Exeter to be a unitary council?

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that Exeter is to have a new unitary council from 1 April 2011, subject to parliamentary approval – the existing two-tier system of local government, Devon County Council and the remaining seven district councils (East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon), would be retained in the remainder of Devon, excluding Plymouth and Torbay. The responsibility for transportation in Exeter, including the provision of public transport, would be transferred from Devon County Council to the new unitary authority. Devon County Council has made an application to the high court for a judicial review of the DCLG decision to grant unitary council status to Exeter.

First Great Western named Train Operator of the Year

First Great Western has been named ‘Train Operator of the Year’ at the Eversholt Rail Business Awards – the train operating company won the award for increasing both passenger satisfaction and train punctuality by more than ten per cent in the previous year. Greater Bristol unitary councils prepare specification for ‘smart’ ticketing scheme The four unitary councils that comprise the West of England Partnership (Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire) are preparing plans for a ‘smart’ public transport ticketing scheme, following the offer of two million, two hundred thousand pounds from the Department for Transport (DfT) – the four councils have to appoint the provider of the back office processing system (‘HOPS’) by 31 March 2010, in order to receive the first fifty per cent of the monies. South Gloucestershire Council is managing the procurement process for the ‘HOPS’ using a specification previously drawn up by the South West Smartcard Board (representing Government Office for the South West, local authorities, operators and passenger representatives).

FirstGroup wins Weymouth Olympic 2012 contract

FirstGroup plc has been named as the preferred bidder to provide spectator bus and coach services to the Olympic Games 2012 events been held in Weymouth and Portland.

Many transport models ‘not fit for purpose’

Major transport spending decisions may be made using analysis from computer models that are not ‘fit for purpose’, according to an audit of regional and sub-regional computer models undertaken for the Department for Transport (DfT) by independent consultants. The DfT report specifically criticised the Greater Bristol modelling framework (‘G-BATS3’), which was judged to be ‘particularly poor’ at the assessment of public transport interventions.

Fragonset creditors to receive minimal dividend

Unsecured creditors of the failed maintenance and train company Fragonset Rail, which provided loco-hauled trains to the former Wessex Trains franchise, have been told that they will receive a dividend of just three pence in the pound later this year - the liquidator has reported that there is just eighty-seven thousand pounds available to pay debts to contractors and suppliers amounting to one million, nine hundred and seventy thousand pounds.

And finally,

North Somerset Council has erected forty-six new bus shelters in Portishead, as part of the Greater Bristol Bus Network (GBBN) initiative, with pavements been modified with raised platforms to facilitate easy access - a group of local residents are now campaigning for the new bus shelters to be removed as ‘they are an unnecessary eyesore’!