 and 50, connecting Poole and Bournemouth to Swanage. Whilst specific branding has taken p lace on these routes, it does not follow the format estab lished for other parts of the Jurassic Coast.

6.12.4 Where branding has been most effective, passengers or visitors will end up (for example) equating the ‘fossil buses’ with travel to Lyme Regis. The drawback comes if, for operational reasons, the branded buses have to b e

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replaced with standard ones; the recognition factor is lost and confusion sets in.

6.12.5 Applying a brand at bus stops can be important for a number of reasons. Firstly, the bus stop is where the customer usually physically encounters the bus for the first time, and a clearly branded bus stop will give the customer the confidence that they are in the right place. If the customer is unsure that they are in the right place, then confidence in the brand may be lost and, as the bus stop is effectively the point of sale, revenue may also be lost.

6.12.6 Often in the study area one bus service brand tends to eclipse all others at bus stops, potentially leading passengers to question whether other services stop there (see Figure 6.12 ). Care must therefore be taken to differentiate between branding all buses and individual services.

Figure 6.12: Competing brands on the Jurassic Coast

At Wareham Station, Service 40 branding …on North Causeway, Coaslin X53/ eclipses Coastlin X53 …but Jurassic Coast branding eclipses Service 40.

Suggested good practice: branding

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6.12.7 Whilst various circumstances may render it inappropriate to provide branding to the level seen on the CoastlinX53 route (not least due to financia l resources) a coherent strategy can, and should gradually be applied to other bus services, stops and pub licity within the study area. It is recommended that, subject to negotiation with relevant stakeholders:

- Jurassic Coast is used as the dominant brand for marketing public transport within a specified area (eg that covered by the Jurassic Coast Transport strategy), but that modified wording be agreed so that, in relation to public transport publicity and at bus stops, the dominant brand mentions travel (eg insert words before and above the Jurassic Coast words and logo to read ‘Travel the Jurassic Coast /Transport for th e Jurassic Coast/Travel along the Jurassic Coast’); - Suitable allowances be made for the incorporation of bus operator, Traveline and County Council logos as appropriate; and - Flexible buses serving coastal areas incorporate ‘Door to Shore’ or Door to Jurassic Shore’ straplines to emphasise both their flexible nature and their coastal destinations [Keen 2005: 22].

6.13 Service Names Versus Route Numbers 6.13.1 Visitors can find bus services with names more memorable than service numbers. Many other popular visitor areas commonly have bus services which use names (often including the maj or tourist destination served) more prominently than numbers. Examples include the Strumble Shuttle in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the Nidderdale Rambler in the Yorkshire Dales. The study area already has good examp les of this naming practice (CoastlinX53 and CoastHopper services, etc), and this could be spread to other services (eg Service 103 in Dorset). There are, however, advantages in retaining a service number as well as a service name for the purposes of online journey planning (when a number will be easier to search for) and on printed maps (for reasons of space and clarity).

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6.14 Language 6.14.1 Excepting those parts of the UK with two official languages 27 , there are very few examp les in the UK where bus information is routinely provided in languages other than English. However, steps could be taken within the study area to ensure that basic details of how the bus system in the UK operates (and which may differ from their home country - i.e. flagging down the bus, pay the driver on board, etc), are contained in Jurassic Coast transport literature (i.e. maps and selected service timetables). Use of pictograms and simplified information will, in general, assist all users.

6.15 Fares 6.15.1 The cost of travel is important to the prospective passenger and not knowing what ticket to ask for or how much they will be required to pay can be a barrier to bus use. Information of fares is rarely contained within printed publicity or at bus stops, partly because single and return fares depend upon distance travelled, and because fares all fares are periodically revised to reflect cost increases and inflation. Notwithstanding this, consideration should be given to at least ensuring basic information on ticket types is included, and more information, if possible (see Figure 6.13 ). Where they exist, the prices of rover-style tickets (eg those valid on all of a company’s bus services during a whole day or week) should also be provided.

Figure 6.13: ‘Example fares’ are given in the Ripon Roweller leaf let by the Little Red Bus Company to give prospective passengers an indication of what will be paying

27 Welsh in Wales and Gaelic in Scotland, for instanc e

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6.16 Summary & Recommendations 6.16.1 In terms of providing public transport information, the challenge is to provide the right amount of information to those who require it. The vast majority of bus passengers and potential bus passengers have very little knowledge and understanding of who runs bus services or the difference between financially supported and commercially operated services. Their primary concern is that bus services should be reliab le and that the information presented is clear and in simple language.

6.16.2 This chapter of the study concentrated on bus information alone, which comes in three main guises: at-stop information, printed publicity and online information. The organisation providing the information varies depending on the bus service. As a general rule, if the service is a commercially operated service the information is provided by the bus operator, and if the service is financially supported by the local transport authority, the information is provided by the County Council.

6.16.3 There are some at-stop locations where there is no information provided. Where information is provided the quality can vary significantly from stop to stop. Many at-stop timetable displays do not show bus times specific to that stop. The quality of printed information also varies. Useful timetab le booklets are produced by both DeCC and DoCC but the font size used is smaller than the recommended minimum. DoCC produce Services around the Jurassic Coast maps in addition to a county-wide public transport map. DeCC produce a county-wide pub lic transport map only. Both highway authorities endeavour to distribute printed information to similar outlets, although no formal distribution system or database exists. On-line information varies from website to website in terms of content and location. The location of information is not always intuitive.

6.16.4 Real Time Passenger Information currently exists in the far west and the far east of the study area. An RTPI scheme has been piloted in Exeter, and in Purbeck RTPI exists for Wilts & Dorset service 40. Wilts & Dorset service 40 and service 50 are good examp les of strong branding. The X53 bus service is an example of strong branding and good partnership working.

