South Rotherham Rural Transport Group Minutes of the Meeting held on Mon 5 August 2013 at 2pm Harthill Village Hall, Harthill, Rotherham Present Richard Swan (Chair) (RS)– Chairman, Woodsetts Parish Council Rachel Cowling (RC) – South Yorkshire PTE Dorothy Gill (DG) – Harthill Bus User Dave Cooper (DC) – Community Transport Co-ordinator Liz O’Brien (LO’B) – Anston Parish Council Liz Simmonite - Harthill & Woodall Parish Council Clive Jepson – Anston PC/RMBC G Holdon – Bus User D Holdon – Bus User Trevor Froggatt – Bus User Neil Bennett – (NB) Bus user Doug Snowden – (DS) Bus user F Atkin – Bus User L Atkin – Bus User E Prutt (EP) - Bus user Miss M Stanley (MS) - Bus user Mrs D. G Mallatratt (DM) - Bus user Mrs J Hunt - Bus User Val Morris – Bus User Alan Morris – Bus User 1. Apologies for Absence Rita Alderton (RA) - Bus user 2. Minutes of last meeting The minutes were agreed to be a true record of the meeting held on 13 May 2013. 3. Matters Arising The group requested feedback from the Dinnington drop in ‘Your Bus Matters’ event held in March. The summary of comments made at the Dinnington event are attached to these minutes – Appendix 1 Post Meeting note – Rachel Cowling (RC) has requested feedback from Bus Users UK as to what happens to the information following events such as this and how it is fed back to the public and whether any changes are made as a result of the event etc. 4. Bus Services Update RC updated the group on plans to review the Rotherham Network and introduce changes in January 2014. Consultation is still planned for Autumn 2013. Drop-in sessions will be arranged for members of the public to attend and ask any questions they may have regarding the proposals. Everyone is encouraged to complete a questionnaire with their comments to ensure that they are considered as part of the consultation evaluation process. In the consultation local bus users will be asked what they would like to see included in the network. Details of the location, dates and times of the drop-ins will be advised near the time. Details of how the buses are run in terms of who does what with regards to running the buses both commercially and on a tendered basis was requested by the Parish Councillors. Details of how the administration works and how the buses are operated along with how services are registered and how the 4xY changes work was also requested. The process for the above is attached as Appendix 2 below: 5. Community Transport Update DC’s report is attached as Appendix 3 for information 6. Railway update Planning has been submitted for a local travellers site on Dog Kennel Lane next to Kiverton Park. This has resulted in a 1,500 strong petition being submitted against the proposal. Locals would prefer the site to be adapted for parking. No further issues for discussion. 7. Any Other Business Nothing further to add. Date and Time of Next Meeting Monday 4 November 2013 at 2pm at Harthill Village Hall Appendix 1 Bus User Surgery - Dinnington South Yorkshire Friday1st March 2013 Summary of comments made by attendees. Weekly Travel Pass (unemployed) is not available at Dinnington only obtainable at Sheffield or Rotherham. Passenger having to pay £5 to purchase photo when there is a camera on the Computer in the issue office. Journey planner provided by SYPTE is poor for planning long distance journeys Lack of bus services across the area on Sundays, what services are operating don’t give much time at destination. ( Eg Route to Sherwood Forest) People would like to have more bus services on Sunday’s if only in Summertime months. Buses used on the x5 are not comfortable – unsuitable for longer journeys. No direct bus service from Dinnington to Meadow hall for shopping. No direct bus service from Dinnington to hospital. Issues of Wheelchair / buggy access Poor evening services around South Anston. Service changes to route 29 not serving the Leisure Centre. Lack of bus service from South Anston – Rotherham via the hospital. Dinnington Interchange - Lack of timetable information for connecting services across South Yorkshire. Traffic congestion at Woodsetts making services unreliable. Would like to see the restoration of service 29 this route gave good hospital access to Rotherham. Why have a bus pass if services can’t be maintained and operated. Services in South Anston are irregular. Lack of publicity if and when services & routes are changed Lack of regular bus service to Meadowhall it takes 2 hours plus to get there. I could go to London in that time! No buses to Henley Mortham – like a desert. Direct service req’d to Rotherham hospital & Sheffield. Some early morning services need a double decked vehicle, lots of people standing. Drivers need to encourage people to sit down / move down the bus and not congregate around the