Patron: HRH The Princess Royal Siwan DaviesClerk to the Environment, Planning and Transport CommitteeNational Assembly for WalesCardiff Bay Please reply to: Director of Policies (London Office)CARDIFF CF99 INA22 September 2000,  Dear Mr Davies,POLICY REVIEW OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN WALESThank you for your recent letter, addressed to the Chartered Institute of Transport. I must advise you that the Chartered Institute of Transport in the UK merged with the Institute of Logistics in June 1999 to form the Institute of Logistics and Transport. We are now the appropriate body with whom you should deal: either Jon Harris, our Director Policies, or myself are the appropriate points of contact. It may be helpful for you to know that we maintain both a registered office in London and an administrative centre in Corby. The Institute takes a very strong interest in transport policy in the broadest sense with appropriate groups and committees to reflect this. We have made a considerable contribution to the formulation of recent government transport legislation. We are also planning to improve our support infrastructure to match the changed situation in Wales.I appreciate your invitation to contribute to the policy review of public transport in Wales. The new Institute has three Branches for members in Wales, covering South, Mid and North Wales respectively. Our members cover a wide range of occupations and interests within the fields of travel and transport. Many have a direct involvement in public transport, either in operations, local government or consultancies. Our Branches in Wales have had a direct hand in the preparation of this response.That said, time has been very short on this occasion and I can see no possibility of the Institute, or its Branches, being able to contribute full written evidence based submission on policy development at this point. In most cases, our members have expressed their views through the Local Transport Plan process. We are planning to undertake reviews of the detail in these documents before re-focusing on the strategic. In addition, we will continue to contribute to the work of the Wales Transport Strategy Group and promote the need for an All-Wales Transport Forum.Nevertheless, on behalf of our members, I offer a number of informal observations that we feel can make a contribution to your work. I append these as a separate paper: they are not laid out in any special order of importance or priority.I hope that this is helpful in the time available. We stand ready to contribute further.  

ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

POLICY REVIEW OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

 To consider the Assembly's public transport policies (covering bus, rail and community transport services) and to identify any changes within the existing statutory, regulatory and organisational framework which would facilitate the delivery and take-up of improved and integrated services;To consider whether any changes to the existing statutory, regulatory and organisational framework relating to public transport would facilitate the delivery of improved services.

