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E.0 Appendix E - Scottish Executive Funded Pilots
E.1 This Appendix provides a summary of the nine Scottish Executive funded pilots identifying how well they have performed in their target markets and the potential for their future development.
DRT Markets
E.2 The pilot projects cover DRT operating in a range of different markets. However, the high value to user market is not represented, and the high value to agency market is only represented by the Highland pilot. Insights into DRT delivery in each market are outlined below.
Best Value DRT
E.3 In most cases, the pilot DRT service developments have been as a response to calls from the local community through bus forums and community councils etc, for an increase in the bus service provision (the complementary / best value DRT markets). This, along with Public Transport Officers' knowledge of gaps in the public transport network coverage, has been the main tool used to design the areas served by the DRT projects ( e.g. Fife DRT). Many of the non-Scottish Executive pilot projects existing in Scotland have also been developed along the same lines ( e.g. Midlothian Dial a Journey; Highland Council Taxi based DRT schemes).
E.4 The design of the Lomond service was informed by a transport study undertaken in the National Park, but the pilot goes beyond the park and was an area that Argyll and Bute Council had been seeking to link up with the SPT ring and ride service for some time.
E.5 In a small number of cases DRT projects have been used to directly replace high-subsidy fixed bus routes to offer better value for money and increased accessibility ( e.g. Aberdeenshire Strathdon and Buchan services)
High Care Needs
E.6 The high care needs market is targeted in the Aberdeen City pilot and Dundee City and the S19 services operated by Aberdeenshire Council can be used by anyone who has "limited access to the public transport network", and could therefore be open to anyone living away from a bus route, but are almost exclusively used by those needing assistance to travel.
E.7 Of note is the high use of other services by 'high care needs' users. The Fife taxi based service, and the services in Argyll and Bute have high patronage by users who would not normally be able to use conventional bus services. Although accessible vehicles have been specified for all these services, the aim of these services in rural areas was to increase accessibility without necessarily being targeted at persons with mobility difficulties yet the usage by persons with these needs is significant.
E.8 This highlights the 'dovetailing' of best value / complementary DRT and high care needs in certain contexts. There are clear indications here that there are overlaps in the markets, and that these need to be considered when designing and sourcing budgets for such services.
High Value to Agency
E.9 The only pilot offering insights into how DRT can meet the high value to agency market is the Highland Council access to employment taxi based DRT service. The project is noteworthy in that transport is paid for both by users, employers, the Council and Jobcentre plus. The project has explored targets and aims to become sustainable and is seeking to constantly develop services through reorganising shift patterns and trips to ensure that vehicles are well used.
Capacity Building: Urban CT Pilots
E.10 The main focus for the Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow pilots is in developing capacity to deliver transport services, rather than in the delivery of particular DRT schemes.
E.11 Central to Glasgow's proposal was the introduction of hospital visiting services operated by four separate CT groups, but the young age of the CT-Glasgow has meant that substantial resources have been, and are continuing to be, expended on setting up joint working protocols, resulting in delays in implementing the projects. The visiting schemes are now underway, but patronage is currently low.
E.12 In Edinburgh, the joint working was already established between CT groups, and the funding has allowed this process to continue and be enhanced.
E.13 The Dundee project funding has facilitated the employment of a CT officer who is exploring routes to joint working internally and with commercial operators. It is encouraging that the CT officer has undertaken the development of a best value review (which has recently become Council policy) highlighting the savings that can be made through internal transport co-ordination in the Council, and has also facilitated the development of and fundraising for a Dundee CT scheme offering groups hire services. Both these services will take time to become established, in particular breaking down cultural barriers to facilitate joint working within local Authorities can be problematic, but having a champion in place to lead these agendas forward is a key element in successful practice.
E.14 The Aberdeen pilot was designed to use a Stagecoach Bluebird owned taxi firm for the TDC in the Aberdeen City dial-a-ride. Although located out of the operating area (in Banchory), the use of this resource enabled the operator to cut costs significantly as no new booking staff had to be employed to run the project. This has unfortunately proven problematic as the communication between the taxi firm and drivers has not been successful, and a lack of local knowledge has also caused problems. The TDC has now been moved to the bus depot, but operational and reporting problems are still in existence.
E.15 It is interesting to note that the Aberdeen City pilot, funded as part of the Urban Community Transport Initiative, is the only pilot to have resulted in no funds or capacity building going into the community sector.
Future development and long term sustainability
E.16 There is a need to foster joint working in the delivery of DRT services to enhance the sustainability of services between a wide range of stakeholders involved in DRT including: Public Sector (Transport); Public Sector (Non-Transport related); Voluntary / Community Transport Groups; Commercial organisations; employers and other private organisations.
E.17 The rural DRT pilot projects were initially proposed to encourage and explore routes to maximise the use of existing transport resources through co-ordination and joint delivery.
E.18 There have been some examples of joint working, but in general, joint resourcing of services has not been demonstrated through the pilots. The vast majority of pilot services are straightforward 'contracted' services and do not demonstrate a wide range of experience in joint delivery.
E.19 Fife Council have an opportunity to develop joint working internally around DRT delivery as their Ring and Ride service (not part of the pilot) is rolled out to operate Fife-wide. It is likely that there may be overlap of the customers currently using the F3-F8 services and a locally based Ring and Ride service. This may act as a route to ensuring the long term sustainability of the pilot services and Fife are currently considering how the two services, and other key local services including the ambulance service non-emergency patient transport provision could be better co-ordinated in the medium to long term.
E.20 Angus Transport Forum ( ATF) undertook some discussion and consultation over delivery with the local ambulance service in the early stages of their development, but unfortunately this has not developed into anything long term. Their multi operator agency approach has been successful in highlighting travel needs and opening up new markets for local operators, but due to the difficulties in offering uniform fares across operators, and the option for users to call operators directly when they become familiar with services, the demand for this service has reduced. However in highlighting other travel needs in the area the group has developed a group hire service fro use with a wide variety of community groups - a resource that was not previously available.
E.21 The UCTI funded pilots have demonstrated and highlighted the role that CT can play in an urban setting, and that benefits can be gained through supporting development and joint working in CT delivery. Ensuring that funding for CT facilitates joint working and communication between both CT operators and other key agencies will be central to ensuring a sustainable role for CT in all settings.
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