Home / Sources / Select Committees / Transport Committee / Passenger transport in isolated communi…
Select committee inquiry

Passenger transport in isolated communities

Closed

Transport Committee · Opened 27 June 2013 · Closed 13 January 2015

1 recommendation · 11 conclusions
Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

What the inquiry looked at

“This inquiry examined how bus, rail and community transport services are provided in isolated urban and rural communities.”

The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.

What it found

In the committee's words, from the summary of 4th Report - Passenger transport in isolated communities ↗

People who live in isolated communities use passenger transport to access employment, education, training and healthcare. Passenger transport in isolated communities is therefore a concern for not only the Department for Transport (DfT) but other Departments and agencies. The DfT must show strategic leadership in driving joined-up policy making to allow people who live in isolated communities fully to participate in society.

Older people, younger people, unemployed people, people on low incomes and disabled people who live in isolated communities rely on passenger transport and are disproportionately affected by inadequate or reduced services. We conclude that policy makers must take the needs of all those vulnerable groups into account rather than making potentially damaging trade-offs between them.

Policy makers sometimes equate ‘isolated communities’ with ‘rural communities’, but we found that isolated communities also exist in urban and suburban areas. We recommend that the DfT drafts a definition of ‘isolated communities’ for use across central and local government, which should be used to target scarce resources.

We recognise the importance of community transport, but believe that Central Government and local authorities are being unrealistic if they expect voluntary community transport projects to compensate for decreased bus services.

‘Total transport’ involves pooling transport resources to deliver a range of services. For example, it might involve combining hospital transport with local bus services. That new approach could revolutionise transport provision in isolated communities by making more efficient use of existing resources. We recommend that the DfT initiates a large-scale pilot to test the concept in practice.

What the government said

The government responded on 31 October 2014.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response.

The Department welcomes the report, but for most recommendations it points to local decision-making and existing initiatives, and it commits to few new central actions.

  • On defining 'isolated communities', it will look at "the feasibility of agreeing a robust definition" of isolated rural and urban communities with other departments and the ONS, and says the pteg model's suitability for sparsely populated rural areas "will need to be examined carefully".
  • On the Isles of Scilly, it states that transport services "continue to operate without public subsidy" and says the Council should lead on an evidence-based long-term strategy, with any case for Government intervention to be made in that context.
  • On community transport funding, it says it is "keen not to prescribe centrally one method" and feels it should be for local transport authorities to identify the right solutions, rather than extending support as the Committee recommended.
  • On total transport, the Department "currently has no plans to run a pilot", but would consider what assistance and advice it could provide to local authorities or community groups wishing to pursue a joined up approach.

Read the government's response ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error

How the inquiry ran

Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 27 June 2013 to its close on 13 January 2015.

  1. Oral evidence 2 sessions
  2. Report 22 Jul 2014
  3. Government response 31 Oct 2014

What it recommended 1 recommendation · 11 conclusions

1The DfT should draft a definition of ‘isolated communities’ for use in central and local...
Recommended (the committee's words)
The DfT should draft a definition of ‘isolated communities’ for use in central and local government that captures isolated urban, rural and island communities. We recommend pteg’s available-accessible-affordable-acceptable model as a practical starting point. When such a definition has been agreed, the DfT must actively promote its use across Government Departments to facilitate joined-up policy making.
2We welcome the discussions between the Council of the Isles of Scilly and the DfT...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We welcome the discussions between the Council of the Isles of Scilly and the DfT on introducing subsidised travel based on social need. The DfT must recognise that the people living on the Isles of Scilly are an isolated community and that they consequently need support to access healthcare and other vital services on the mainland. We expect the DfT to set out the result of those discussions in its response to this Report.
3Policy making to deliver passenger transport in isolated communities must address the needs of all...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Policy making to deliver passenger transport in isolated communities must address the needs of all vulnerable groups. To facilitate fairness and joined-up provision, policy makers must avoid trade-offs between generations or between vulnerable groups of people.
4The DfT must recognise that passenger transport provision is fundamental to achieving the objectives of...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The DfT must recognise that passenger transport provision is fundamental to achieving the objectives of the Department of Health, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education in isolated communities. The DfT needs to work with those Departments and other concerned agencies to secure targeted funding that provides passenger transport services for young people, people with low incomes and unemployed people who live in isolated rural and urban communities. To meet that target, the DfT will need to take a leadership role on behalf of isolated communities to facilitate cross-departmental and multi-agency working.
5We welcome the protection of the BSOG in the Spending Review 2013, but note that...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We welcome the protection of the BSOG in the Spending Review 2013, but note that that freeze will not address the gaps in service provision caused by the 20% decrease introduced in 2012.
6We welcome the initiative shown by Nexus in introducing its draft Quality Contract in Tyne...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We welcome the initiative shown by Nexus in introducing its draft Quality Contract in Tyne and Wear. Given that no Quality Contract has yet been agreed using the powers in the Local Transport Act 2008, this will be an important test case in determining whether Quality Contracts are a viable means by which to deliver bus services.
7Bus operators have a vested interest in maintaining and stimulating interest in their services through...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Bus operators have a vested interest in maintaining and stimulating interest in their services through effective marketing. The DfT must work with the bus industry to facilitate and co-ordinate the dissemination of best practice in order to maximise revenue and to minimise costs.
8Community Rail Partnerships are a cost-effective way to facilitate passenger transport in isolated communities, but...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Community Rail Partnerships are a cost-effective way to facilitate passenger transport in isolated communities, but their future viability may be threatened by a funding shortage. The Association of Community Rail Partnerships must lead the CRP sector in taking up the offer of financial help from the Association of Train Operating Companies. It must also work with train operating companies and the DfT in sharing best practice on maximising revenue from fare collection.
9We welcome the DfT’s recognition of the value of Community Rail Partnerships.
Concluded (the committee's words)
We welcome the DfT’s recognition of the value of Community Rail Partnerships. The DfT must translate its support for Community Rail Partnerships into ring- fenced funding to reinforce the sector, which is a proven means of harnessing the power of volunteering to deliver passenger transport in isolated communities.
10Community transport has an important role to play in all isolated communities.
Concluded (the committee's words)
Community transport has an important role to play in all isolated communities. The DfT must extend its financial support for community transport to all isolated communities rather than only supporting such services in rural areas.
11Central Government and local authorities are being unrealistic if they expect voluntary community transport projects...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Central Government and local authorities are being unrealistic if they expect voluntary community transport projects to compensate for decreased bus services. Although community transport has an important role to play, in practice it does not serve all sections of the community and therefore cannot substitute for bus services.
12We welcome the DfT’s support for total transport, which has the potential to revolutionise transport...
Concluded (the committee's words)
We welcome the DfT’s support for total transport, which has the potential to revolutionise transport provision in isolated communities by making more efficient use of existing resources. The DfT must work with local government to co-ordinate large-scale total transport pilot schemes in a range of urban and rural communities. We expect the DfT to report back to us with an interim evaluation of progress on such trials by July 2015.

Evidence

Oral evidence sessions 2