Environment, Planning and Transport Committee (March 2000 - April 2003)

Policy Review of Public Transport in Wales

VISIT TO EDINBURGH

Friday, 26 January, 2001

Briefing Note By Committee’s Adviser

BackgroundEdinburgh has made the most significant steps, in my view, of any UK conurbation, in grasping the nettle of urban congestion and traffic growth and demand management. It has a balanced transport policy, involving other modes than roads and buses, which will be explained. The main purpose of this visit is to examine the road bus-based regime in Edinburgh, and to judge its applicability to Wales.Transport Policy - Its effect upon busesCertainly since 1974, successive Local Government Administrations have pursued a minimal road building, maximised public transport, policy. This was commissioned by the, now defunct, Lothian Regional Council, and pursued by successor Administrations.Minimal road building was, to some extent, dictated by the historical legacy of Central Edinburgh, in particular, where building demolition, or actions which detracted from the architectural heritage, were not possible options. Additionally, resources were at a premium in the mid to late 1970’s, the time of IMF-led reductions in national spending programmes. Consequently, a policy of favouring multi-occupancy buses was developed, initially via routine traffic management techniques such as selective vehicle detection at traffic signals, building green waves, via UTC computers, along principal bus routes, bus lanes , bus only turns, and so on.Over time this has led to a major resharing of available road space in favour of the bus, and other high occupancy vehicles at the expense of larger numbers of single occupancy cars. In Edinburgh’s circumstances, this has been regarded as a necessary and equitable policy. Members will witness the outcome of this policy where most radial routes into the City Centre now have very significant lengths of bus lanes, both in and out of the City, mostly "all-time" bus lanes, but with some "am-only" and "peak hour only" bus lanes as well. The route from Turnhouse Airport into the City Centre, which will be travelled by Members, is a prime example of this application.Bus Quality PartnershipsIn later years, this regime has been strengthened by the development of Bus Quality partnerships (BQP’s). The radial route bus lanes have become "Greenways", which now have a cachet and currency amongst the population of Edinburgh.Results available from the City Council show that in the first 6 months of operation, average bus journey times were cut by significant amounts. For example, on the Leith Greenway, returns of 25% reductions were shown, and on the Corstorphine route, reductions of circa 10%.Significantly, in the 6 months, an additional 250,000 passengers were carried by Lothian Region Transport buses running on the Leith Walk and Corstorphine Greenways. By any objective measure an additional half million passengers a year on 2 routes is impressive.Possible Member Questions and Lines of Inquirya) Bus Quality Partnership (BQP)

• • Could they explain the content of the BQP?
  • Who does what between the Authority and the Operators?
  • Does the fact that there is a connection between the Authority and the major operator, Lothian Region transport, help?
  • Would it work as well with several totally independent operators?
  • What have been the most cost effective aids to bus passengers introduced as part of the BQP support?
• Bus Priority (BP) Operations
  • Could they explain the extent of bus lanes and other facilities?
  • Any observations on the measures giving greatest support to buses?
  • Does the advantage last throughout the day, or does it only appear at peak times?
  • What proposals for further bus lanes?
  • Can technology help in making bus lanes even more effective?
  • What is the enforcement regime for bus facility offences?
  • Authority or Police? Any problems, observations?
  • Next Generation Public Transport
  • After the conventional bus, running on road, what next?
  • Do you see larger buses, articulated buses etc?
  • Could they explain guided bus proposals?
  • How are interchange facilities to be enhanced? 
  • Organisational Arrangements
  • Could they explain their present arrangements - what are the formal and working relations between central, local government, and the operators?
  • Have they a view on PTA / PTE type structures?
  • What do they feel offers best advantage, in their circumstances?

What Next?I hope to work with the Clerk and Members in producing a Members Rapporteur report back to Committee on this and each visit.Denys Morgan
Adviser to Committee
Monday, 22 January 2001