« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
7 Defining the area
Transport Scotland Act 2001 - Part 2 Bus Services Quality Partnership Schemes: Section 3(4) Quality partnership scheme.
7.1 Defining the geographical boundaries of a sQP scheme will be very much dependent on local circumstances. A sQP may be area-based or corridor-based. As the 2001 Act allows for phased implementation of facilities and standards, it may be that a sQP begins on a particular corridor, and as it develops it is expanded out to other corridors, until eventually, all corridors and services are covered under the umbrella of one scheme.
7.2 The area or routes that a sQP covers should be proportionate to the level of facilities that a transport authority can provide. For example, for a sQP to be provided across a whole city, e.g. for every bus stop and vehicle to conform to a specific sQP standard, this would mean significant investment and may require to be split into specific areas of corridors to ease implementation. Introducing schemes over a wider area may potentially rule out smaller operators who could not reach the levels of investment required to join the scheme.
Area of proposed Glasgow sQP |
|---|
Glasgow City Council considered a number of possible area options for their sQP, ranging from very localised areas, specific bus routes, intermediate city areas and both city-wide and inter-authority approaches. It became clear that localised areas would yield limited benefits across the city, but on the other hand there would be insufficient facilities to support a city-wide scheme. A city centre based scheme was considered beneficial because of the city's air quality status (there are three AQMAs within Glasgow - City Centre, Byres Road & Dumbarton Road and Parkhead Cross). However, this would restrict the coverage of the scheme and exclude the extensive Streamline facilities outside of the city centre. The proposed sQP will therefore cover the Streamline corridors within and outside of the city centre. These corridors cover the major arterial routes into Glasgow and convey the majority of services and passengers. There has already been considerable investment in Streamline (over £30 million) and this provides the greatest quantity of potential facilities to support the scheme and justify the setting of service standards. |
« Previous | Contents | Next »