1. Portfolio/Number/Name:T/C2 - Concessionary Fares |
2. Programme/Activity: Please
include a short description The current scheme for concessionary
fares is for buses is complex and could be
changed to create a more simple and cost
effective scheme. This would drive out
efficiency savings. |
3. Planned Savings | | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
Cash (m) | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Time Releasing (m) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4. Accountable Officer for
delivery | Eddie Frizzell |
5. Project Manager | Tom MacDonald |
6. EGDG account manager | Iain Dewar |
7. Quality Impact | Describe any impact on the quality
of service delivery. Be specific and
explain if the expectation is positive,
negative or neutral. New financial arrangements, central
administration, validation and verification
procedures should enhance the quality of
service. |
8. Dependencies | Explain if your savings are
dependant on legislation or other
structural changes. The introduction of the new national
bus concessionary travel scheme from April
2006; passage of the Transport Bill in
2005; establishment of the new transport
agency in 2005; successful outcome of
negotiations with Local Authorities about
GAE revisions; and successful introduction
of national citizen's card (Smartcard) are
all critical to the delivery of this
saving. |
9. Description of efficiency and
actions to be taken | 9.1 How will the saving be made? Be
specific about number/size of contracts,
staff, posts dates etc. Savings will be achieved through
improved national administration;
consolidation of additional operator
capacity costs in the scheme reimbursement
rate; savings in GAE expenditure; and
reductions in irregularity and fraud by use
of Smartcard technology. |
9.2 What action is critically
needed to secure delivery of this saving?
Be specific, and name the key action
managers if they are outwith your immediate
management chain (e.g. in an
NDPB.) A new concessionary travel unit needs
to be set up as part of the Scottish
Transport Agency to fully develop and
effectively manage a national scheme with
the bus operators. Assistance from CoSLA,
SPT and other Local Authorities would
greatly assist in securing satisfactory
arrangements. Delivery of the Smartcard
project is also crucial. |
10. Impact on Staffing to achieve the efficiency
gain | If there are to be any changes in
staff numbers (at activity level) to
achieve the efficiency gain, please
indicate how many full time equivalents and
how far you expect savings to be achieved
by natural wastage (show additions as + and
reductions as -). |
| 2005- 06 | 2006- 07 | 2007- 08 |
+ | | | |
- | | | |
Net | | | |
Explanation | N/A |
11. Benefits | In general, the benefits of the
Scottish Executive Efficiency Plan are the
enhanced outputs from the resources
Ministers have been able to allocate in
SR04. But if there is a direct connection
between this efficiency saving and the
enhancement of a particular service please
describe it here. N/A |
12. Gross/Net Cash Savings | 12.1 Please set out the gross
recurring saving and any offsetting
recurring expenditure. The gross recurring saving by 2007-08
is 5 million. There is no offsetting
recurring expenditure. |
12.2 Against what budget does this
expenditure and saving fall? Transport: Concessionary Travel
Budget |
12.3 Has this saving been built
into your budget? Yes |
12.4 If so, what is the maximum
allowable expenditure against the budget
data, in each year, for that saving to be
delivered? 2006-07 - 159m
2007-08 - 163m |
12.5 If not, how do you propose to
invest the additional cash back into public
services? N/A |
12.6 What plans do you have to
exceed the required saving? Explain by how
much in each year. Saving would increase if the business
areas in which savings may occur realised
greater savings. |
13. Time - release savings | 13.1 Please explain any
time-releasing savings indicated at
question 3. N/A |
13.2 Please describe the method you
plan to use to calculate the cash
equivalent of those time release
savings. N/A |
14. Measurement and
Monitoring | 14.1 How are you proposing to
measure the expected efficiency benefits
(e.g. in terms of costs, level of output or
quality of service)? Detailed information on administration
costs, passenger journeys, average fares
and reimbursement rates applied will be
gathered by the Transport Agency as part of
the reimbursement process. |
14.2 What monitoring &
reporting procedures will be put in place
to measure the efficiency savings (How
often will progress towards the target be
monitored? Who will have lead
responsibility for reporting progress and
what procedures will be in place?) Detailed financial monitoring will take
place on at least a quarterly basis. The
Transport Agency will be responsible for
monitoring and reimbursement processes and
high quality systems will need to be in
place by April 2006. Transport Division 2
is currently taking forward the work to set
up a concessionary travel unit involving
transport consultants, CoSLA, SPT and other
Local Authorities. |
14.3 Monitoring Data: Sources,
validation and risks - What data will be used to measure
progress? Is all the required information
quantifiable and readily available? If not
what action will be taken to rectify
this?
Detailed information on
concessionary passenger journeys will need
to be captured and analysed by the
Transport agency.
- What measures will be in place
to validate the accuracy of the data?
Who will take responsibility for
this?
High quality IT, validation and
verification systems will be required
to ensure the integrity of the scheme.
The use of Smartcard technology will be
a feature, but other systems such as
operator audits, passenger surveys and
"mystery passengers" will also play a
part in the process. The extent of
other activity will depend on the
degree that Smartcard and other "smart"
solutions are available.
- Are there any issues or risks
relating to how you plan to use the
data? (e.g. accuracy, difficulties in
collection)
No.
|