Comment

Representation ID: 18901

Received: 25/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Richard Carter

Apart from the Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) network being poorly planned, confusing and overly complex, inflexible, disjointed, inconsistent, swindling (try buying a Day Saver ticket on a
bus when you only have a £5 or £10 note available and the bus doesn't accept card payment!),
inadequate, uncomfortable (particularly the tram line between Bilston and West Bromwich) and unavailable (in terms of service provision and thee purchasing of tickets and travel cards), the service is adequate!
Given the nature of that opening statement, it is probable that TfMW would feel affronted by its contents and wish to understand why those comments have been made. The discussion points set out in this section are, in part, aimed at providing that understanding and, in part, aimed at providing simple and cost effective solutions to the underlying problems. However, as a precursor, it is felt that any ticketing system that allows a passenger to purchase, on the outward leg of their journey, a return ticket between Bilston and Wolverhampton from one of two bus operators that service a particular route, that cannot then be used on any other alternative route, metro or bus, for the return leg of their journey, is not fit for purpose.

The Decline in Bus Usage:
The Independent Transport Commission's (ITC) report on bus usage ("The shape of changing bus demand in England, Le Vine & White, January 2020) specifically looks at the decline in bus usage (since 2009) and sets out to indentify why that decline may have occurred. Unfortunately, however, although it provides some insight into the decline; which actually reversed in the West Midlands in 2020, it is unable to provide any concrete reasons for this occurrence. The main cause
this anomaly is research's propensity towards gathering statistics that are not substantiated by the simple remit of asking the question "Why?"
A case in point is the recent TfWM Online Community's "Getting to know you more" questionnaire. Although it asks questions such as "do you have access to a car", "would you use a mobility incentive scheme" and "do you have a SWIFT card", it does not provide any means of clarifying the responses. Consequently, although they can determine the number of respondent who don't have a Swift cards, they have no way of knowing why those respondent don't have a Swift card - and, in this type of research, knowing why something occurs is as important, if not more important, that knowing how often it occurs.
When asked about this situation, Mustard Research; who are conduction the research on behalf of
TfWM, responded that:
"(they've been conduction research with the general public for over 30 years, so everything (they) do, every method (they) use, every question (they) ask (and how (the) ask it), is deeply grounded in robust methodologies that (they've) tried and tested over the years."
In the conclusion to the ITC report they comment that:
"The findings from this report have indicated some of the ways in which the bus market in England is changing. We recommend that further work be undertaken on the views of bus users to understand what they are seeking from high-quality bus services, and to understand how bus marketing should be updated."
Here again, although it is easy to research peoples' views, the results will still be limited unless they ask that simple question. As has been said before, if the same methodology is always used, chances are, it will always result in the same or similar answer being obtained.
From a passenger's perspective, and the results of ITC's research, what could be and what is contributing to the decline in bus use? Amongst others factors, the ICT report identifies that:
• Concessionary travel for pensioners initially boosted bus travel in 2009 but, in more recent years, this aspect of use has seen a decline (Paragraph 2.5).
• Private Hire and taxi usage hasn't been a major influencer - although it does provide a door-to-door service (Paragraph 2.6).
• Shopping, leisure, commuting and education are the most common reasons for using buses. The increased trend towards the use of online shopping services may be contributing to the sharp decline (25% since 2009) in bus use. Additionally, this decline could be associated with the trend towards out-of-town shopping centres that are served by infrequent, non-existent or inconvenient bus services (Paragraph 3.3). It is also worth noting that there has been an increase in car usage amongst those who traditionally use buses, i.e. women for shopping trips.
• Bus use decline is steepest amongst lowest income groups. This may be because these groups are able to purchase and run cars (at an increasingly lower cost than public transport) and then maximise post-purchase use (Paragraph 3.6).
From a passenger's perspective, (within the TfWM area) factors include the transport network being:
• Poorly planned. The rail network is divided into 5 zones (why 5?), the bus network operates a confusing array of zones and the tram network cuts right through the middle of them all.
• Confusing and overly complex. When purchasing tickets decisions have to be made about which of 32 travel cards is needed, which service operator will be used, where to purchase those tickets and which website should be used etc.
• Inflexible. If a Swift Card is purchased for use on one part of the network, it can't be used elsewhere. If you have an "older persons travel pass", it has limitations in use (unless these have been lifted over Christmas or during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to be vaccinated) which means that a standard travel card is also required if they still work or wish to travel outside of the restricted times.
• Inconsistent:
• On TfMW's website (www.tfmw.org.uk/operations/bus-services), it clearly states that "(they) run the English National Concessionary Scheme (NCS) for the region's over-60s and disabled" yet, on the West Midlands Network websites (www.networkwestmidlands.com/tickets-and-swift/discounts-and-free-travel• passes/older-persons-pass/) it states that "You can get a pass for free bus travel
anywhere in England when you reach the female State Pension age". However, the
NCS stipulates "over 65"; not "over-60s" or "reach the female State Pension age". Additionally, it needs to be recognised that, in the Transport for London travel area, "if you're 60 or over and live in a London borough, you can get free travel on our transport services."
• Further confusion with regard to concessionary elderly travel has evolved as a result of the publication of State Pension age timetable which was introduced by the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. If individuals are not aware of the NCS, they may well wait until they have retired; which now varies for both men and women, before applying for concessionary travel.
• There is more pressure on the elderly to work beyond State Pensionable age and more elderly chose to work beyond State Pensionable age.
• The Network West Midlands website also states that, with a Senior Rail Card, those aged 60 and over can save a 1/3 off rail fares to travel across Britain.
• Ticket prices vary, for the same product, across the different transport operators.
For example, a Low Fare Zone (Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley) adult 1 day ticket costs £3.20 yet an Nbus, all bus operator, 1 day ticket costs £4.80 and a National
Express West Midlands/ Coventry Adult Daysaver costs £4.60.
• Swindling:
• Currently, individual bus tickets, e.g. Day Savers, return tickets, can only be purchased on entry to a bus. If a passenger does not have the correct money for the fare, no change is given - even for a £5 or £10 note!
• When Return Ticket is all that is required, i.e. a passenger does not need to travel on public transport more than twice in a day, they have to purchase a Day Saver ticket. This is especially the case on the tram/Metro during peak travel times.
• Uncomfortable. Riding on the fast section of the tram line between Bilston and West Bromwich is like riding on a roller-coaster. This section is not suitable for anyone who suffers from travel sickness. Additionally, bus seats do not provide enough leg room for the average person.
• Inadequate and impractical:
• Total lack of individual and seasonal ticket purchase facilities.
• Ease of access and use for disabled passengers or passengers with pushchairs etc.
• At times when greater use of public transport should be being encouraged, e.g. during rush hour, ticket pricing is increased.
• Journey times exacerbated by road congestion.
• It does not always support unsocial travelling hours, e.g. someone who starts or ends work at 06:00.
• It is not always available and suffers from poorly conceived planning approval, e.g. a
31 minute walk is required, from either Brewood or Coven Post offices, if someone works at the industrial site at Four Ashes in Staffordshire.
[REDACTED- GDPR]
In connection with this, TfWM's own guidelines for bus service access stipulate that:


