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Dial-A-Bus and Ring'n'ride: Strathclyde Passenger Transport
Nature of case study
A4.229 Dial-a-Bus is an on demand service for people who have difficulty using mainstream transport, either because of age or disability.
A4.230 Ring'n'Ride is available to all members of the public. It is a Demand Responsive Transport Service for people travelling in areas (mainly rural) where a limited or no alternative form of commercial public transport exists. It will take them from their house to any point within the rural area and to certain pre-determined drop-off points outwith the service area, as long as there is no conventional bus service that does the same. For example, the Three Valleys service in South Lanarkshire provides direct links between any points in the defined rural service area and also from this area to Lanark, Crossford, Wishaw General Hospital, Larkhall, Hamilton, Darvel, Muirkirk, East Kilbride and Hairmyres Hospital. The Ring'n'Ride service is also available to Dial-a-Bus clients who live within the defined zone.
Areas served
A4.231 Dial-a-Bus covers the whole SPT area (2.2 million people in the West of Scotland - for a full definition of the area see www.spt.co.uk ), both urban and rural (plus parts of South Ayrshire that lie outwith the SPT area). It will also provide travel for clients from Arran, Bute and Cumbrae when they are on the mainland. It is split into 32 zones which allow travel to at least the nearest "third-order" centre - i.e. somewhere that has shops, a post office and primary medical care. Ring'n'Ride service areas vary. From July 2005, the whole SPT area has been served by either Dial-a-Bus or Ring'n'Ride. The size of areas has been chosen to try to keep journey lengths to a minimum (as this keeps the cost per journey down and utilisation up) but the longest possible journey is around 25 miles. For both services, there is a maximum defined journey time for journeys of different lengths, so the scheduler will not divert a passenger already on a bus to pick up another passenger if this then raises the journey time for the first passenger beyond the pre-defined threshold.
A4.232 The majority of Demand Responsive Service operate six or seven days a week from 0900 to 1800, although there are also 10 areas with a service operating until 2200 or 2330. SPT report that in general evening services are not as well used.
A4.233 All vehicles are fully accessible (low floor and ramp equipped) for wheelchair users and operate a door to door service. Drivers are trained to assist passengers on and off the bus and to their door if necessary. There is no limit on the number of trips that passengers can take (subject to availability) and for concessionary pass holders all trips are free. One Dial-a-Bus passenger makes over 700 trips per year, though the average user makes around 55. For those without a concessionary pass travelling on Ring'n'Ride, fares roughly equivalent to standard bus apply.
A4.234 Passengers must pre-book on all services. Booking starts the previous day for trips the next day, and the call centre (on an 0845 number, this enables all passengers to call a local rate number no matter where they stay) is open at different times for different services (this staggering of calls, introduced two years ago, has reduced complaints from users that they could not get through to make their reservation to virtually zero). One call reserves a single or return trip, depending on what the user wants. However, users can phone back later and book as many other trips for the following day that they can get, subject to availability. Passengers on both services can also book one trip in advance per month. Booking is also available by text message, although this service is used only by a very few Ring'n'Ride passengers. Booking and scheduling is carried out using a computer based customer service and scheduling system, which also now communicates with drivers through the mobile phone network.
A4.235 Accepted trips - people who manage to get their trip booked at their preferred time - run at around 96% of calls initially. However, once schedules start to firm up around the middle of the day, vehicle operating areas are adjusted and people are called back by the call centre and offered journeys that almost fit their requirements. This increases the acceptance rate to around 97% of users requests. The option of one advance booking trip per month has also helped to increase the acceptance rate.
Parties involved in planning, funding and operation
A4.236 The two services grew out of social work provision of two buses each that existed in Glasgow, Renfrew and Hamilton prior to 1989. These were then taken over by the Passenger Transport Executive ( SPT) in 1989 and the service grew gradually from there. It is now an operation wholly managed and controlled by SPT, although the buses themselves are run under gross-cost contracts by local bus operators - primarily FirstBus. Funding is from SPT's core funding plus from the Scottish Executive's Rural Bus Grant.
Extent to which scheme is part of a co-ordinated strategy
A4.237 The Dial a Bus and Ring'n'Ride services have been developed and expanded because they fit in with SPT's strategic objectives as set out in its primary strategy document, the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Strategy ( SPTS). In particular they support the following goals and objectives from the Strategy:
A4.238 "To promote social inclusion through a transport system that promotes equal access for all sections of the community; and
A4.239 To ensure that… services recognise the particular needs of the elderly… and people with disabilities [ sic]" ( SPTS pp 6 and 7)
Types of trip and eligibility
A4.240 Journeys are made for virtually all reasons, including shopping (around 60% of Dial-a-Bus trips), social clubs, churches, parks, doctors, work and joining up with other transport services. Dial-a-Bus will not take passengers to hospitals for appointments as SPT view this to be a Health Board responsibility given that almost all passengers are disabled in some way and the patient transport is funded to carry out this function.
A4.241 For Dial-a-Bus, people automatically qualify if they are:
- In Receipt of Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (mobility high rate) or War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
- Registered Blind
- Over 80 years old
A4.242 Clients can also get Dial-a-Bus by completing a form which is assessed by a medical officer at a Health Board. Anyone can use Ring'n'Ride.