6.16.5 It is recommended that a comprehensive audit of bus stops is conducted to understand the quality of information that exists throughout the study area. Stop-specific timetables with large font sizes should be used at bus stops.

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Route maps should also be incorporated into at-stop timetable information along with ‘you are here’ maps.

6.16.6 Bus stop locations should be added to Area Timetab le Booklet town maps, and to the DoCC Services around the Jurassic Coast maps. It is recommended that an equivalent publication to the DoCC Services around the Jurassic Coast maps is produced for East Devon. It is suggested that the separate Coastlinx53 leaflet is either discontinued or re-launched with timetab le information and an enhanced map that shows bus stop locations and visitor destinations. Printed publicity should include indicative fare information. The distribution system for printed publicity should be formalised to ensure that the relevant publications are distributed to locations that tourists will visit, including accommodation sites. It is suggested that the X53 route is piloted for this purpose.

6.16.7 Online information should be comprehensive, up to date and easy to find. Work should be undertaken towards a map-based website (like Google Transit) that allows users to download stop-specific timetables like the Transport for London website.

6.16.8 It is recommended that the potential for linking the two existing RTPI systems in the study area should be investigated. Future RTPI development in the study area should focus on mobile phone text messaging (SMS), and at-stop electronic displays only at key bus stops. In terms of branding, good practice in the study area is recognised. However, it is important to ensure that one brand does not eclipse other services.

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7 Partnership working

7.1 In troduction 7.1.1 Successfully imp lementing many of the recommendations outlined in this report will be dependent on several organisations effectively working together. Although some recommendations are achievable without ‘buy in’ from all relevant stakeholders, more effective implementation will b e achieved if all relevant parties ‘sign up’, and many recommendations will not be possible at all without collective agreement. Furthermore, some schemes will be much more effective if they are achieved as part of an overall strategy, rather than if they are imp lemented in isolation. Indeed, without an overall strategy, the recommendations might be unachievab le.

7.2 Stakeh olders 7.2.1 The importance of effective partnership working, and the scale of the challenge, is underlined by the sheer number of relevant stakeholders. As stated in the introduction to this report, the study area includes parts of two local transport authorities (the two County Councils), four local p lanning authorities (the district and borough councils), two AONB Partnerships – and this excludes the many different individuals within these organisations who will have involvement. Other stakeholders will be involved as relevant to specific topic areas and recommendations in question, and include Parish Councils, Town Councils, The National Trust, South West Tourism, bus operators, taxi operators, accommodation providers, Network Rail, Train Operating Companies.

7.2.2 Many of the stakeholders are represented at the JCTWG (to whom this report is presented). Care must however be taken that officers and individuals behind the scenes (but in charge of the schemes) are all heading in the right direction with their endeavours.

7.3 Effective partnership working – good practice 7.3.1 An examp le of good practice is the Snowdonia Green Key Initiative (SGKI). SGKI is a partnership between Conwy County Borough Council, Countryside Council for Wales, Gwynedd Council, Snowdonia National Park Authority, Wales Tourist Board and the Welsh Development Agency. The SGKI website states that its aim is to focus on; sustainable transport networks within the

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Snowdonia National Park. These networks will contribute towards the long- term goal of a cleaner and greener Snowdonia, for both its residents and visitors alike. In practical terms this will mean creating sustainable options for how we travel to and through the landscape. The key message is helping safeguard the future of the Park by reducing private motor vehicle usage, and encouraging access to the countryside through walking, cycling, bus and train travel.

7.3.2 Current and future projects of SGKI include:

- Bus and rail timetab les are planned to be co-ordinated and simplified; - Improvements to car parks and formalising of parking to prevent illega l footway parking - Footpath resurfacing - New signposting to identify a cycle route - A clear brand identity is being developed for all Sherpa products and associated marketing campaigns - A series of leaflets are being designed promoting linear walks with the Snowdonia Sherpa buses and these will be distributed along with the Sherpa Timetables to businesses in and around the National Park.

7.4 Partn ership working in the Jurassic Coast 7.4.1 Many of the principles of the partnership working exemplified by SGKI can be applied to this study. Rural car-bus interchange sites will only be successf ul on a significant scale if bus operators and car park operators are both working towards making the scheme a success and if publicity material and tourist information informs the travelling pub lic that this option exists. Improving bus services to camping and caravan sites will be reliant on a number of organisations and individuals agreeing a way forward, not least directly engaging with the sites themselves.

7.4.2 The successful promotion of DRT services to visitors will require the effective marketing of the services on a wide scale and a parking management and visitor management strategy. Joint working on a similar scale to SGKI will be required to achieve this. Improvements to rail interchange facilities will be best achieved through bus operators, rail operators and transport authorities working together. Delivering improvements to pub lic transport information will also only be achieved through effective partnership working, and the examp le of competing brands, inconsistencies with information, and number

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of different organisations involved who have responsibility for disseminating public transport information, demonstrates the need for the various organisations to come together and speak with one voice where agreement can be reached.

7.5 Summary and recommen dations 7.5.1 The best way to achieve the recommendations outlined in this report is for a partnership organisation to be formed. It is recommended that different groups would be best set up on a geographical basis to reflect the different organisations on different sections of the study area and to keep the number of stakeholders down to a manageable level. These partnerships should communicate with each other on a regular basis – indeed some of the stakeholders will be common to more than one partnership - to share knowledge and ideas.

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8 Conclusions

8.1 Con clusions Potential rural car-bus interchange sites 8.1.1 There is limited potential to use rural car-bus parks as interchange sites for people to park their cars on and transfer to buses for onward travel. The main constraints are lack of spare capacity at the car parks, landscape designations affecting most of the potential sites, the frequency of bus services that would serve the sites, the challenges in promoting the sites, and the lack of security could dissuade visitors from using them.