"The maximum desirable walking distance to bus services in continuously built-up residential areas is 400 metres between the hours of 7am and 7pm Monday to Saturday (two journeys per hour), and 700 metres at other times (one journey per hour)."
Consequently, it can be identified that many routes do not conform to TfMW's own requirements.

The Way Forward:
Above all, if there is a genuine desire to improve public transport in the Black Country and WMCA, then all the local authorities, TfWM and the WMCA need to start singing from the same hymn sheet. There is little point in all the individual authorities carrying out the same research that is currently being undertaken the other stakeholders and then doing their own thing.
Although it was evident to many at the time, it is now apparent that poor planning decisions; those associated with out-of-town shopping centres in particularly, have had a negative effect on town and city centres and, as indicated in the ITC report, the use of public transport and public transport journey times. Consequently, it can be concluded that, in order to increase public transport use, reduce private car use and congestion, there is a need to reverse many of the planning decisions that have lead to these problems arising. Therefore, it is imperative that such factors are included in urban and town centre rejuvenation plans. There is little point in building new town centres if, as is the case at present, nobody has any day-to-day need to go there.
The following are helping to increased journey times:
• Congestion (as above) which is also exacerbated by charging more for peat time travel.
• The need to purchase tickets on entry to buses.
• The need for disabled persons, and those accompanying pushchairs, to use the same door as everyone else.
• Only having one door in each bus - those waiting to board have to wait for those alighting.
The issues can be overcome by:
• Dispensing with the peak and off-peak pricing system.
• Making ticketing more accessible and easier to use.
• Changing to 3 door bus design (which is depicted quite negatively in the following article). https://londonist.com/london/transport/new-routemaster-buses-front-door-only
The picture on the right depicts one of the busses in service in Finland's capital region. The front door is used for boarding and alighting by the elderly and those with minor disabilities. The centre door is primarily used for disabled and pushchair access (there is sufficient room to house 3 pushchairs side-by-side). As such, it has the extendible ramp, backed up by adjustable suspension, found on most modern busses. The rear door is used for alighting only.
Both the front and middle doors have travel card readers adjacent.
To overcome the problem of fare-evading; and these are effective:
• Other passengers will actively confront anyone who has not paid.
• The bus driver will not move if they suspect that someone is attempting to evade paying, actively confronting them if the need arises.
• Public transport operators employ a team of highly active and highly effective ticket inspectors. However, in addition directing customers to purchase the required ticket, they also issue an on-the-spot fines of 80€ and, if no ticket has been purchased, instruct the offender to leave the mode of transport.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/ticket inspection crackdown reduces railway fare dodgers/1
0150849
To avoid contradictory information from being published, and to aid passenger interaction, the TfMW, the West Midlands and other associated websites, e.g. those operated by the individual bus operators, need to be consolidated into a single source of information.
The website should provide ticketing information, a simplified "route planner" that is able to identify all alternative routes (it is possible to obtain a route plan with only one option: walk!) and an interactive map that allows bus routes to be clearly identified.
The link below provides access to Helsingin seudun liikenne's {HSL) / Helsinki Regional Transport's
{HRT) customer oriented website. To evaluate the route planner, enter:
• Origin: Roihuvuorentie 20 F
• Destination: Helsinki-Vantaa and select "Helsinki-Vantaa Airport T1-T2 Corridor, Vantaa" After evaluating the results, set the departure time to 23:00.
Additionally, change the destination to "Suomenlinna, (liikenne), Suomenlinna, Helsinki".
It is interesting to note the speed of operation (given that the results are coming from Finland) and how easy it is to identify the alternative routes and, by selecting any of the options, the type and costs of the tickets required. Clicking on the map icon (to the right of each stage) will result in the map zooming in to provide a more detailed view.

