Working in partnership in the. West of England. Winter 2012/13

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1 Working in partnership in the West of England Winter 2012/13

2 Welcome Welcome to our stakeholder newsletter for the West of England. It tells you how First is working to improve bus services in the region as part of our promise to deliver Better Journeys for Life for all of our customers. In response to a recent stakeholder survey we are working to improve how we communicate with partners, customers and other interested parties. This is intended to be the first in a series of regular newsletters which will form part of an on-going programme of communication with you all. Bus services play a vital role in supporting the economy in the West of England. More people in the UK travel to work by bus than any other form of public transport combined and many people depend on the bus for access to jobs and further education. The transfer of trips from car to bus is one of the quickest and most cost effective ways communities can reduce carbon emissions from transport. More people travel to work by bus than all other forms of public transport combined. Improving transport links in the West of England is therefore important to improving the economic outlook of the region and is one of our main objectives. Partnerships are essential to achieving this and I am proud of our involvement in a number of important projects which are starting to make real improvements to bus travel. In March 2012 Norman Baker officially launched the Greater Bristol Bus Network. This network was developed in partnership with the West of England Partnership to ease congestion and improve standards and reliability for bus users in the West of England. More recently we launched eight new, diesel-electric hybrid buses as part of a major upgrade to Bath Park and Ride services another example of a successful partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council. With our partners in the West of England Bus Operators Association (WEBOA) we have rolled out the AvonRider card which allows bus travellers to use one ticket to travel on different operators buses throughout the region making travel both cheaper and easier. We continue to take action to improve service delivery. This includes the upgrade of our Service X1 (Bristol Weston-super-Mare) and Service 8/9 (Temple Meads Clifton / Redland) which includes adding leather seating and free WiFi. We have also employed customer hosts at Temple Meads Station to help rail passengers complete their onward journeys by bus. These initiatives are described in more detail in this newsletter and are I believe starting to make a real difference to our customers and encourage more people to take the bus. I look forward to working with our partners to build on this success as there is still much more that could and should be done, in particular to ensure the right partnerships are in place to attract further funding to the region. We will continue to face challenges as funding is reduced and cost pressures squeeze everyone, but I firmly believe that by working together we can continue to deliver high quality services for the people in this area. We look forward to working with Bristol s new mayor to improve bus travel in the city. We also look forward to the development of the Bath Transportation Package, the Weston Package and the Bus Rapid Transit Scheme in Bristol. These exciting projects have the scope to redefine transport in the area. We are also planning further investment in 2013, bringing more new buses to the region, details of which I will share with you in due course. Justin Davies, Regional Managing Director, First South West and Wales

3 Serving our customers Working independently and with our partners we are improving bus travel in the West of England. This includes investment in new buses, improvements to ticketing and working with partners to deliver infrastructure improvements that help reduce congestion and encourage more people to use the bus. Partnership Working Making it easier to travel by bus Through the West of England Bus Operators Association (WEBOA) we have developed the AvonRider ticket which allows customers to use the same ticket on most operators services. The travelcard offers bus users unlimited travel on most daytime services operating throughout Bath and North East Somerset. At 7.20 for a day ticket on an introductory offer (and 7.50 thereafter) the new ticket will save customers time and money and make bus travel easier for everyone. WEBOA is now looking to develop further multi operator travelcard products. Improving bus travel between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol Upgraded buses with extra leg room, leather seats and free WiFi have been introduced on our service X1 buses connecting Weston-super-Mare and Bristol. Bus service frequency has increased from one an hour to every 20 minutes during the daytime. This was achieved with support from North Somerset Council who accessed Kick Start funding through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. A joint marketing campaign for the service aimed at commuters and day trippers has been widely promoted to households along the route with the aim of attracting new travellers to use the bus. Helping to protect cyclists To further improve driving standards we have been working in partnership with Bikeability to deliver training to increase our drivers understanding and awareness of cyclists and the way they ride. The training adopts similar principles to that used in our driver safety training and has been well received by drivers. Supporting economic growth in Bath In October 2012, eight new diesel-electric hybrid buses were introduced to Bath Park and Ride as part of a significant upgrade. Funded by First, with support from the Green Bus Fund, the buses have free WiFi, leather seats, and climate control and produce around 30% less carbon emissions than conventional buses. The Park and Ride now has 50% additional spaces available and a seven day a week service. Extra services are provided for special events, such as the Bath Christmas Markets and local sporting fixtures. With nearly 50,000 cars entering Bath each day, and this figure set to rise, the scheme is part of a programme to provide the necessary infrastructure to generate economic growth and new jobs while at the same time tackling heavy traffic congestion and improving air quality. Transforming Greater Bristol s bus network March 2012 saw the completion of the Greater Bristol Bus Network. The scheme, designed to help ease congestion and improve standards has helped increase passenger numbers on all routes in some cases by as much as 46% since 2008/09. The average punctuality and reliability of bus services in and around Bristol has also improved. We have seen a 10% improvement in start time punctuality between 2008 and 2011 and further improvements are being made. The project cost 79 million with a 22.5 million contribution from First. Improvements have been made to bus priority and infrastructure. 1,000 bus stops have been upgraded and real time information is provided both at stops, and online through Travelplus.org.uk. The scheme was shortlisted for this years National Transport Awards and the UK Bus Awards and was highly commended in the latter.

