Cars to Coaches. Creating a national coachway system. 7 th December 2010

Transcription

1 Cars to Coaches Creating a national coachway system A presentation to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil Seminar. 7 th December

2 Cars to Coaches Creating a national coachway system Alan Storkey Transport economist John Austin Austin Analytics Mike Lambden National Express Peter Miller ITO World Ltd 2

3 Part 1: More for less Express coaches... - can be comfortable, frequent, fast and allow work, meeting, phone and texting - hoover up traffic congestion - are 200 times more operationally efficient - decimate fuel use and CO2 per passenger in relation to cars - are safe, low cost in fares, capital, infrastructure - we can afford them - integrate with bus, car, rail and bike - are safe, save millions of driving hours - can help clear our cities of cars 3

4 The express coach can be fast, frequent, luxurious, safe, and free up driving time. They are the greenest form of powered transport Photo of the interor of a Greyhound UK express coach 4

5 Congestion A single lane can transport more people by express coach than 10 lanes of cars. The TransMilenio system in Bogota carries 35,000 people on one lane in a hour. Cars normally carry 2-3,000 At 60 mph... a car passenger needs 48 lane metres a coach passenger needs 3 lane metres 5

6 Congestion Letʼs move from people sitting inefficiently in cars into coaches. At present road congestion costs 20bn each year. Savings from a more effective national express coach system would exceed 10% of that cost 6

7 Express coaches policies are also pro-car because they hoover up some trips and leave more space for the remaining vehicles CCBYSA 7

8 Express coach is operationally efficient Express coaches travel 370 miles a day carrying an average of 30 passengers which is 11,100 passenger miles per day (220 times more operationally efficient than cars which do an average of only 50 passenger miles a day). Express coaches travel well over 30,000,000 passenger miles in their lifetime, a capital cost of about 1p a passenger mile. 8

9 Express coach is the greenest form of inter-urban transport DEFRA figures show that express coach currently uses energy 5 times more efficiently than the private car on average (with 80% less associated CO2 emissions) Coach Car Train National Rail Bus Bike Aircraft - long haul flights Embodied energy DEFRA (Guidelines to Greenhouse Gases Conversion Tables 2008) 9

10 Express coach is the greenest form of inter-urban transport But... express coach can easily get down to 15-20gms CO2 per passenger/km DEFRA figures are based on National Express present operations including congested running. Free running closer to 20 gms passenger km Full coaches down to 13 gms already Double-decker and bendy-coaches (capacity up to 250) lower consumption levels further SAY Cars move down to 100gms per pass/km and coaches to 20gms 10

11 Express coach is the greenest form of inter-urban transport And... Cars have additional embodied cost of CO2 used in manufacture about 10%. Because coaches do 30 million passenger miles in their life times their embodied CO2 is close to zero. There will also be an energy saving for remaining car drivers through reducing car congestion of up to 30%. The ʻwell to pump multiplier effectʼ will achieve saving of 15%. There will also be less emissions related to additional road building, garages, parking, traffic collisions and other private-car related energy use. Over all express coach could reduce CO2 emissions by 90% 11

12 Express coach is the only passenger transport mode that will achieve the 80% cut which all parties signed up to as part of the Climate Change Act 2008 We have over 28,000,000 cars and less than 2,000 scheduled coaches. We ignore the most efficient and promote the least. Electric cars change CO2 levels for cars marginally. When this coalition was formed, I set out our ambition to be the greenest government ever and we are wasting no time in trying to achieve that. 12

13 Express coaches are affordable The most expensive fare on Bristol - London coach route is 22 return. The cheapest off-peak train fare is 59 ( 159 peak). Driving costs 24 in fuel or 94 at 40p per mile 13

14 Coaches cost less pence per mile Car Rail Coach Without subsidy With subsidy 14

15 Coachway interchanges must integrate with bus, train, bike, underground, cars and taxis EASY, ATTRACTIVE FREQUENT access to the coachway interchanges by public transport must be available and must be the mode of choice for a majority of travellers. If this isn t delivered, coachway interchanges will create additional local traffic congestion. 15