8.1.2 Steps should be taken to consolidate and broaden the role of the existing Park & Ride sites in Lyme Regis. In addition to the Park & Ride buses that serve Lyme Regis itself, interchange to the service X53 (and, at Charmouth Road, service 31) which pass the sites should be promoted. New bus stops would be required and bus operators would need to be persuaded of the advantages in terms of extra patronage of serving the interchange sites. In the case of other rural car parks, they should continue to serve their current purpose and high quality information on local pub lic transport services be displayed with prominence and clarity along with information on walking and cycling routes.

Bus services to serve camping and caravan sites 8.1.3 Many of the camping and caravan sites in the study are well served by bus services, particularly the large sites. Many of the smaller sites are not well served by bus services but the dispersed, geographically remote locations and low visitor numbers make them in general difficult to serve more effectively without significant subsidy

8.1.4 There are however several medium and large camping and caravan sites which can be provided with better public transport access. Whilst practical operating constraints and commercial interests limit opportunities to re-route bus services, that there are many sites where installation of additional bus stops would improve access at relatively low cost. These sites were summarised in Table 3.3.Increasing the frequency of the CoastlinX53 service would also enhance the public transport available at many accommodation sites.

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8.1.5 Although it is unrealistic to expect existing local bus services to be re-routed, it is considered that there may be scope for the larger sites to work together and with local bus and taxi operators, in implementing shuttle services for peak visitor periods during the year. It is recommended that local authorities take a pro-active stance and contact the medium and large sites that have been identified in this report as being poorly accessible by public transport to offer travel planning advice including advice on the scope to implement high season shuttle services. It is recommended that the travel p lanning advice encompass travel noticeboards, travel information packs and discounted ticketing.

Demand Responsive Transport Services: Constraints and Opportunities 8.1.6 DRT services are best suited to rural areas of low and dispersed population. In these areas DRT service can improve accessibility, and in rare cases, even reduce subsidy levels. DRT services are complex public transport services and as such include features which act as barriers to use such as pre-registration, complicated timetab les and pre-booking of journeys. It is considered that DRT services are not best suited to visitors who, in addition to facing the same barriers to use as local residents also tend to be unfamiliar with the loca l geography and the public transport services provided. Visitors, more than other user groups require services that are easy to understand and simple to use. There are often key destinations that attract large numbers of visitors, and it is therefore our conclusion that they are better served with simple, conventional, fixed route services.

8.1.7 However, it is recognised that a number of reasons preclude this in several instances, not least due to lack of financial resources amongst, it may not be possible to run conventional services for visitors, alongside DRT services that are most useful to local residents. As a result several ways have been identified in which DRT services can be made more welcoming and accessible to visitors.

8.1.8 DRT exists in both Devon and Dorset, but only service 103/103A operates in the study area. Key recommendations for service 103/103A include reviewing the DRT booking system and recording of DRT bookings to ensure compliance with legislation and enable accurate and efficient analysis of both the number of DRT bookings and thus the success or otherwise of the subsidised service. Analysis of DRT bookings may well reveal that key visitor destinations such as Wool Station, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door should be made fixed stops

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rather than bookable stops. A whole series of measures can be undertaken to improve visitor awareness and comprehension of the service.

Rail-bus interchange audits 8.1.9 Three rail-bus interchange audits were undertaken in East Devon at Axminster, Honiton and Exmouth. These can act as a temp late for assessing the quality and usef ulness of other such interchanges in the study area. All three stations audited provide adequate facilities and a useful interchange, although Axminster is considered to be the best interchange of the three audited on all aspects of the audit.

8.1.10 The key improvements that should be made at all three stations are the quality of the bus waiting environment and the quality of the information provided at the bus stops. At Honiton and Exmouth, it is recommended that route signing is also improved. It is recommended that an audit is also carried out at the other rail stations in the study area.

Presenting Pub lic Transport Information: Good Practice 8.1.11 Improvements to public transport information should begin at the bus stop. This is the first point of access to pub lic transport for many users, particularly visitors. Many of the recommendations made in the Coast Path Access & Walks Study (2007) continue to apply, particular with regard to stop-specific timetable information and providing named bus flags at every stop.

8.1.12 Clear and simple information should be applied consistently to printed publicity (leaflets, maps and timetable booklets), and on websites. There is no one example which should be replicated wholesale for the study area. Instead, the aim should be app ly the most relevant elements of good practice which are appropriate for the area. A selection of these examples have been outlined in Chapter 6.

8.1.13 Significant efforts have been made within the study area to effectively brand and market some of the major bus services, not least the CoastlinX53. Whilst it is recommended that Jurassic Coast continue to be the dominant brand in the study area, care must be taken to ensure that non-branded bus services are not eclipsed by branded services, or that different brands compete against each other. Both are to the detriment of clear passenger information.

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8.1.14 Although RTPI systems are expensive and require a lot of hard work and commitment from bus operators and local authorities to work successfully, it is recommended that development of RTPI is investigated further with DeCC and DoCC and their respective RTPI system providers. Development should include additional bus service such as the X53 service and include more bus operators. It is recommended that at-stop RTPI electronic displays be installed at key interchanges and busy bus stops, but that SMS text messaging is used for other bus stops. Real-time SMS text messaging is more cost- effective that electronic display screens and would build on the good work already done along the X53 corridor.

Effective Implementation 8.1.15 The Jurassic Coast is England’s first natural World Heritage Site. Whilst visitors are attracted by its natural beauty, geological importance and outdoor leisure activities and provide benefits the local economy, the attendant traffic and congestion gives rise to significant management issues. Unfettered car use will continue to negatively impact on the environment; in turn this will discourage visitors in the future.