4 Putting customers at the heart Our customers are at the heart of our business. We need to provide them with the right services and understand their needs. In addition to regular customer surveys we operate a number of customer panels where members of the customer community meet with us on a regular basis to provide feedback and suggest how we can improve our services. We also run Meet the Manager sessions where our senior managers attend, listening to feedback and suggestions about how services can be improved. Our regular customer surveys show an increase in overall customer satisfaction. When we don t get it right we have a customer service team on hand to help. We have recognised the need to improve this service and have been working hard to enhance the quality and efficiency of response. Our customer service team has been expanded and brought in-house and we have invested in a new complaints handling system. These measures will soon deliver demonstrable improvements to our customers. Listening to those with special needs Through consultation with local interest groups we are improving the accessibility of our services for disabled people. This has included focus groups with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in Bristol and attendance at BPAC (Bristol Physical Access Chain) forums. Our disabled customers can use a mystery shopper form to feed back on their travel experience which has been well received. This feedback demonstrates that many customers with disabilities have positive experiences using public transport in the region. Where issues are identified they are resolved. We are also consulting on a new Better Journey Card, to provide customers with additional needs a way to ask the driver for help, such as assistance with finding a seat. Mean Score Overall Satisfaction in the South West Region Feb-11 Mar-11 Apr-11 May-11 Jun-11 Jul-11 Aug-11 Sep-11 Oct-11 Nov-11 Dec-11 Month A new Customer Promise and Charter in Bristol, Somerset and Avon Jan-12 In a move that reflects increasing confidence in our ability to operate more punctually and reliably we introduced a Customer Promise and Charter for our West of England passengers in April Bus users can now claim refunds (in travel vouchers) if their bus is more than one minute early (at a timing point) or more than 20 minutes late anywhere on the route and we are found to be at fault. Reducing air emissions All our new buses have EURO V engine technology which will further reduce emissions of particulates and nitric oxides supporting reduction of emissions in Air Quality Management Areas. We also have DriveGreen technology on our buses. This dashboard mounted traffic light LED display tells drivers how fuel efficiently they are driving. This cuts fuel consumption, reduces carbon emissions from our buses and makes them safer and more comfortable to ride on. Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 The importance of buses to the economy In the West of England we play an important role in supporting the local economy by employing around 1,300 people and providing important transport links. A recent independent report illustrates the importance of buses to economic growth. Key findings include: Bus commuters help generate 64bn of economic output every year; Of the five billion bus journeys made in the UK each year, one billion are made by people commuting to work; People use the bus to make shopping and leisure trips with an annual value of 27.2bn, of which 21.5bn is spent in towns or cities centres; One in 10 bus commuters would be forced to look for another job if they could no longer commute by bus, More than 50% of students are frequent bus users and depend on the bus to get to education or training. To access the full report go to This is an alliance of bus and coach companies and wider stakeholders from across the UK.

