Royal assent for Local Transport Bill

The Royal Assent for the Local Transport Bill means that Passenger Focus will now represent bus users in England – Passenger Focus, which currently represents rail users, will take on its new role as ‘bus passenger champion’ from 1 April 2009. One of the first tasks of Passenger Focus will be to conduct a review into the handling of complaints by bus passengers.

CrossCountry introduces e-ticketing

CrossCountry has introduced e-ticketing enabling customers to print their own tickets after making an internet purchase from the company’s website – CrossCountry has also introduced an email alert service to notify customers when cheap advance tickets are available for purchase. CrossCountry also intends to introduce by the end of this month the ability to purchase train tickets from a mobile phone and m-ticketing (train tickets sent to your mobile phone).

Bus tender prices rise again

Escalating bus service tender prices are placing increasing pressure on local authority budgets, according to the annual survey by the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers (ATCO) – the survey revealed that the average cost of re-tendered local bus service contracts was over seven per cent higher than the final year of the old contract. Forty-one per cent of local authorities claimed that they would have to make cuts in supported bus services before March 2009, in order to ‘stay within budget’.

First Great Western PPM in Period Seven

First Great Western, achieved a PPM (Public Performance Measure) of ninety-one per cent for the four weeks ended 11 October 2008, in data just released by Network Rail – the PPM measures punctuality and reliability of all services provided by a train operating company seven days a week. Comparable data for the other train operating companies in the region for the four weeks ended 11 October 2008 was as follows:-

• Arriva Trains Wales: 92.2%
• CrossCountry: 91.6%
• South West Trains: 93.9%
• National average: 91.6%

The PPM Moving Annual Average for the year ended 11 October 2008 for the train operating companies in the region was as follows:-

• Arriva Trains Wales: 92.4%
• CrossCountry: 88.8%
• First Great Western: 86.4%
• South West Trains: 92.3%
• National average: 90.6%

Network Rail investigates branch closures

Network Rail has agreed to investigate the lengthy closures of branch lines in Devon and Cornwall for renewals and maintenance – the closures for periods of up to four weeks a year causes severe inconvenience to customers, who are forced to use road replacement services with extended journey times.

Transport packages must reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The Department for Transport (DfT) has proposed that investment packages for national, regional and city transport networks must set out how they will deliver quantified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions – the proposal is outlined in a DfT consultation document setting out how the Government plans to deliver a ‘sustainable’ transport system from 2014 onwards (the DFT ‘claims’ to have a ‘clear set of priorities’ for the next five years). Following consultation with stakeholders, the DfT has identified five challenges that will guide policy-making, post-Eddington, for city and regional networks, national networks and international gateways:-

i) tackling climate change

ii) supporting economic growth

iii) promoting equality of opportunity

iv) contributing to better safety, security and health

v) improving quality of life  

And finally,

Newquay Airport is closed from 1 December for a minimum of nineteen days as the new owner, Cornwall County Council, failed to obtain the necessary operating licence from the Civil Aviation Authority before the transfer of the airport from the Ministry of Defence was completed on 30 November. Ryanair has cancelled the company’s thirteen flights per week to and from Newquay until further notice, while Air Southwest customers have a seventy-five minute coach journey to and from Plymouth airport!