Wednesday 27 July 2011

Review of council-subsidised bus services underway in Brighton and Hove

"Breeze up the Downs" country access buses are among subsidised services up for review
27 July 2011. Brighton and Hove City Council has embarked on a review of dozens of bus services that depend on council subsidy for their survival. Any changes which result from the review will come into effect in September 2012. The review also asks whether any new 'direct' bus services are needed.
 A spokesperson said: "Brighton & Hove City Council plans and funds a number of bus services. We pay for some complete routes and a number of evening, Sunday and school services. As these services are not profitable, they would not run without financial support from the council.

"The Transport Act 1985 gives local authorities the powers to seek tenders, and then to issue contracts, for bus services which are considered ‘socially necessary,’ but which are not commercially viable. Contracts for existing supported services were issued in September 2008, and are due to expire in September 2012. Before going out to tender for replacement services we are very keen to take into account the views of local communities throughout the city"

Residents are being asked to consider the following questions:
• Do the services run at suitable times ?
• Do they run to useful destinations ?
• Do the services offer value for money ?
• Are there any areas of Brighton & Hove which are not currently on bus routes, and where a bus route would be beneficial ?
• In terms of employment and educational opportunities, and of encouraging bus travel, are any new “direct” bus routes needed ?

If you would like to discuss any of these points, or if you have any questions, please do contact Richard Johnson on (01273) 292480, or by e mail richard.johnson@brighton-hove.gov.uk
The full review document can be downloaded at the link below
Bus Services Review – July 2011
Or click "read more" for list of services affected (extracted from Review Doc above)

In a related development, a council source said earlier today that the proposed CTS rapid transit service was shelved because of lack of funds. This would have enabled rapid bus links to reduce journey times on public transport - a move seen as essential if the city is to reduce air pollution caused by short car journeys. In B&H, 27,000 car journeys per day are work commutes of less than three miles, according to a report released last week.

LIST OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONTRACTS IN B&H BUS SERVICE REVIEW
(Extracted from the original council doc link above)

HOW THIS LIST IS SET OUT

Section A:  Mainstream & Short Term Contracts. 
These cover services which are entirely funded by the council. 
 They are then divided into four groups, depending on what days the
contracts operate:
1) Mondays to Saturdays daytime
2) Mondays to Saturdays evenings (after 1800)
3) Sundays and Public Holidays
4) Schooldays only


Section B:  ‘De Minimis’ and short term contracts
 These contracts are mainly used to extend existing commercial services – for
example, to serve more areas or offer extra journeys.

Section C:  Summary list of contract details and the subsidy paid by the council for each
single passenger journey (Not included in this extract - download council doc above for this info).

For each contract you will find a heading, giving the service number, contract
number and a short route description. These show the section of route that is funded by
the council. The capacity of the vehicle is the minimum number of seats which the council
calculated would be necessary to meet demand under normal circumstances.

In section A, the name of the bus company which has the current contract to run the
service is given.

In section B, the bus company’s name is given with the route and service number. This is
because the bus company runs the main service commercially and the council’s de minimis
contract is a small addition to this. For similar reasons, capacity is not referred to in
section B, because it is expected that the bus company will use the same size of vehicle as
it normally uses on the route.

In section C, the subsidy per single passenger journey is calculated by dividing the total
amount paid by the council for the service by the total number of single journeys made by
passengers. A return journey counts as two single journeys.
 
 
SECTION A:  Mainstream and Short Term Contracts

1. Mondays to Saturdays Daytime

Contract 7832 Service 16/66
Portslade – Knoll Estate – Hangleton – Sainsbury’s

Services 16 and 66 provide transport links between Knoll Estate, Hangleton and Portslade,
as well as to West Hove Sainsbury’s. 
Monday – Saturday daytime service

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company


Service 37B (Contract 2880)
Bristol Estate – Royal Sussex County Hospital – Kemp Town – Churchill Square
- Brighton Station - Hanover – Queens Park – Lewes Road – Meadowview

Service 37B provides a service for the following areas of Brighton: Southover Street,
Pankhurst Avenue, Hartington Road and Bear Road. It also provides a number of local
direct links (for example, between Queens Park and Brighton Station) and a through
service to the city centre from Meadowview.  Service 37B also ensures that Bristol Estate
has three buses per hour (without funding, service 37 would only run half-hourly).

Hourly service Monday to Saturday daytimes.