8.1.16 There are significant opportunities to encourage visitors to enjoy the Jurassic Coast by sustainable modes of travel which this study has identified. Many of the recommendations outlined in this report will be the responsibility of the respective county councils in their roles as local highway and local transport authority. However, effective implementation of the recommendations depends upon the agreement, support and financial commitment from many other organisations, companies and individuals. It requires co-ordination and integration to ensure the most is made of every opportunity to improve sustainab le transport provision in the study area.

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Glossary

AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

ATCO Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers

BIS Bus Information Strategy

DeCC Devon County Council

DoCC Dorset County Council

DRT Demand Responsive Transport

EDDC East Devon District Council

EDLP East Devon Local Plan

JCTS Jurassic Coast Transport Strategy

JCTWG Jurassic Coast Transport Working Group

LDF Local Development Framework

LPA Local Planning Authority

NaPTAN National P ublic Transport Accessibility Node

NORDCAT North Dorset Community Accessible Transport

PSV Passenger Service Vehicle

RTPI Real Time Passenger Information

SAC Special Area of Conservation

SPA Special Protection Area

SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest

SWPTI South West Passenger Transport Information (SWPTI), the regional partnership of local authorities and major bus operators, who provide data for Traveline, the national public transport enquiry service

WDDC West Dorset District Council

WDLP West Dorset Local P lan

References

ATCO 2004 Printed Public Transport Information: A code of good practice

Bradt, H. 2008 ‘Britain’s greatest local bus ride’ in The Observer, Sunday March 9 2008

Browne, G. 2008 Transport to and from Uplyme Retrieved from http://www.up lyme.com/index.php?vital_info-transport on 10 Sep 2008

Bus Users UK Good Practice Guide (2007) Retrieved from www.bususers.org/good.htm on 24 September 2008

Cornwall County Council 2008 Cornwall Centre of Excellence for Integrated Rural Transport The Helston Branch Line T34 Retrieved from http://www.cornwall-centre-of-excellence.org.uk/t34.htm on 16th November 2008

DeCC 2004 Devon Structure Plan 2001 to 2016 - 'Devon to 2016' Adopted October 2004

DeCC 2006 Devon on the M ove – Devon Local Transport Plan 2006 - 2011

DeCC 2007 A Strategy for Devon Rail Stations

DeCC 2007a Consultation on Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Letter from Devon County Council dated 14 December 2007 Retrieved from http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/sbpcons-devon- 141207.pdf on 6th November 2008

DoCC 2006 Dorset Local Transport Plan

DoCC 2007 Grant of planning permission number 07/00033/DCC3 and 1/E/07/0053

EDDC 2006 East Devon Local Plan – 1995 to 2011 Adopted July 2006

Enoch, M. Potter, S. Parkhurst, G. & Smith, M 2004 INTERM ODE: Innovations in Demand Responsive Transport Final Report for DfT and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive

Enoch, M. Ison, S. Lewis, R. & Zhang, L 2006 Evaluation Study of Demand Response Transport Services in Wiltshire Final Report

Halcrow 2002 C17 - Other M odal Shift Initiatives Overview Document April 2002 (prepared for the Highways Agency, unpublished)

Halcrow 2007 Dorset & East Devon Coastal Corridor Plan Coast Path Access & Walks Study Final Report

Halcrow 2008 Draft Norden Park and Ride Interchange Scoping Study (prepared for Purbeck Heritage Committee)

Keen, A. 2005 Summary Report of the Studland & Purbeck Integrated Transport Project

Kennisplatform Kerkeer en Vervoer 2006 De halte als voordoer van het openbaar vervoer [Bus stops as the gateway to public transport]

Lyme Forward 2007 Lyme Regis Community Plan 2007 – 2027

Network Rail 2007 Strategic Business Plan (including Stations Strategy and Plan for Control Period 4 and Route 4 Wessex Routes ) Retrieved from http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4355.aspx on 6th November 2008

South West Trains 2008 Bus links Retrieved from http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/TravelInformation/RailLinks/Bus+connections.htm on 30 th October 2008

Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) 2004 Standards For Local Bus Services November 2004 Retrieved from http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository/PD%20standards%20for%20local%20buses.pdf

WDDC 2006 West Dorset District Local Plan Adopted 2006

Appendices

Appendix A

Detailed Information on Existing Bus Provision to Camping and Caravan Sites

Appendix A: Detailed information on existing bus provision to camping and caravan sites