16 oachway interchanges must integrate with bus, train, bike, underground, cars and taxis M25 motorway Possible coachway interchange Possible coachway interchange Watford Map prepared for South West Hertfordshire showing major public transport routes in Watford (red and blue lines) together with proposed locations for coachway interchanges based on these routes and also regarding proximity to the nearby M25 motorway. 16

17 Local hubs, which support these interchanges are situated close to key attractors and population Population Centres off main corridors have local hubs but are served with Taxibuses (purple areas) 17

18 The railway network is limited, missing many significant orbital, cross country routes and in general is only city centre to city centre 18

19 Express coach frees up time Passengers can read, work, access the internet, use the free wifi or just relax while traveling 19

20 Express coach can be faster than rail where suitable tracks don t exist 20

21 Express coach scales well With people per vehicle, express coaches can offer frequent and direct services. Cambridge Oxford service runs every 30 mins during the day and hourly until midnight. 21

22 Express coach creates UK jobs Creates local jobs for drivers, mechanics, cleaners and also in the information technology logistics that support efficient operation. 22

23 Part 2: The current situation Express coach is healthy and growing Example routes on M4, M40 and A14 corridors The logic behind coachway interchanges Policy review 23

24 Express coach is healthy and growing 1980: Express coach services de-regulated (5 years before buses) 1992: National Express floats 2004: Stagecoach launches Megabus in the UK 2005: Megabus UK invests 6.5m in new vehicles for the UK 2005: National Express buys major Spanish coach operator 2006: Megabus UK invests a further 11m in new coaches 2006 Stagecoach launches Megabus in the USA 2007: First Group buys USA based Greyhound Lines 2007: National Express buys another major European coach operator 2009: First Group launches Greyhound in the UK 2010: Industry launches one billion journeys challenge 2010: First Group to imminently announce expansion of Greyhound UK National Express invest 20m in new vehicles most years UK express coach receipts 1.8 billion (2004) This slide shows some key events, mainly in the past 6 years by the UK based express coach operators. 24

25 Express coach has failed to reach its potential express coach has been marginalised as a mode of transport it still mainly operates on a city-centre to city-centre basis services are usually infrequent some trips have very low average speeds for many inter-urban trips there is no viable public transport option there are however some high performance direct services there is huge potential for this transport mode 25

26 Example 1: Bristol to London Coach 2h 30m coach - direct 1h 40m train - direct 2h 15m driving Train Bristol London in credited as the first express coach operation in the UK, starting in There are three competing operators including National Express and Megabus. The peak time return fare is about 20, by train it is

27 Cambridge to Oxford Coach 3h 15m coach - direct 2h 45m train - 2 or 3 changes 2h 4m driving Train The Oxford to Cambridge route roughly follows the route of the Varsity railway line which closed in Stagecoach introduced their higher-specification X5 service in 1995 and it has developed rapidly since then with newer better vehicles and higher frequencies. Although slower than the train it is direct and the most expensive return fare is 11 whereas the cheapest rail fare in over 50 27

28 Coach Ipswich to Birmingham 5h 55m coach - 1 change 3h 59m train - 2 changes 2h 43m driving Train The coach route to Birmingham goes through all the major settlements along the route and takes almost twice as long as driving. The train fair at peak times is 200 so pretty much anyone who can drives. The A14 on this route is heavily congested with a proposed 1.3b road-scheme shelved between Cambridge and the A1, a proposed widening scheme near Kettering ( m) and a shelved 300m scheme at the Catthorpe interchange (M1/ A14). 28

29 Possible coachway interchange locations for Cambridge. Current coaches have to come into the city centre to collect passengers (blue). Two locations close to both the M11 and the A14 are shown in red. 29

30 Madingley Road Park and ride would be very effective but would need new slip roads to the M11 to and from the north. 30

31 A coachway interchange could have been integrated into the Orchard Park development to the A14 to the north of Cambridge which would also be close to the nearby Cambridgeshire Guided busway route. It is now too late. 31

32 Leicester, showing the current route and the M1 route and a possible interchange location 32

33 Leicester Forest East services How the interchange at Leicester Forest services would work in practice. 33

34 Leicester Forest East services Detailed view of the existing coach bays at the service station which are currently only used by tour buses because it is impossible and illegal for local buses to get to this location without using the motorway. 34

35 Leicester Forest East services However... the Highways Agency is proposing to remove the services and widen the M1 to dual 5 lanes at this point. The image below is taken from their website. However... 35