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GeneralThe transport white paper (A New Deal for Transport DETR July 1998) marked the UK Government's commitment to securing a more sustainable transport system. It seeks to replace the former often criticised `predict and provide" approach to transport problems with a more integrated set of potential solutions aimed at tackling the causes of demand for travel.One of the main implications of the White Paper for local authorities is the requirement to prepare five-year local Transport plans based on providing local solutions to transport problems.The White Paper also sets out how Regional Transport Strategies will be required in England, but does not provide for similar documents to be prepared in Wales. There is also at present no 10-year Transport Plan for Wales. The White Paper makes provision for the establishment of the Commission for Integrated Transport to advise the government on matters such as the requirements of the Road Traffic Reduction Acts.There is a growing recognition of the fact that transport is inextricably linked to a number of other important parallel policy agendas. Transport occurs for a reason, and the development of integrated transport has highlighted the need to integrate transport with other areas of policy. However there is a need for closer ties between transport and the agendas for health, social services, education, employment and financial policyTransport will not become better integrated unless the transport implications of decisions made under other policy headings are taken into consideration in the decision making process. In justifying transport investment, local authorities are required to demonstrate that they have considered the non-user benefits of projects. Equally therefore decisions in other policy areas must take into consideration the transport implications, rather than simply expecting the local authorities to continue to deal with all the consequences of other policy decisions. Organisational issuesThe National Assembly has given a new focus to public life in Wales and the new structure of local authorities provides an opportunity for more `one stop shopping" in the use of local public services. The simpler structure offered by the two levels of government could be exploited to improve service provision. The new structures also improve the opportunity to work together on common policies and actions.The 10 local authorities in southeast Wales have already made a good start in their cooperative efforts. These are shown by the joint initiatives in preparing their local transport plans, and through the SWIFT and TIGER consortia which are gaining national recognition as a model for regional cc-operation on transport policy and investment.Partnerships are essential to a successful regional transport strategy. The 10 local authorities in the forum must continue to work with each other and with other local authorities across Wales.The National Assembly is taking an increasingly active role in more local areas of transport in addition to its responsibility for trunk roads.The SWIFT and TIGER consortia have established excellent working relationships with these public transport providers.Industry, including the freight industry and the public, who are becoming increasingly involved with local authorities, particularly through community plans.ConsultationFor Transport Plans to work, it is essential to engage in a wide-ranging public consultative process. Residents, community groups and transport providers should be involved as closely as possible in deciding what should be included in the Plan.Consultation will bring forward real ideas, and a general acceptance of the final Plan. Priorities can be established and targets set.Development and transport needsThe Local Transport Plan should be integrated with other areas of policy, including land use, economy, education, social services- recreation and healthThis will require joint working of local authorities and others within the four regional divisions now being used in Wales. For integration and joint working to be effectively achieved, both in development and transport planning, there is the need for guidance by the Assembly at the All-Wales and Regional levels.When considering transport needs associated with development, travel corridors are important and, in particular, this will relate to journey to work catchment areas when considering peak travel time and congestion. Again, this will often rely on joint working between local authorities and co-ordination between UDPs and LTPs.The provision of national and regional guidance on development and transport is thus seen as an important means of establishing a framework within which local authorities can plan development in a manner which will achieve best value, minimise the need to travel and co-ordinate initiatives between neighbouring authorities.Rural TransportThe Government's desire to promote better access to rural areas for everyone without reliance on the private car could be achieved through the development of interchange points to enable intermodal travel.Bus stops should include easy access for disabled travellers and mothers with children, adequate seating and lighting, cycle parking facilities and public telephones.Smaller low-floor midibuses should be purchased for use in rural areas. Investigation could be made into group-hiring measures from rural areas; one-stop shops for transport information, locally based community transport and volunteer car schemes.Support infrastructure to benefit commercial and Council-supported bus services, community transport operations, and car-based schemes. This is compatible with Government's desire to promote better rural accessibility for the whole population without reliance on the private car.BusBus Strategies need to integrate with the objectives of the Local Transport Plan and should include Bus and HOV lanes, "No car" lanes, more low-floor buses and easy access to public transport information.Quality Bus Partnerships and Community Transport Partnerships should be developed and facilities for taxis should be improved. The concept of post buses and taxi buses should be developed.RailThe range of fares currently on offer is confusing and off-putting. Travellers need easily understand fares structures, multimodal fare cards, national multimodal information and accessible stations.Throughout the forthcoming refranchising process, the Welsh Assembly should press for new rail facilities and services, improved access to stations and better use of existing rail infrastructure with improved security for public transport users.It is a matter of concern that rail freight is obliged to take a secondary role when compared to with passenger transport. Freight transport needs to be given equalweight of consideration and whatever powers the Assembly wrests from the Strategic Rail Authority should cover both passenger and freight transport. Other Transport Plan issuesThere are several other aspects of Transport Plans that need to be considered:Park & RideCar SharingTraffic Calming and RestraintSpeed limiting measuresIncreased telematicsLight Rapid TransitRoad congestion - incentives to encourage road freight onto railRoad user chargingWorkplace parking leviesCar Share/Pool Vehicle schemes in cooperation with key employersControlled ParkingPedestrians - approved traffic management schemesCycle lanesSafe Routes to SchoolsGreen Commuter PlansPublicity and informationData Warehouses and Information TechnologyIt is recognised that the National Assembly is fully behind improvements to IT provision throughout Wales, but there still remains serious limits to access and freedom of information. There remains a real shortage of web authoring and web site management skills, most of which could be overcome with training and salary incentives, but by far the most difficult problem relates to the financing of data collection.Local government collects and holds a wide range of travel and transport data, but is forced to price access out of the reach of many due to the pressures of being selffinancing. In order to collect new data, they are required to sell information and this results in the exclusion of many interest groups and individuals from joining the transport debate. This hits school students particularly hard, as they are restricted from undertaking the type of projects they are required to complete under the National Curriculum.For many reasons, it would be helpful to have a comprehensive assessment of transport needs, particularly the socially excluded, and indicators of transport poverty. These would act as a guide to any assessment of real costs and benefits of particular provisions. Skill RegisterFrom our own experience, and through contact with other institutes, we are aware that there is a wealth of talent available to address the sorts of issues that Wales faces over travel and transport. There are also a number of young people willing to take up the work in succeeding years. One of the most useful activities that the National Assembly could promote at this time is the creation of a register of skills and other resources available.Community EngagementThe National Assembly has rightly identified the importance of community involvement. Beyond this, there is little guidance on the form this involvement should take, what is considered best practice and how practitioners can develop the necessary skills and techniques to bring about useful results. This must be seen as crucial if the move to sustainable movement systems is to be brought about with the full co-operation of all concerned.School TravelSafer Routes to Schools and School Travel Plans have occupied the attentions of a wide range of interests for a few years now, but the results have fallen well behind the aspirations. Part of the reason for this must be seen as due to the over-emphasis on engineering solutions. Too little attention has been given to funding a broader support service that can facilitate the process when a school decides to take up the issues. Such a service would be able to provide assistance to governors and parents when they address forward planning and infrastructure changes, and teachers and pupils when they work on curriculum requirements.ParatransitPolicy discussions and research work in Wales has traditionally concentrated on private cars and conventional public transport alternatives. This has had the effect of sidelining forms of intermediate public transport. Yet paratransit services operate throughout Wales to good effect, as they do worldwide, even with the limited attention and support they receive. It can only be speculated upon how much more could be achieved with the right assistance. It is an area that warrants further investigation, particular of the role played by local government in such modes as taxis, PHVs and community transport.FreightIt may appear strange to include a section on freight movements in correspondence relating to public transport, but it seems generally agreed that this is an area that has yet to receive its due study in a Welsh context. So little is known, it is not possible to judge the interrelation between land-use, passenger movements and freight transport. It needs more research, but with the perspective that links must be properly recognised.