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company


Service 47 (Contract 2876)
Brighton Station – Churchill Square – Kemp Town – Royal Sussex County
Hospital – Marina – Rottingdean – East Saltdean 

Service 47 provides a service to parts of Saltdean and East Saltdean which are not served
by other bus routes:  this includes Cranleigh Avenue, Westmeston Avenue, Tumulus Road,
Saltdean Library and Community Centre, Rodmell Avenue and Bannings Vale.  It also
provides access from the east to Royal Sussex County Hospital and into Brighton Marina.  

Rodmell Avenue and Bannings Vale are in East Sussex, but East Sussex County Council do
contribute towards the funding for service 47.

Hourly service Monday to Saturday daytimes.

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 52 (Contract 2877)
Brighton Station/ Churchill Square – County Hospital – Marina – Ovingdean –
Woodingdean

Service 52 provides a service to Brighton Marina and the city centre from Ovingdean, and
the Downs Valley Road area of Woodingdean.  It also provides some local links within
Woodingdean that are not possible on commercial service 22 (which is a one-way circular
service, and does not give easy access to Cowley Drive shops).

Hourly service Monday to Saturday daytimes.

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 56 (Contract 2878)
Knoll Estate – Churchill Square – Stanford Avenue – Hollingbury – ASDA -
Patcham

Service 56 provides a service to London Road and the city centre from areas of Patcham
and Hollingbury which are not served by the commercial bus network. These include
Ladies Mile Road (east), Beechwood Avenue, Wilmington Way and Lyminster Avenue. It
also provides many links within Patcham and Hollingbury, particularly to local libraries,
Asda and the shops in Old London Road, Patcham.

Service 56 also provides the only off-peak bus service along much of Old Shoreham Road,
and the only direct bus service between Knoll Estate and the city centre.

Hourly service Monday to Saturday daytimes.

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

-
EasyLink Special Shopperbuses (Contracts 7800, 9082, 9131 & 9812)

Demand-responsive fully accessible bus services linking different areas of Brighton & Hove
with a local superstore, city centre & Churchill Square on Mondays to Fridays.

Currently operated by Community Transport (Brighton, Hove and Area) Ltd

PLEASE NOTE THAT EASYLINK SERVICES WILL NOT BE PUT OUT TO TENDER FOR
SEPTEMBER 2012.  This does not mean that the services will end then, but for operational
reasons they are not part of the four-year network review.

 -
2. Mondays to Saturdays Evenings (after 1800 hrs)

Service 21 (Contract 2875)
Brighton Station – Marina
Via London Road Shops, Elm Grove, Manor Hill and Whitehawk

Service 21 provides an evening bus service for the Manor Hill area.  It also provides
evening links between Brighton Marina and Whitehawk, and to Brighton Station.

Hourly service Monday to Saturday evenings

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 81 (Contract 2885)
Brighton Old Steine – Hove Town Hall – Hove Station – Goldstone Valley
Via Western Road & Shirley Drive

Service 81 provides an evening bus service for the Goldstone Valley, Shirley Drive and
Woodland Drive areas.

Hourly service Monday to Saturday evenings

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

 -
Service 81A (Contract 2886)
Brighton Station – Queens Park Road – Bevendean Road – Meadowview
Via Coombe Road

Service 81A provides an evening bus service for the Queens Park, Freshfield Road,
Bevendean Road, Coombe Road and Meadowview areas.

Half-hourly service Monday to Saturday evenings

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

 -
3. Sundays and Public Holidays 

Service 57 (Contract 2879)
Brighton Station – East Saltdean
Via County Hospital, Marina, Ovingdean, Saltdean

Service 57 provides a Sunday and Public Holiday service for Ovingdean, and parts of
Saltdean and East Saltdean not served by the commercial bus network (including
Westmeston Avenue, Tumulus Road, Rodmell Avenue and Bannings Vale).  Rodmell
Avenue and Bannings Vale are in East Sussex, but East Sussex County Council contributes
towards the funding for service 57.

Hourly service Sunday daytimes

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

 -
Service 81A (Contract 2887)
Brighton Station – Queens Park Road – Bevendean Road – Meadowview
Via Coombe Road

Service 81A provides a Sunday bus service for the Queens Park, Freshfield Road,
Bevendean Road and Coombe Road areas.

Hourly service Sunday daytimes (the Sunday evening service is covered by ‘de-minimis’
contract 7824)

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

 -
Service 81C (Contract 2888)
Brighton Old Steine – Furze Hill - Hove Town Hall – Hove Station – Goldstone
Valley
Via Shirley Drive

Service 81C provides a Sunday bus service for the Furze Hill, Goldstone Valley, Shirley
Drive and Woodland Drive areas.