36 Milton Keynes Coachway Opened in 1989 close to the M1 with very basic facilities, later developed with cafes and toilets etc. A new 2.6m scheme opens this coming Saturday. Artists impression of the coachway 36

37 A proposed coachway for High Wycombe on the M40 37

38 Policy 38

39 ʻTransport and the Environmentʼ Royal Commission report on Environmental Pollution transport and land use planning recognise the role of express coach services, and provide full facilities for them in traffic management schemes and at transport interchanges in considering whether high vehicle-occupancy lanes should be designated on interurban roads, highway authorities should place considerable weight on the potential benefits to express coach services The most energy-efficient mode is express coach; it looks even more attractive in energy terms because of the relatively high occupancies achieved The role of express coach in reducing emissions and energy consumption was recognised way back in

40 M25 Orbit report 2002 the best opportunity for providing improved public transport in the M25 corridor would be a considerably enhanced, high quality, orbital coach system which could provide a real alternative for some existing trips on the M25 We consider that a wide range of improvements would be required, including a high quality coach system A coach system, coupled with the suggested rail schemes and shared taxi services, could, in general terms, form a system of ʻhubsʼ (major transport interchanges) and ʻspokesʼ (the services between the hubs). initial phases of the coach network should be based on key public transport hubs at Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport and Watford, concentrating on the inner orbital route and radial operations along the M3, M40, M11 and M23 network of new [coach] services providing orbital journeys in two rings around London (along the M25 and 15 to 25 kms outside) we do not believe that the development of such a coach system should be left to the private sector. We consider that it should be very actively promoted by Government. a Strategic Coach Authority could be established The authority would also secure road space from local authorities and the Highways Agency to provide priority measures necessary to ensure the reliability of the service Widening the M25 has been likened to digging a ditch in a bog it fills up as fast as you dig And then in 2002 the role of express coach to reduce congestion was emphasised. Indeed, the report predicted that without demand management and express coach the M25 would remain just as congested after the current work is completed due to induced demand. 40

41 Eddington Transport Study In 436 pages, the coach is mentioned only in the last volume, and then just to provide historical price comparisons with other modes of transport George Monbiot The Eddington Transport Study was an examination, by Sir Rod Eddington, of the impact of transport decisions on the economy and the environment. It said nothing about the role of express coach. 41

42 Department for Transport Express coaches potentially provide a more efficient way of getting the best out of network capacity than single or lowoccupancy cars... We will explore further with the industry and other stakeholders, as part of our wider programme of work on future strategy, the role the coach could play. More fine words. What has happened subsequently? 42

43 Motorway Service Areas policy circular Coach interchanges allow coach operators to increase the overall efficiency of coach movements. Feeder coaches bring passengers to the interchange, from where they can then be taken to a variety of destinations. By permitting an interchange at an MSA, it might be possible to reduce the need for coaches to leave the motorway to exchange passengers at a facility on the local road network. More fine words. 43

44 South West England policies New Coachways at Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Cribbs Causeway, Swindon and Chieveley will substantially improve access to the network, especially where these are served by feeder bus services 2002 The system of Coachways will allow a proportion of services to avoid congested urban areas so reducing journey times for passengers and costs for operators 2002 A number of the regions (now defunct) identified the important role that express coach should play and even locations for interchages. 44

45 East of England policies A14 Corridor Express Coaches The study recommended that further work was required to establish how express coaches might compliment improved rail services in the corridor 2005 An express coach network was subsequently included in the long list of options appraised in the Haven Gateway Ipswich A14 Corridor Study, but was not shortlisted as a candidate for delivery 2007 POLICY T5: Inter Urban Public Transport Facilities to support and encourage high quality interurban bus / coach services, particularly east-west links and other situations where rail is not available Cambridgeshire County Council also noted the potential for Park and Ride sites to be used as hubs by coach lines 2008 The East of England policy was particularly interested in the A14 corridor. 45