front of the vehicle. (this is especially young people going to and from college) Drivers should wait until people are sitting down before pulling away also should not pull away until Mums / carers have correctly manoeuvred the wheelchair / buggy into position. Direct bus service from South Anston – Hospital journey is too long via Swallows Nest. Service 29 was brilliant! Direct service from South Anston - Hospital. ALL drivers were excellent during the snowy / bad weather. Inaccessible buses being operated on services to Doncaster. Passenger often has to wait for three buses before I can board with my wheelchair. Sometimes I have to sit besides the driver, which is dangerous for everyone. I rely on buses to get out and about. Direct bus from Dinnington - Meadowhall via Todwick. Why change the ‘old’ services 25 & 29 North Anston please put the bus back I’ve been told this service has ceased due to poor condition of road, but the 19a gets through. Bus stop required adjacent to Tesco ? Undergate Road. It’s a long way to walk with shopping. I would like to see the return of the Conductor. No service in the evening from South Anston – Rotherham Not enough leg room / uncomfortable seats on X5. No direct service from South Anston / Crystal Peaks to Rotherham hospital. There should not be a size restriction for buggies. Buxton services - old vehicles not user friendly. Lack of service from South Anston- Meadowhall. Buses late @ Woodsetts. Pushchairs are never folded they take up lots of room. Why does the 14:00 from Doncaster only operate as far as Maltby rather than Dinnington? Lack of direct service to Meadowhall. X5 old buses Turn off the PA at the bus station, bus station bad design. Customer service operators are unhelpful sometimes. Some drivers are rude. Lack of service from Laughton village - Rotherham Hosptial. Why not divert 19B? Why not use numbers instead of letters to differentiate between route? Live in Woodsetts services excellent x1 per hour x2 would be nice but understand why. There is a big gap in services from 8:30am – 10am making it difficult for people who have to attend appts: Not enough Sunday services. Would like a bus to operate down Outgang Lane, there are lots of people living in the area, there are already bus stops in place. Buses to Meadowhall Crystal Peaks journey too long. Stagecoach buses are better than First (age & cleanliness) Stop cars parking on bus stop outside Kiveton Post Office. When services are delayed at Pond street there is no information. There needs to be information at stand. 29 was a good service to the hospital. More direct route req’d avoid Anston. New timetable and bus info req’d re X5 Bus station announcement if bus delayed / missing. X5 buses very uncomfortable for long journey. Route 29 used to connect with trains at Kiveton Park X5 doesn’t. To improve 19A operate via Rotherham hospital. Request another bus stop on Laughton Road. Request bus stop sited in Tesco at Dinnington Would like to see 19A operate via Rotherham hospitasl Service 27 takes 1.5hours to operate to hospital would like to see shorter route. Service 29 would like to see service revert back to old route with a more frequent service. Miss the service to Meadowhall 19 service often late at South Anston. Why is 19A not operating via Woodlands Drive South Anston? 19A only hourly - if a breakdown no connections in Dinnington. No direct bus from North Anston – Rotherham Hospital. No bus to Meadowhall. No Crystal Peaks bus. X5 & 19A follow each other. No bus to Meadowhall. Bus to Kiveton rail station doesn’t integrate with rail. No direct bus from South Anston to Rotherham hospital, have to change at Dinnington. No direct route 27 takes 1hr 40mins to get there.Sometimes I miss the X5 connection with the 27 No bus from South Anston on Sundays. No direct route to Crystal Peaks or Meadowhall. What purpose does the 27 serve? It causes confusion. Can the X5 be diverted via Lakeland Drive if only x 1 per hour. Service from Lakeland Drive – Meadowhall can it be re instated? Service 19 often late going to Worksop. Enquiry re Concessionary pass. Would like service to Rotherham hospital from Laughton en le Morthern. Long walk to Laughton common since service 25 withdrawn. X5 unreliable. Only x1 bus per hour from Woodsetts ( 19A) X5 seats uncomfortable, better connections with trains at Kiveton Park Double decker req’d on X5 Worksop requires a decent operational bus station. 19A only x 1 per hour can use X5 but it’s difficult living on Nursery lane. Could this be thought about please? Appendix 2 HOW OUR BUS SERVICES ARE PROVIDED Background The Transport Act 1985 led to the de-regulation of the provision of bus services in 1986 and ultimately privatisation of both the National Bus Company and local authority owned bus companies.