If the map is zoomed out, it is possible to see the extent of the HSL travel zones. Plans are currently in place to include the municipalities located above the "C" zones int he region so that the two existing "D" zones become a single continuous zone.

Reduce the number of circular zones to 4 (is there a need for 5 zones?) and align all services to those zones (currently, all three modes of transport use different zoning). The minimum number of zones included on any ticket will be two. Consequently, this will produce the following zone options (when "A" through "D" is used for zone identification):
• AB, ABC, ABCD.
• BC, BCD.
• CD.

Optionally, single zone operation could be included if passenger number justify this. However, doing so could make zone selection displays more complex.
Introduce a new ticketing system (overview):
• All tickets to be valid on all modes of transport (buses, trams, trains etc) irrespective of the transport operator's area of operation.
• Introduce a non-season ticket time limit on all tickets which ends after a passenger has boarded a mode of transport. This means that a passenger can change between modes of transport while the time limit is still operable, If the time limit expires just before a passenger boards another mode of transport, then another ticket will need to be purchased. If, on the other hand, one minute of the time limit remains after a passenger has boarded, the ticket will still be valid for the entire segment of the journey.
• Standardise ticket prices which, as above, dispenses with peak and off-peak pricing, i.e. a standard fare should be used irrespective of the time of day.
• Install card readers in all modes of transport and at entry points to tram and railway stations.
• Reduce the number of primary travel cards (including Apps) to two:
• Residents (lives in the TfMW travel area) with two modes of operation:
• Seasonal, pre-selected zones, e.g. AB.
• PAYG, travel zones selected on entry to transport method - or at railway stations if readers cannot be installed in all train carriages.
• Available from service centres and all manned bus stations.
• Available as a mobile app.
• Using the PAYG function, card holders can pay for additional passengers.
• Visitors - seasonal (1 day to 1 month), pre-selected zones only.
• All travel cards to support concessionary operation - if proven at the time of purchase.

Ticket Purchase:

It will always be the responsibility of the passenger to ensure that they have a valid ticket prior to embarking on any stage of a journey.
Resident travel cards will only be available from main travel service centres, e.g. at ALL bus and railway stations. Proof of residency, e.g. a person's PIN(!!!) will be required. The storing of a person's PIN on the travel card will remove the need to produce photo-cards.
Visitor cards will be available to main travel service centres and all PayPoint outlets (including those located at airports).

Ticket machines will need to be installed at all bus and railway stations and at key transport interchange locations. Ticket machines will provide a means to:
• Purchase season tickets - that takes into consideration any remaining season ticket time on the card.
• Top-up the PAYG function of residential travel cards. The remaining PAYG balance should be displayed each time the card is used.
• A means to purchase single use tickets.

Season tickets can be purchased at main travel service centres, by using standing orders or via online top-up services.
Exceptionally, single use tickets can be purchased from bus drivers (but not tram drivers). Where a passenger does not have the exact money, a ticket voucher covering the over-paid amount will be printed along with the ticket. Buses should have contactless payment facilities.


Although the suggestions outlined above can be used by any of the individual and combined local authorities, greater passenger benefit and local authority cost savings would be achieved if the same system was used nationally. A national travel card, for instance, would allow someone to travel from (say) the south-west of England to Newcastle and to make use of the local public transport network- even if in PAYG mode. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, that is not possible.

Overcoming Vandalism:
Means of overcoming concerns about ticket machine vandalism include increased police street presence (full time constabulary and volunteer special constabulary) and the use of fully trained and paid security officers - such as those used extensively in Finland (see below) - who have powers of arrest.
Although the focus here is on reducing vandalism, increasing the number and visibility of security officers results in additional benefits, particularly when they carry out regular patrols (such as regularly occurred in the UK in previous years:
• Enforcement of laws.
• Safer communities, shopping centres and public transport services.
• Crimes can be responded to quicker/ reduction in criminal activity.
• Minor anti-social behaviour offences can be prevented or dealt with quicker.
• Enforcement of discipline and respect.
Notwithstanding this opinion, a broader range of issues need to be considered. https://www.police-foundation.org.u k/2017/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/foot patrol.pdf