5 Providing value for money Despite increasing pressures on the industry from cuts in both central and local government spending, not least through changes to the Bus Services Operators Grant (BSOG) and pressure on concessionary fares reimbursement, we have done everything we can to keep fares as low as possible. In the past year we have again cut the price of family travel across the region during the summer holidays. In August 2011 we introduced a number of new exceptional value products such as the FirstDay Bristol Plus and the FirstWeek South West tickets. We have also held for the past 2 years the price of the popular FirstDay Bristol ticket. It remains at 4 offering unlimited travel in Bristol zones 1 and 2. We will continue in our efforts to ensure we deliver the best value for money. This effort has been recognised by our customers and is reflected in the fact that the value for money score in our customer research has continued to improve since December Mean Score Value for Money in Bristol, Somerset and Avon Sep-09 Oct-09 Nov-09 Dec-09 Jan-10 Feb-10 Mar-10 Apr-10 May-10 Jun-10 Jul-10 Aug-10 Sep-10 Oct-10 Nov-10 Dec-10 Jan-11 Feb-11 Mar-11 Apr-11 May-11 Jun-11 Jul-11 Aug-11 Sep-11 Oct-11 Nov-11 Dec-11 Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Month New value ticket encourages passenger growth The introduction of a FirstNight Bristol ticket in April 2012, priced at 2.90, has proved popular with customers and with additional late night journeys recently added to Service 73 in the city, demand is expected to grow further. To date it s contributed to a 3% increase in passengers travelling after 1900 hours. Summer holiday family price deals To support families get out and about during the holidays we cut the price of family bus travel on our services in the South West. The FirstDay SouthWest Family ticket was again reduced from to just 10 for up to five people (maximum 2 adults), the equivalent of just 2 per person per day for travel through the entire South West Region. O2 customers offered half price travel in Bristol In partnership with mobile network operator O2 as part of their Priority Moments Loyalty Rewards programme we are trialling a promotion where bus users with O2 mobile phones are able to access reduced price FirstDay tickets in Bristol. As well as rewarding existing passengers the initiative was designed to encourage new passengers to try the bus and is currently attracting an additional 400 customers a week. New People at First Investing in our people We recognise the need to invest in our people to improve our levels of customer service. All our drivers are trained to the highest safety standards and receive continual professional development training in areas such as customer service and helping people with disabilities. All employees have access to development programmes and we actively encourage them to work towards recognised qualifications such as NVQs. A range of e-learning courses are available which can be accessed remotely as well as life long-learning programmes. We take part in the FirstGroup apprenticeship and graduate schemes. Sarah Wallbridge has joined as Regional Marketing Manager. She previously worked for Eastleigh Borough Council where she was the sustainable transport manager. Jenny MacLeod, our General Manager for First in Bristol, remains in post but her remit has been changed to allow her to focus just on the Bristol business. Carol Groves has joined as General Manager for our business in Somerset and Avon.

6 Supporting our communities As a major local employer and significant transport operator we play an important role in the local community. As well as working to improve transport links we work with our partners to address broader community issues and support local causes through our Charity and Sponsorship committee. We support the Safe Haven Scheme for people with learning disabilities. Staff in our travel shops have been trained to provide safe havens for people with learning difficulties in times of distress and to provide them with comfort and support. Supporting Bristol s newest youth facility To support The Station Bristol s newest youth facility First has donated free transport for three Play Your Part days, helping to ensure that young people around the city are able to see all that The Station has to offer them. In addition, First has agreed to work with The Station to make heavily discounted FirstDay Bristol tickets available to Station Members to cut travel costs for young people attending the centre. Charity and sponsorship We regularly provide free tickets and travel passes as part of fundraising activities and charitable donations. Through the FirstGroup Charity and Sponsorship Committee local community groups and employees can apply for funding to support local initiatives. 1,178 donated to the Brandon Trust which helps train people with learning disabilities to use local bus services. This will be used to help fund the Travel Training Buddy system that the charity runs in the area. 2,000 of advertising space on our buses was donated to Brisfest the Bristol music festival. Extracts from song lyrics of five local artists performing at the festival were displayed and commuters were invited to take part in a poll for the most popular lyrics. 14,000 worth of bus advertising space has also been donated to Macmillan Cancer Support, the FirstGroup charity partner selected through an employee vote. 2,000 donated to A Noble Cause for Jude : A fundraising appeal set up to raise 31,000 for the son of Paul Noble, a Financial Planning Manager for First in South West and Wales, who was born with cerebral palsy and needs a life changing operation (not currently available on the NHS) to be able to walk unaided. To boost fundraising staff have also run the Bristol Half Marathon and organised various bake sales to move them closer to the fundraising target. Promoting Action for Hearing Loss Action for Hearing Loss used Bristol Bus Station to raise awareness of its isolation campaign to highlight the things that people miss out on when they suffer from age related hearing loss. The Quarte Tones barbershop quartet sprang a singing surprise on Bristol bus passengers to illustrate this. Local employees volunteered to have their hearing checked as part of the awareness raising activity. We continue to sponsor the Bristol Post s Gold Star Awards, for the ninth successive year. 750 donated to Raise a Smile for Harry, a cause to generate funds for Children s Hospice South West which supports children with life limiting conditions and their families. Claire Bayliss a driver from Westonsuper-Mare has been helping to raise funds and awareness of the cause and successfully applied to the First Charity and Sponsorship Committee for some additional help. 100 donated to a team of 10 running the Bristol 10Km to raise money for St Peter s Hospice. The team, pulled together by bus worker Jim Stevens, wanted to raise money for the hospice as it had supported Jim s wife when she was diagnosed with cancer. We welcome feedback on this publication. Contact details: Karen Baxter, PR Manager (South West & Wales), First UK Bus, Enterprise House, Easton Road, Bristol BS5 0DZ karen.baxter@firstgroup.com