Combined Approx number of Approximate walk Dates of Parish Site Name Bus serv ice Destinations served Frequency of pitches/units distance to bus stops operation service Mar ch to Hourly Within site 95 Exmouth Devon Cliffs 860 Ex mouth October (11 per day) 940m 98 / 99E All year 2 per hour 58 Exeter All year 2 per day Budleigh Salterton Pooh Cottage Holiday Park 50 1090m 58 / 157/ 357 Exmouth & Budleigh Salterton All year 2 per hour 157 Sidmouth All year Hourly Budleigh Salter ton & Exmouth Otterton Ladram Bay Holiday Centre 305 1300m 157 All year Hourly Newton Popplefor d & Sidmouth Seaton 52A/X53/X54 Sidmouth (not X54), Newton All year Hourly Salcombe Regis Camping & Caravan Park 100 751m Popplefor d, Exeter Colyfor d, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, X53 All year 8 per day Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole Salcombe Regis Seaton 52A/X53/X54 Sidmouth (not X54), Newton All year 8 per day Dunscombe Manor Not known 1150m Popplefor d, Exeter Colyfor d, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, X53 All year 8 per day Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole Seaton 52A/X53/X54 All year Hourly Oakdown Touring & Holiday Sidmouth (not X54), Newton 170 610m Popplefor d, Exeter Caravan Park Colyfor d, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, X53 All year 8 per day Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole Branscombe Seaton 52A/X53/X54 All year Hourly King’s Down Tail Car avan & Sidmouth (not X54), Newton 100 140m Popplefor d, Exeter Camping Park Colyfor d, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, X53 All year 8 per day Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole Seaton, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, 910m X53 All year 8 per day Beer Head Car avan Park Not known Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole 470m 899 Branscombe, Salcombe Regis, Sidmouth All year 5 per day Beer Newton Popplefor d, Ex eter X53 Seaton, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, All year 8 per day Couchill Farm Not known 1000m Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole 899 Branscombe, Salcombe Regis, Sidmouth All year 5 per day X53 passes adjacent to site, but no formal bus Seaton Heights Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, stops shown on NAPTAN Seaton X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 8 per day bus stop data Weymouth, War eham & Poole 340m to r oad along Manor Farm Caravan Site 280 w hich 52A/X53 runs X54 Colyton All year 1 per day All year 5 per day X54 & 899 Seaton schooldays All year 3 per day Axmouth Axe Farm camping Not known 250m X54 Newton Popplefor d, Ex eter All year 1 per day All year 899 Budleigh Salterton & Exmouth schooldays All year 899 Lyme Regis 2 per day schooldays Westhayes Caravan Park 117 160m Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, All year 8 per day Combpyne Rousdon Shr ubbery Car avan & X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter 120 240m Camping Park Weymouth, War eham & Poole 340m to bottom of Gor e Axminster Hook Farm Caravan & Uplyme 5 acres Lane (not marked on 31 Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport, All year Hourly Camping Park NAPTAN bus stop data) Dor chester , Weymouth

1000m to Higher Sea Lane bus stops 930m to Fernhill bus Bridport, Weymouth Mor e than Wood Farm 199 stops 31/X53 All year Charmouth, Lyme Regis hourly 460m to point on Axminster Road at which buses may stop Charmouth Axminster 31 All year Hourly Dor chester Manor Farm Holiday Centre 680 150m Bridport, Weymouth Mor e than 31/X53 All year Charmouth, Lyme Regis hourly Axminster 31 All year Hourly Seadown Holiday Park 125 340m Dor chester Bridport, Weymouth Mor e than 31/X53 All year Charmouth, Lyme Regis hourly Bridport, Weymouth Mor e than 31/X53 All year Whitchurch Newlands Holiday Centre 264 Immediately outside site Charmouth, Lyme Regis hourly Canonicor um Axminster 31 All year Hourly Dor chester Bridport, Weymouth, War eham, Poole Mor e than 31/X53 All year Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Ex eter hourly Chideock Golden Cap Holiday Park 280 860-1300m Axminster 31 All year Hourly Dor chester Axminster 2610m to Sprakes Corner 31 All year Hourly Dor chester Eype House 75 Weymouth, War eham, Poole 2100m to West Bay X53 Bridport, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, All year 10 per day Seaton, Ex eter Axminster 2150m to Sprakes Corner 31 All year Hourly Dor chester Symondsbury Highlands End Farm Holiday Par k 214 Weymouth, War eham, Poole 1160m to West Bay X53 Bridport, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, All year 10 per day Seaton, Ex eter 45 / X53 / 210 Bridport & Burton Bradstock All year Hourly Brit Valley Not known 710m Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Ex eter X53 All year 10 per day Weymouth, War eham & Poole 45 / X53 / 210 Bridport & Burton Bradstock All year Hourly Bridport West Bay Holiday Centre 316 380m X53 45 / X53 / 210 Bridport All year Hourly Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, Newton Freshwater Beach 580 440m X53 Popplefor d & Exeter All year 10 per day Weymouth, War eham & Poole 210 Litton Cheney All year 1 per day 45 / X53 / 210 Bridport All year Hourly Burton Bradstock Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, Newton Coastal Caravan Park 10 1250m X53 Popplefor d & Exeter All year 10 per day Weymouth, War eham & Poole 210 Litton Cheney All year 1 per day 45 / X53 / 210 Bridport All year Hourly Larkfield Caravan Park 42 194m X53 Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, Newton Popplefor d & Exeter All year 10 per day

Weymouth, War eham & Poole Litton Cheney 217m to village centre 210 All year 1 per day Swyr e, Burton Bradstock, Bridport Puncknowle Home Farm 42 X53/ 210 Bridport All year 11 per day 1140m to Swyre Weymouth X53 All year 10 per day Charmouth, Lyme Regis Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 10 per day Sywre Gorselands 32 230m Weymouth, War eham & Poole 210 Litton Cheney All year 1 per day Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, Portesham Portesham Dairy Farm 180 270m X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 10 per day Weymouth Wareham & Poole

Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, 330m X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 10 per day Bagwell Farm 320 War eham & Poole On site 1 Weymouth Summer season 4 per day Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, 780m to Bagwell Far m X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 10 per day West Fleet Farm 250 entr ance War eham & Poole On site 1 Weymouth Summer season 4 per day Fleet Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, 1530m to Bagwell Far m X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 10 per day Sea Barn Farm 250 entr ance War eham & Poole On site 1 Weymouth Summer season 4 per day On site 1 Weymouth Summer season 4 per day Bridport, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidfor d, East Fleet Touring Park 400 1200m to Chickerell X53 Newton Popplefor d & Ex eter All year 10 per day Road War eham & Poole 8/X53 Chickerell & Weymouth All year 4 per hour April to Littlesea Holiday Park 265 On site 502 Weymouth Hourly November 680m to Wyke Village 6 Weymouth All year 2 per hour Chicker ell Pebble Bank 150 Por tland 640m to Lanehouse X10/X20 Weymouth All year 6 per day Rocks Road Dor chester Weymouth 328m Southbound 1/X7/X7A/X10/X25/X37/50 Mor e than 8 per Chesil Beach Holiday Park 100 Weymouth Mostly all year (Wyke Regis) 229m Northbound 1 hour Portland Cove Caravan Park 70 170m 501 Weymouth & Bowleaze Cove May to October 8 per day Bridport, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Weymouth Bay 360m X53 Seaton, Newton Popplefor d, Exeter All year 7 per day War eham & Poole 4/4A/4B/X53/X30 Weymouth All year 3 per hour X53 & X30 Osmington & Winfrith All year 9 per day Seaview Holiday Park Not Known Bridport, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, 425m (Spice Ship) X53 Seaton, Newton Popplefor d, Exeter All year 7 per day War eham & Poole Weymouth 4/4A/4B/X53/ Weymouth All year 3 per hour (Pr eston) X53 & X30 Osmington & Winfrith All year 9 per day 8 per day 501 Weymouth & Portland Bill May to October (Hourly) April to May Waterside Holiday Park Not Known 4 per hour On site May to Sep 5 per hour 501 & 503 Weymouth Sep to Oct 3 per hour Sep to 2 per hour November X53/X30 Weymouth & Winfrith All year 9 per day 1130m either on public Osmington Osmington Mills Not Known Bridport, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, footpaths or highway X53 Seaton & Exeter All year 6 per day War eham & Poole Lulw orth, Wool, Bovington All year 3 per day Bovington All year 5 per day West Lulworth Durdle Door Holiday Park 240 On-site 103 Wool All year 8 per day Winfrith Newburgh All year 6 per day Dor chester All year 3 per day Kimmeridge Smedmore House 42 1340m to Kimmeridge 275 Wareham All year 1 per week Wor th Matraver s 920m to bus stop, 550m Wareham All year 1 per day Woodhyde Camping Site 160 44 to bus served r oad Cor fe Castle & Worth Matravers All year 3 per day Out-of-season 6 per day 824m to Harman’s Cross Downshay 12 Sw anage Railway Sw anage w eekdays and 11 on Fridays Station Cor fe Castle w eekends (every 80 mins) Holiday season Every 40 mins

Out-of-season 6 per day w eekdays and 7 on Fridays Nor den Park and Ride w eekends (every 80 mins) Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage 1150m to Langton Road 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Out-of-season 6 per day Sw anage w eekdays and 11 on Fridays Cor fe Castle w eekends (every 80 mins) 743m to Harman’s Cross Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage Railway Station Out-of-season 6 per day Haycrafts Caravan Club Site 53 w eekdays and 7 on Fridays Nor den Park and Ride w eekends (every 80 mins) Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage 940m to Langton Road 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Out-of-season 6 per day Sw anage w eekdays and 11 on Fridays Cor fe Castle w eekends (every 80 mins) 1013m to Harman’s Cross Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage Railway Station Out-of-season 6 per day Primrose Hill Not known w eekdays and 7 on Fridays Nor den Park and Ride w eekends (every 80 mins) Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage 960m to Langton Road 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Sw anage 420m 40 All year Hourly Acton Field Not known Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Sw anage Tom’s Field 100 467m 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Out-of-season 6 per day Sw anage w eekdays and 11 on Fridays Cor fe Castle w eekends (every 80 mins) 1160-1650m to Herston Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage Railway Halt Out-of-season 6 per day Langton Matr avers w eekdays and 7 on Fridays Nor den Park and Ride Knitson Farm Tourers Site w eekends (every 80 mins) 60 Holiday season Every 40 mins (separ ate fields) Sw anage 1560-2050m to Herston 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole 1570-2120m to Valley 44 Wareham All year 1 per day Road 44 Cor fe Castle & Worth Matravers All year 3 per day 1780-2330m to New Sw anage 50 All year Hourly Sw anage Studland, Sandbanks & Bournemouth Sw anage Priestway 62 626m 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Sw anage Bay View Holiday Sw anage Par k Not known 611m 40 Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole All year Hourly Out-of-season 6 per day Sw anage w eekdays and 11 on Fridays Cor fe Castle w eekends (every 80 mins) Holiday season Every 40 mins 620m to Herston Halt Swanage Railway Out-of-season 6 per day Sw anage Her ston Yards Farm Not Known w eekdays and 7 on Fridays Nor den Park and Ride w eekends (every 80 mins) Holiday season Every 40 mins Sw anage 1020m to Herston 40 All year Hourly Cor fe Castle, Wareham & Poole Summer holiday w eekdays and Sw anage Half-hour ly Ulwell Cottage Caravan Park 70 237m 50 w eekends (late Studland, Sandbanks & Bournemouth May to August) All other times Hourly

Appendix B

Bus Stop Access Audit

Bus Stop Access Audit Name of camp/caravan site: ______Grid ref: ______Name/Ref of bus stop: ______Grid or NaPTAN ref: ______Overall length of route from Campsite to Bus Stop: ______

Breakdown of route Route type Start Grid Finish Grid PROW Ref / Distance of Notes on route (footpath, bridleway, Ref. Ref. Highway Ref this section footway, on-carriageway)

Overall route Issues Recommended solutions quality Traffic speed or volume? No footway / narrow footway? 1-5 Muddy? Overgrown? Route not obvious? Waymarking poor or absent? (Excellent - Poor) Surface quality? Dropped kerbs? Quality of stiles or other barriers?

Please sketch the route with annotations here

Appendix C

Types of Demand Responsive Transport

Appendix C: Types of Demand Responsive Transport

Table C1 outlines the three types of DRT services operated in the UK. Dial-a-Ride services that are provided primarily for residents with mobility or accessibility difficulties are not considered as part of this study.