Ridership and costs and subsidy required
A4.243 Dial-a-Bus has 31 vehicles and approx 6,200 trips are made each week, while Ring'n'Ride has 8 vehicles and approx 1,000 trips are made weekly. In total, on Dial-a-Bus, there are 300,000 trips per year and the cost is £2.8 million a year. Ring'n'Ride costs £0.5 million per year to run. The overall average subsidy per trip is around £8, although this varies significantly between areas. The operation is reimbursed for trips made by concessionary passengers through SPT's standard reimbursement mechanism, which provides an income to the DRT section of around £1 per trip made. The £8 subsidy per trip is net of this figure. Funding is from SPT's core funds as well as from the Scottish Executive's Rural Transport Fund.
A4.244 Although to the user Dial-a-Bus and Ring'n'Ride are different services, they are operated in combination and contracts have been arranged with operators to allow flexibility which increases vehicle utilisation - an under-used Ring'n'Ride or Dial-a-Bus vehicle in one area can be diverted for a few hours to meet additional Ring'n'Ride or Dial-a-Bus demand in an adjacent area, and vice versa (an example would be the Gryffe area Ring'n'Ride, which interworks with the Paisley and Renfrew Dial-a-Ride areas immediately to the east). In a few areas, Ring'n'Ride buses operate one or two fixed services per day (e.g. to a factory or a school). This significantly enhances the economics of the DRT operation and enables best value to be given to all 11 school bodies.
Trips facilitated, and user feedback and consultation
A4.245 As part of this study, a Napier researcher spent a day on the 600 Ring'n'Ride in East Dunbartonshire, serving mainly the Kirkintilloch area. He had the opportunity to interview 10 passengers, the majority of whom were on a trip to and from their local Asda supermarket. Most used the Ring'n'Ride only once per week. The majority did not describe themselves as disabled, but they were generally older people and have difficulty walking, and thus found the Ring'n'Ride service much easier to use than a conventional bus service. In particular, of those who were able to use conventional public transport, they cited its unreliability as a particular problem. However, of the 10 passengers, three said that they would not be able to go out at all if it were not for the Ring'n'Ride. They were asked for feedback about the service and were without exception hugely positive, citing in particular its ease of use, the friendly booking staff and drivers, the convenience and its reliability as particular benefits. When asked what was the best thing about the service, one user said simply, "Everything!" Clearly, then, trips are being facilitated by this service that would not otherwise have been made, although it is not possible to quantify how many trips fall into this category.
A4.246 In order to gather further feedback, the DRT team at SPT have regular meetings with councillors and representatives from disabled people's groups to find out how services are performing. User feedback is gained through the call centre, user surveys and also by periodic "open days" organised at Community Centres. SPT write to their registered users in an area to notify them of the open day and provide them with transport to it. Visits can also be arranged to the call centre to see the unit operating, this allows users to meet the staff, see the technology and understand the benefits of the current operation. A service newsletter is also produced four times a year to keep users up to date with service developments.
A4.247 The majority of users have few complaints, although a few very frequent users complain a little because they cannot always get the trip time that they want. The most well organised Dial-a-Bus user group is in North Ayrshire, and they have previously commented that:
- The vehicle in their area was too old (with a tail lift). In response, SPT provided a low floor vehicle.
- The phone booking times were problematic; these were then changed.
- The phone number for bookings was not local - so it was then changed to a 0845 number.
- Call centre staff do not have local knowledge. SPT have taken the decision to retain a central call centre, however, because of economies of scale.
Transferability of scheme
A4.248 SPT believe that the principles of the schemes are transferable to any area. The factors that have been key to its success are believed to be:
- the standardised vehicle type (internally and externally);
- computer assisted booking and vehicle tracking system;
- monitoring of usage and redistribution of resources as appropriate;
- skilled and committed staff in the DRT team; and
- cost sharing between accessible transport, local services and schools services.
A4.249 The standardised package for both operations makes it relatively easy to roll out services to new areas but also to make alterations as required.
Current technology
A4.250 SPT has invested in and uses Trapeze PASS to automate the booking, scheduling, dispatch and client management for its on demand services. PASS allows SPT to create an extensive database of all their service users, taking into account regular trips, pick-up and set-down points and special needs. With PASS, staff spend more time responding to customers' calls. It allows joumeys to be booked quickly and efficiently and allows vehicles to be moved around depending on client demand.
A4.251 Vehicles are fitted with Mobile Data Terminals ( MDT) and with a tracking device. The Trapeze Pass booking system sends travel requests directly to the bus and in turn the MDT units send information back from the bus to Trapeze Pass. This enables real time information to be given to passengers and allows the office to monitor service levels and ensure that passengers are given a premium bus service.
A4.252 As a result of MDTs being fitted to vehicles it is envisaged that all DRT passengers will be offered the ability to make real time bookings subject to vehicle availability (same day booking, normally with a minimum of 2hours notice) within the next 6 months.
Future developments
A4.253 Within the next 9 months it is envisaged that clients will be able to send a text from a mobile phone and get information regarding their pick-up point and estimated arrival time of their bus. It is also hoped that within the next 12 months passengers will be offered a call back service. With the call back service, passengers will get a telephone call (to any telephone number) 10mins before the arrival of the bus advising them of the estimated arrival time. This will mean passengers are able to wait inside until the arrival of the bus, it should also help the driver as the passenger will be ready with the bus arrives. Within 18-24 months it is hoped that we will be able to offer passengers a web booking option.
A4.254 Service areas are constantly being reviewed in order to maximise utilisation and reduce unit costs whilst keeping the level of service at least as good as it was. New Ring'n'Ride services will be introduced in response to demand, subject to the constraints of funding.
A4.255 Discussions are on going with the NHS regarding a possible development of DRT into urban areas for employment and health care. Further discussions are being held with Loch Lomond National Park that could result in a multi-operation DRT service, which would include the carriage of bicycles.
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