Hourly service Sunday daytimes

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

4. Schooldays only.
These services provide direct transport between the schools and areas listed
below.

Service 74 (Contract 2881)
Lewes Road – Patcham High School
Via Lower Bevendean – North Moulsecoomb

Departs Lewes Road at 7.37am
Departs Patcham High School at 3.00pm

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company


Service 75 (Contract 2882)
The Avenue - Patcham High School
Via Lower Bevendean - North Moulsecoomb – Coldean

Departs The Avenue at 7.43am
Departs Patcham High School at 3.00pm

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company


Service 76 (Contract 2883)
Saltdean Vale – Longhill School
Via Lustrells Vale

Departs Saltdean Vale 7.35am
Departs Longhill School 2.50pm

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company


Service 76A (Contract 2884)
Peacehaven – Longhill School
Via East Saltdean – Longridge Avenue

Departs Peacehaven 7.11am
Departs Longhill School 2.50pm

East Sussex County Council also contributes towards the funding for service 76A.
Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 91 (Contract 2895)
Coombe Road – Cardinal Newman School
Via Hollingdean – Fiveways - Preston Circus
Mornings only
Departs Coombe Road 7.44am
Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 95 (Contract 2891)
Hangleton – Cardinal Newman School/ Cottesmore School
Via Portslade Station & Hove Town Hall
Departs Hangleton 7.53am
Departs Cottesmore School 3.15pm
Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 95A (Contract 2892)
Foredown Drive – Mile Oak – Cardinal Newman School/ Cottesmore School
Via Portslade Station, Hove Station

Departs Foredown Drive 7.37am
Departs Cottesmore School at 3.10pm

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Service 96 (Contract 2893)
Carden Avenue – Blatchington Mill School/ Hove Park Lower School
Via Westdene – Withdean Sports Stadium – Woodland Drive

Departs Patcham 7.49am
Departs Blatchington Mill School 3.10pm

Currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

SECTION B :  De Minimis Contracts

The services in this section will not be put out to tender for September 2012.
This does not mean that the services will end then.  They are services which are either
closely linked to a commercial bus service, or they are short term contracts that do not
form part of the four-year network review:


Sunday evening journeys after 6pm during the winter 
All Sunday evening journeys on the following routes are funded by the council:

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 21B (Contract 7809)
Brighton Marina – Manor Hill – Open Market – Brighton

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 22 (Contract 7810)
Brighton – Race Hill – Woodingdean

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 24 (Contract 7821)
Brighton – Coldean – Hollingbury

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 26 (Contract 7812)
Brighton – Hollingbury - Coldean

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 27 (Contracts 7813)
Brighton Station – Rottingdean – Saltdean

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 27 (Contracts 7823)
Brighton - Westdene

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 81A (Contract 7824)
Brighton Station – Queens Park – Open Market

OTHER SHORT TERM DE-MINIMIS CONTRACTS 
All of these contracts are currently operated by Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company 

Contract 9814 Service 72
Whitehawk – Woodingdean – Longhill School
Departs Whitehawk 7.49am
Departs Longhill School 2.50pm
Schooldays only. Service funded by School Admissions & Transport

Service 81 (Contract 7830)
Open Market – Queens Park – City Centre – Goldstone Valley
Via Western Road & Shirley Drive
Diversion of route to serve King George VI Drive and the top of Woodland Avenue.
Monday to Saturday daytimes

Brighton & Hove Bus Company Service 84 (Contract 7835)
Universities – Woodingdean – Whitehawk
Service operates Monday- Friday

(Section B: Other Short Term De-Minimis Contracts - continued)

BREEZE UP TO THE DOWNS SERVICES 
These services provide people with easy access to the nearby South Downs, and help
reduce congestion and pollution by providing an alternative to driving to these popular
locations. The services also receive funding from the National Trust.

Contract 2870 Service 77
Brighton Seafront – Devil’s Dyke via Brighton Station and Dyke Road. 
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays throughout the year. In July and
August service 77 runs daily, with an open top bus.

Contract 2871 Service 78
Old Steine – Stanmer Village via Brighton Station and Lewes Road.
Sundays and Public Holidays during autumn and winter:   also Saturdays during
spring and summer.

Contract 2872 Service 79
Old Steine – Ditchling Beacon via Brighton Station and Ditchling Road.
Sundays and Public Holidays during autumn and winter:   also Saturdays during
spring and summer.



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