Agenda item

To provide an update on the developments in the field of public transport.

(i)             To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.

(ii)            Recommend to the Environment Department:

·       that Local Members should be included as soon as possible when considering changes to bus services;

·       that consultation with communities needs to be strengthened.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for the Environment, the Head of Environment Department, the Assistant Head of Environment Department (Transport) and the Integrated Transport and Road Safety Manager.

It was explained that there had been constant change in the field of public transport for many years due to legislative changes and the evolving priorities of the Council, Transport for Wales and the Welsh Government. ⁠It was elaborated that the Department had been commended by the Welsh Government for the work completed in the field. Officers were pleased that a high standard of work had been achieved and that residents saw the benefits of using public transport.

They drew attention to the complex nature of the County's landscape, explaining that there were seven different types of public transport services available here with different funding processes. They explained that the Council's management of these projects varied according to the contracts with partners. It was recognised that the reliance on funding beyond the Council's control was a risk for the service.

It was emphasised that a 'Public transport network that meets the various needs of the communities of Gwynedd' had been identified as a 'Green Gwynedd' priority as part of the Council Plan 2023-28. It was noted that the department was continually working to revise internal procedures to fulfil this priority. It was explained that public transport services contracts had been updated in every area over the past few years, with new services in place. Services for Caernarfon and Dyffryn Nantlle had been updated in July 2023, Meirionnydd had been updated in February 2024 and the services for Bangor and Dyffryn Ogwen had been updated in early June 2024.

During the discussion, the following observations were noted:-

Members welcomed the opportunity to engage with the Department as they considered the network and arrangements in Dwyfor for the future. In response to an enquiry as to how the Department monitored use when considering changing services, the Integrated Transport and Road Safety Manager⁠ confirmed that there was a machine on every bus that monitored the number of people using the specific services, and to where they travelled. She elaborated that Officers were able to use this information when considering any change to the service's routes.

The Department was thanked for a convenient and reliable service in the Dyffryn Nantlle area. In response to an enquiry about card payments using the 'Tap On/Tap Off' technology, the Integrated Transport and Road Safety Manager⁠ confirmed that this was possible. She elaborated that the minimum cost for using this technology was £2.20 up to a maximum of £6.50 a day if the service has been used.

In response to an example of a situation where the service timetable was inconvenient to some users, the Cabinet Member for the Environment acknowledged that these challenges did come up in some circumstances but that the service worked for a high percentage of service users.

In response to an enquiry regarding consideration of students' use of the public transport services, it was emphasised that the network was very complex. The Assistant Head of Environment Department thanked Transport for Wales for their cooperation in ensuring a usable network for the rural areas of the County. He added that several partners and networks formed part of the public transport service and that maintaining an on-going discussion with them was crucial to the success of the service.

Examples were shared of some areas where it was felt that the standard of service had deteriorated following amendments to the service. It was felt that inadequate engagement with service users had led to the frequency of the service being cut, leaving some communities without public transport at times, for example after 5pm or on Sundays. In response to the concerns, it was acknowledged that they needed to improve the current engagement arrangements to ensure that service users and Elected Members had input into potential amendments to public transport timetables. In response, it was emphasised that changing services was not a straightforward process due to the complexity of the network and the partners linked to it. The members were assured that most residents and service users felt that the service had generally improved in recent months.

The Assistant Head of Environment Department (Transport) detailed the engagement arrangements that were currently being used, stating that many barriers had arisen. He stated that they needed to assess aspirations locally and further afield when engaging on services – with some users taking advantage of the entire route and others only travelling on a part of it. He noted that we needed to carefully balance any consultation with ensuring that services were financially viable and made the best sense environmentally. It was recognised that there was no way to ensure that every individual's wishes were fulfilled. However, they had ensured that communities that were not on the routes were not disregarded, and it had been arranged to hold a conversation to consider those communities, with Elected Members sharing their input.

The department was congratulated for introducing TrawsCymru and Flexi services. It was elaborated that these services were believed to have several users and that they filled the gaps arising from the traditional bus service. It was shared that residents who benefited from these services believed that it was very convenient and a great help for individuals with mobile difficulties and physical conditions to get to appointments. In response to these comments, the Cabinet Member thanked all partners for ensuring quality services for the residents of Gwynedd and hoped that residents would continue to make more use of them rather than personal cars in the future.

In response to a query about extending Flexi services, it was confirmed that this was possible, depending on future grants. The Assistant Head of Department confirmed that the desire would be to use this service to fill the gaps in the routes.

In response to a question about challenges in ensuring that services went out to tender, the Assistant Head confirmed that this was very challenging as public transport companies had faced several challenges in recent years such as a decrease in service users and rising costs. Despite this, pride was expressed that all services on the network were currently being maintained.

Concerns were expressed about additional costs for the Department as it invested in new technology to meet targets to reduce carbon emissions. In response, the Head of Department acknowledged that the investment in technology was significant as it was new but assumed that costs would decrease in the future as the technology was used more consistently. Further, he confirmed that the Department had received grants for operating electric buses, and work was underway to monitor the costs of operating in comparison with the costs of fuel buses. He shared an example of a saving the Council was currently making by gradually updating the car fleet to electric motors, noting that electric cars were around £350 cheaper to operate each month.

In response to enquiries about updates in the Arfon area, the Assistant Head confirmed that contracts had been agreed recently and that discussions about modifications would take place within the contractual period of up to four years. Consultation was an important element of this, but he explained that large firms dominated the field, and ultimately they determined the arrangements.

RESOLVED

(i)             To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.

(ii)           To recommend to the Environment Department:

·       that Local Members should be included as soon as possible when considering changes to bus services;

·       that consultation with communities needs to be strengthened.