Table C1 Typical types of DRT scheme in the UK

DRT Typically operated Enabled by Operational constraints Examples type by

Must be registered as a bus service but f ixed The Public route or timetable not required Flexible Service Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) licence Bus Operator or Local bus Vehicles required authority in-house D2D service Regulations Passengers must pre-book vehicle fleet 2004 Operator must keep records of all bookings taken Service does not have to be registered with the Traffic Commissioner as is not a bus service. Shared Section 11 of Maximum of eight passenger seats per v ehicle Taxi operator (PHV or car the 1985 Bus Service Operators Grant cannot be claimed Fare Car Hackney Carriage) service Transport Act Vehicle can be Hackney Carriage or PHV No obligation to operate journeys if no bookings. A Special R estricted PSV Operating Licence (Special Licence) is granted to the operator Vehicle can be Hackney Carriage (or PHVs, subject to the enactment of the Draft Local Section 12 of Transport Bill 28 ) Taxi-bus Taxi operator (PHV or Redditch Taxibus the 1985 A taxi-bus serv ice is technically a bus service so service Hackney Carriage) evening services Transport Act must be registered as a bus serv ice although fixed route or timetable is not required Passengers must pre-book Operator must keep records of all bookings taken

28 Clause 26 of the Draft Local Transport Bill

Appendix D: Additional details of Door to Dorset service 103/103A

There is only one DRT service within the study area). Service 103 is financially supported by DoCC and operates from Mondays to Saturdays inclusive. The main settlements served are Dorchester, Wareham, Wool and Bovington, and the service covers the Lulworth section of the Jurassic Coast.

The service was previously operated by First Group, and when it was re-launched as a DRT service in July 2006 NORDCAT won the contract via the competitive tender process. Under the terms of the contract DoCC provided NORDCAT with a new accessib le vehicle - a 30-seater Optare – with the cost to be recovered over the five-year life of the contract. Due to the size of the flexible zone it soon became apparent that one vehicle would not be sufficient to cover the service. DoCC therefore funded a minibus to cover the part of the service that is now known as the 103A service.

The 103 service is now effectively sp lit into two parts and operates as a combination of f lexib le bus and taxibus services. Service 103A has evolved into a taxibus operation run by Garrison Taxis, since the regular passenger levels on this part of the service are more suitable to smaller vehicles. This part of the service runs between Wareham and Wool via Bovington and the Lulworth area. As the service is a taxibus service rather than a shared car service, the service is registered as a bus service and all timetabled journeys must operate. In fact, as the only non-bookab le fixed stop on service 103 is Wool (railway station), if no bookings are made for a particular journey, the vehicle remains at Wool. In other words, all journeys on the 103A service must be booked. NORDCAT report that virtually every 103A journey does operate as at least one booking is taken.

Service 103 remains operated by NORDCAT with the 30-seater Optare bus. This part of the service runs between Bovington and Dorchester with two return journeys a day availab le to the Lulworth area. As is typical of flexible bus services, this part of the service operates as a combination of fixed route and f lexib le DRT zone.

The f lexib le DRT part of service 103/103A covers the villages of East Lulworth, East Chaldon, Warmwell and Coombe Keynes. These settlements would not otherwise have a bus service, although it should be pointed out that these settlements were also served by the previous conventional bus service. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are two of the most popular destinations on the Jurassic Coast so in theory the flexibility of the service offers great potential to cater for visitors’ journey needs. However, to maximise this potential, greater awareness of the fact that these destinations are served, and greater understanding of how the service can be booked, needs to be achieved.

This split of service types and numbers does not enhance the understanding of the service and has resulted in the timetable information being split into two parts. The reason for the split cannot be discerned from the timetable, and interpreting how the service works is difficult for those

unfamiliar with it. Given that making services and timetab les easy to understand is key in attracting visitors, the current arrangement is less than perfect.

How the DRT aspect of the service works NODCAT take all bookings and enquiries about service 103/103A and the call centre is open from 0830 to 1700 Mondays to Saturdays. The call centre does not operate on Sundays as the 103/103A (like other DRT services in Dorset) does not operate on Sundays. NORDCAT operate many of the Community Transport schemes in Dorset and most of the D2D services, so are familiar with the local area and the requirements of users.

The DRT registration process is made as simple and quick as possible by NORDCAT, with the details requested by NORDCAT restricted to name, address and telephone number.

The f lexible part of the 103/130A service is not limited to specific stops in the f lexib le area. Within the physical operating constraints of the vehicle, NORDCAT state that passengers are able to book the service to the most convenient location within the flexib le area, although it is recognised that this is difficult to convey to users and potential users. NORDCAT encourages passengers to use the stops within the flexible area. These are several physical stops within the flexible area that contain 103/103A timetable information, although they are not at-stop specific and do not contain clear information about how to book the f lexible aspects of the service.

Mobisoft routing and dispatching software was purchased by DoCC but remains ‘dormant’. NORDCAT state that it was not appropriate for the requirements of the service and there were also problems with the communications because there is limited mobile phone coverage in the coastal area.

The 103 service is therefore routed manually by NORDCAT with DRT bookings despatched via a call to the driver’s mobile phone (and the reason why bookings must be made 1 hour in advance of the time of travel). This unfortunately limits the demand responsiveness and flexibility of the service, and it would be better practice to allow passengers to book nearer the time. If this can not be achieved with the current manual dispatching system then messaging/dispatching software should be used. It is recognised that the lack of mobile phone coverage in certain parts of the service area makes this challenging.

Although Garrison Taxis operate the 103A service, NODCAT take all the calls and make the booking and then pass the booking information onto Garrison Taxis. In this way, NORDCAT are aware of the number of DRT passengers per day and are aware of how many vehicles Garrison Taxis should be using. If demand is high on a particular journey, Garrison Taxis will despatch more than one vehicle. Enab led by the fact that NORDCAT run their own call centre, this is a good system as it is transparent and should not result in Garrison Taxis claiming f or journeys they have not operated.