46 Roads for prosperity white paper The different scales of road and rail activity is also important. Road transport is responsible for twelve times more passenger travel and ten times more freight movement than rail. A 50 per cent increase in rail traffic would reduce road traffic by less than 5 per cent. Rail has an important contribution to make but it is not a panacea for congestion on inter-urban roads 1989 Finally. Lets look back the the famous 1989 white paper which promised the biggest road building program since the romans which of course led to the road protests in the mid 1990s and the subsequent abandonment of many of the schemes. It did however identify correctly that rail could never absorb the journeys currently made by car. We have demonstrated that the coach can. 46

47 Transport Infrastructure 40 Cost billion crossrail HighSpeed2 M25 widening Coach Investment Cost billion Here are the relative sizes of proposed investment in rail, widening a single motorway and investment in express coach infrastructure. Are proposals for increase expenditure of express coach is a fraction of that amount. 47

48 PART THREE: GOVERNMENT POLICIES REQUIRED Government and DfT to recognise need for and develop a coach strategy. Coachway interchanges at major motorway and trunk road junctions. Orbital coach services around M25, Manchester, Birmingham. Coach priority in congestion. Encourage Local Hubs for gathering express coach passengers. Fair pricing and investment policy for coaches in relation to rail and cars. 0.2 to 2 billion investment over five years. 48

49 Government, DfT and HA must recognise the need for and develop a coach strategy At present: 1. No data (collection of journeys ended 1990/1 at 619 million, collection of distance travelled ended 2004/5) 2. No strategy, papers, research, policy. 3. No acknowledgement of coachʼs role in addressing CO 2 and peak oil. 4. No personnel or presence in DfT. 5. The very few discussions of issues around coaches that have existed have been quietly dropped (e.g. ORBIT) 49

50 Express coach needs coachway interchanges Coachway interchanges allowing fast transfer from coach to coach and coach to bus/shuttle services are required. These should have flat entry and exit, toilets, cafe etc and must be close to, or on the motorway or trunk road network. Access should be unimpaired by car traffic. 50

51 Cost of low compared to other road schemes Coachway interchanges are likely to cost in the region of 1-2 million each, making a total of 20-30m for interchanges along the length of the M1 motorway. The cost for interchanges on the Birmingham orbital (M42/M5/M6 loop) would be circa 15-20m. 51

52 The system requires frequent services thereby guarantee fast transfers and high capacity. 52

53 Three key orbitals are required: London (M25), Birmingham (M42/M5/ M6) and Manchester (M60) A necklace of coachway interchanges to pick up radial coach routes and links to local hubs Gathering people from outer conurbations to begin inter-city journeys Allowing fast movement round conurbations 53

54 The M25 orbital coachway M25 Orbital Coach System was strongly recommended in the 2002 Multi-Modal study of the South-East but was dismissed by the then Secretary of State for Transport 54

55 Priority for express coach, initially hard shoulder running, then coach lanes Stage one: hard shoulder running at reduced speeds in congested traffic. Stage two: Coach lanes carrying up to 35,000 + an hour 55

56 Express coach needs a level playing field Public money should be invested in express coach as well as in rail and for private motorists If 10% of the rail subsidy was transferred to express coach it would revolutionise the sector. 56

57 A Practical Goal In the UK we travel 250 billion car miles annually. At 1.6 normal occupancy that is 400 billion passenger miles. Coaches operating at normal levels of 150,000 miles a year and occupancy of 30, carry people on 4.5 million passenger miles a year. A fast frequent interlinked fleet of 10,000 coaches more than picks up a tenth of all car mileage and cuts its CO2 emissions by 90%. 10,000 coaches cost 2.5 billion, one penny a passenger mile. They bring instant revenue. 57

58 First steps 1. The Department of Transport should urgently develop and publish a national strategy for an effective express coach transport system and infrastructure. 2. A commons debate on express coach transport. 3. Parliament to produce a briefing paper for MPs and other interested parties on the potential of express coach Also 1. The phase 'bus and coach' should be banned. These are distinct modes using different vehicles for different purposes. Express coach should be aggregated with rail if anything as ʻexpress coach and railʼ. 2. National Statistics should restart collecting key information for express coach. 3. The Highways Agency should focus on moving people rather than private cars Finally Thank you for the invitation. We would like to stay in touch with and have a progress meeting in 6-12 months time. 58

59 Cars to Coaches Creating a national coachway system Alan Storkey Transport economist John Austin Austin Analytics Mike Lambden National Express Peter Miller ITO World Ltd More information available on 59