Express Bus and Coach Study

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Express Bus and Coach Study

• South East Regional Bus Summit
• 11 November 2003

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Express Bus and Coach Study

• Phase 1 Initial Study
• Background to the Study
• Review of Existing Situation
• What Makes a Successful Service ?
• Express Bus and Coach Strategy
• Phase 2 Additional Work
• Demand Forecasting
• Potential for Development

3
Background to the Study

• Study commissioned by GOSE and SEERA
• To research into the framework for improving
  network of express buses and scheduled coaches in
  S.E.
• Building upon work identified through the
  developing MMS
• South Coast (SoCoMMS)
• Orbit MMS
• Thames Valley (TVMMS)
• South West (SWARMMS)
• London to South Midlands (LSMMMS)
• Assist with delivery of SEERAs draft RTS

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Multi-Modal Study Proposals

• Orbit MMS
• Two high frequency orbital bus/coach services
  connecting with suburban rail stations,
  eliminating need to travel into/out of London
• Additional radial coach routes serving areas with
  poor network
• Competitive pricing (funded from RUC revenue)
• Priority measures (entry/exit slip roads and
  local network)
• Setting up a new strategic authority
• Thames Valley MMS
• Consolidation services on a number of key routes
• Connector services feeding into a number of hubs
• Strategic park ride and demand responsive
  transport (DRT)
• South West MMS
• Enhanced service along M4 corridor
• Increased Services linking Heathrow to London and
  South West
• Enhance quality of interchanges and improving
  priority

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Review of Existing Situation

• Coach Service Network
• Types of service (commuter / other scheduled
  services)
• Frequencies
• Rail Service Network
• Policy Framework
• Integrated Transport White Paper
• Draft RTS / LTPs / MMS
• Legislative Framework
• Existing Legislation
• Operations Regulation
• Subsidy / Funding

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Coach Service Network
Existing Network of Coach Routes in South East
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Coach Service Network
Commuter Coach Routes Focus On London
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Coach Service Network
Other Scheduled Coach Routes
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Coach Service Network
Frequency of Morning Peak Services
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Coach Service Network
Frequency of Off-Peak Services
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Rail Lines in South East
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Rail / Coach Comparison
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Rail / Coach Comparison
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What Makes A Successful Service ?

• Demand has to exist
• Frequency
• Reliability (Journey Time / Interchange)
• Fares and Ticketing
• Quality (Vehicles / Interchange)
• Good Practice Case Studies
• National Express
• London Oxford Coach Services
• Green Line

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Express Bus and Coach Strategy

• Recommendations criteria for developing the
  network
• 1. Build upon existing express coach network to
  develop a hub and spoke network in the South
  East through
• Improvements in the quality of existing
  interchanges
• The introduction of a number of new, high quality
  interchanges at locations identified in the draft
  RTS
• The application of best practice at new and
  improved interchange points
• Increasing the number of journeys which can be
  undertaken without travelling through London
• The introduction of services which fill any
  identified gaps in the existing network
• Enhancing service frequencies on existing
  bus/coach routes
• Enhancing existing routes to serve significant
  urban areas along the route, through coachways
  or town/city centre interchanges and
• Redressing the balance of services between west
  (comprehensive orbital routes) and east (more
  radial service pattern).

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Express Bus and Coach Strategy

• 2. Encourage greater use of an enhanced express
  bus/coach network through
• Improvements to the quality of express bus/coach
  network including vehicles, customer service,
  infrastructure and the balance between journey
  time and reliability
• The introduction of extensive bus and coach
  priority measures to minimise the time penalty of
  travelling by coach compared to the private car
• Improve access to the network through the
  introduction of strategic park ride sites,
  improvements to local bus service networks
  serving interchanges and more innovative measures
  such as demand responsive transport
• The introduction of a pricing mechanism designed
  to make coach travel competitive by either
  reducing the cost of coach travel or increasing
  the cost of travelling by the private car and
• Marketing the express bus/coach network as a
  single network which is competitive with the
  private car.

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Express Bus and Coach Strategy

• HUBS Most Important Interchange Points
  Considered to be
• Oxford
• Reading
• Southampton
• Gatwick
• Brighton
• Ebbsfleet
• Milton Keynes
• Ashford and
• Heathrow.

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Assessments of Need

• Development of A Simple Gravity Model
  (Population/Distance).
• A tool for estimating demand between settlements
  based on their population and the distance
  between them.
• Limitations include
• No account of the deterrent factors of congestion
  and cost
• The potential demand derived from populations
  does not grow as fast as their simple product
  and
• Certain attractors and generators, for example
  airports and ferry terminals will need weighting.
  
• Service Development Framework applied to
  potential routes highlighted by the Gravity
  Model.
• An assessment tool to consider the potential for
  a route based on factors which might influence
  demand.

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Additional Work

• Commissioned by SEERA.
• Involves
• Modifying as necessary the original gravity
  model.
• Prioritising routes with potential for express
  bus and coach services using the gravity model
  and the service development framework.
• Analysing routes in free flowing and congested
  conditions to consider the effects on potential
  demand.

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Methodology

• Concentrated on movements within the South East
  region.
• Prioritisation of potential routes using gravity
  model.
• Modified to use journey time between settlements
  rather than distance.
• Further analysis of potential routes.
• Service Development Framework
• Existing public transport (express bus/coach,
  local bus and rail)
• Existing demand along the route (private
  transport)

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Potential Express Bus and Coach Routes
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Highway Demand
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Success Factors

• Complementing the existing network
• Filling gaps in the existing coach, and in some
  cases rail, networks where highway demand exists.
  
• Providing opportunities to interchange with other
  coach services, local bus and rail at regional
  hubs.
• Increasing travel opportunities without the need
  to interchange in London.
• Serving attractors
• Heathrow and Gatwick airports, Ashford
  International station and Southampton Dover
  ports.
• Serving economic growth areas
• Ashford, Milton Keynes and Ebbsfleet.