Operational performance A comprehensive analysis of the performance of DoCC DRT services would include an examination of patronage trends, cost per passenger journey figures, and the results of passenger surveys. A breakdown of the operational details would also be included (i.e. vehicle type used, routeing software used, call centre used, and reliability of vehicles and equipment). DoCC and NORDCAT have been unable to provide Halcrow with detailed information regarding passenger numbers, cost per passenger journey, and breakdown of passenger type and booking type. Summary information has however been provided by DoCC and NORDCAT that allows a reasonable understanding of the 103 service to be gained.

There are 700-800 registered users of D2D services across the county. Approximately 200 people are registered as users of service 103, although DoCC estimate that of these approximately 50 to 60 are ‘active’ users.

NORDCAT do not have information readily availab le regarding the number of visitors (as opposed to residents) that use the service or the number of users who use the DRT aspect of the service (as opposed to the fixed route). For service 103A, NORDCAT does have the overall DRT passenger numbers because all journeys are bookable. However, a breakdown of the different destinations operated and the number of passengers carried could only be derived by working back from the ticket machine data, rather than by readily accessing a list of all bookings made, and the number of visitors travelling could not be discerned.

It is a legislative requirement that records of all flexible bus and taxibus bookings must be kept, including passenger names and pick-up and drop-off times. However, it appears that this information may not be recorded in a readily availab le fashion and there is a risk that the current system may be in breach of the legislative requirements. It is therefore strongly recommended that the current booking and audit trail system is reviewed, and that a more robust audit trail of DRT bookings is implemented if required.

In addition, the limitations of the current booking and recording system makes it very difficult to gauge the effectiveness of the DRT aspect of the service. In terms of overall patronage, both DoCC and NORDCAT reported to Halcrow that patronage on service 103/103A has remained constant over the last couple of years. Given that the 103A service is now entirely demand responsive, this suggests that the DRT aspect of the service has not caused a decrease in passengers, but neither has the potential to increase visitor numbers been realised.

The overall contract cost of the 103 service was reported by DoCC and NORDCAT as being varying depending on the level of activity on the 103A Taxibus aspect of the service. Exact figures were not provided, but DoCC suggested that the cost per passenger journey figure was around £4.

Passenger feedback As detailed passenger information is not taken at the registration stage, it is useful to issue passenger feedback questionnaires to elicit information such as passenger age, journey purpose, and residential postcode. The last passenger feedback questionnaire was issued in January 2007 but did not contain questions on these subjects; instead it focussed on users’ views on the type of service they would like, routes and frequencies. To capture the views of visitors it would be good practice to issue passenger feedback questionnaires annually in the summer and include questions on how visitors became aware of the service, how easily they found the service to use, and how useful the service is. In line with the previously issued questionnaire, it would be usef ul to issue it on the vehicle as many visitors who use the DRT asp ect of the service will not have surrendered their address, and to ensure that the views of visitors catching the service from the fixed stops are obtained as well as DRT passengers.

How the service is publicised and promoted The service 103 vehicle and printed publicity have the same brand. Since the taxibuses are part of the Garrison Taxis fleet, they are not branded, although when they are operating the 103A service they display a magnetic sign on the door of the vehicle to indicate this.

When service 103 was re-launched in July 2006 as a DRT service, DoCC produced a branded leaflet providing information on how the service works, the full timetab le, and a map indicating the boundary of the flexible area. This leaf let is still available on the DoCC website, despite the fact that the timetab le has now been superseded.

A new timetab le leaf let to reflect the most recent incarnation of the service has not produced. Information regarding the service is availab le instead in the Bus & Train Travel Times: The South Dorset area and on public transport maps (all County Council publications). The reverse side of the Services along the Jurassic Coast: Purbeck Area public transport map provides a brief explanation of how the service works alongside the timetab le. The timetab le booklet contains an exp lanation of how the service works on page 14, although the service 103 timetab le itself in located on pages 62- 64 of the booklet. The explanations of how the service works on the public transport map and the timetable booklet are different, and finally, the page 14 timetab le booklet explanation is missing entirely from the DoCC website, as explained in section 6.10 of the main report.

Appendix E: Rail-Bus Interchange Audit Checklists

Information Provision (Score 0-5): • Are timetables displayed? • Is there a route map? • Is the text large enough to be easy to read? • Is the timetab le case in good condition without cracks/scratches/stickers etc? • Is the timetab le stop-specific or is the stop highlighted? • Do timetab les show information about connecting bus/rail services? • Is any ticket or fares information shown? • Is there a staffed information/ticket office? If so, are the opening hours clearly displayed? • Is there a plan showing the layout of the station and location of the bus stops? • Are timetable leaflets availab le? • Are the timetables of the buses to the Jurassic Coast branded with the Jurassic Coast logo? • Does information online highlight the connecting service?

Walking Routes (Score 0-5): • Is the walking route clear and obvious? • Are clear direction signs provided, ideally using symbols as well as words? • Is the route uncluttered and safe? • Is the route direct and as short as possible? • Is there a suitable route for disabled users – step-free, sufficiently wide, without heavy manual doors, and with no upstands? • Is the route clean and free of graffiti?

Waiting Environments (Score 0-5): • Are shelters/covered areas provided? • Is there seating, including seating under cover? • Is the waiting area lit? • Does it feel secure (e.g. staff presence, area overlooked or busy)? • Are there any additional facilities such as toilets, public telephone, café, shop, cash machine, ticket machine, luggage trolleys? • Is the area well designed and of good aesthetic quality? • Is the waiting area clean and free of graffiti?

Usefulness and Likely Usage of Interchange (Score 0-5): • Is the connecting journey availab le logical and useful? • Are the bus and rail timetab les well integrated? • Is the connection time robust enough to absorb small delays?

• Are the connecting bus services financially supported by the County Council; if so, which ones? • Do buses stop close to the station in both directions? • Are through ticketing arrangements in p lace?