flexible transport a new generation of user friendly public transport for areas of low demand public...
TRANSCRIPT
Flexible TransportA new generation of user
friendly public transport for areas of low demand
Public transport in regional and rural areasTuesday 26th June 2007
Structure of Presentation
Flexible Transport Services (FTS) – the concept
European Experience Case Study: FTS in Tyne and Wear Providing FTS Other showcase research Monitoring performance -the role of
benchmarking in achieving quality/efficiency FTS - Where next?
Flexible Transport Services
The Concept
The concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
Flexible Transport Services (FTS)
FTS are public transport services which cover a broad range of mobility products - usually operated by moderate and/or small capacity vehicles.
Differentiating factor….One or more dimensions of the service can be adjusted to meet the actual needs of the user
Components of a public transport service
RouteVehicleOperatorPassengerPaymentSo the provision of a service is a complex activity
Increasing flexibility…
Fixed months in advance
Vehicle
Operator
Route Fixed up to 1 hour before trip
Increasing flexibility
Commercial Competitive tender Selected 1 hour before trip
Long periods of availabilityLimited periods of availability
1 type Many types
Payment Pay on vehicle Season ticket Smart card
Special transport servicesPassenger No restrictionsGeneral public only
DRT as the leading form of FTS
General use services Local and feeder services to trunk haul services Replacing low-frequency conventional services Replacing fixed routes in evening or weekends Dedicated/special services, restricted to certain
users Services in low-density rural areas Efficiencies in social mobility resources Niche urban markets Fuzzy line between small bus and big taxi
Evolution of FTS
One service providerOne Agency (TDC)
“Dial-a-ride” Manual booking and assignmentPrevious day (or earlier) booking most likely
One service providerOne Agency (TDC)
ITS supported servicesOn-day booking likely
Multiple service providersOne Agency (TDC)
ITS supported servicesOn-day booking likely
Multiple service providersMultiple Agencies optimise across modes & services
ITS supported services: On-day booking likely
BasicBasic
Expanded and Expanded and Mature AgencyMature Agency
StandaloneStandalone
Interacting Interacting AgenciesAgencies
Breakthrough in ITS technology
Breakthrough in B2B/B2C platform
Breakthrough in Business Model/transport organisation
Proven
Proven
Proven
Emerging
Multiple Agency – FAMS project
VEHICLE PROVIDERS,TRANSPORT OPERATORS
WWW
USER GROUPS / ASSOCIATIONS
DROP-OFFPOINT
SERVICE NETWORK
B2C Services B2B Services
Virtual Enterprise
• resource availability• trip orders• travel plans• payments• ...
REAL-TIME DATA EXCHANGE
(GSM / GPRS)
• booking & reservations• service information• ...
DRT Planning& Operation
Services
Flexible Agency for Intermediate Mobility
Services
PICK-UPPOINT
European Experience
The concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
European Experience
Throughout Europe, a wide range of FTS have now been established, including: Services for general use in rural areas. Services for general use in periurban and
suburban areas. Dedicated services for users who face
difficulties using regular public transport. Replacement of fixed-line services at low
demand periods.
Current practice in Europe by scale – mid 2006
Open DRT (for general public use)
DRT for people with special needs
Large scale DRT service providers (>1 M trips/yr)
Netherlands (1) – integrated with special needs, about 50/50
Finland (1), Netherlands (1)Sweden (4), UK (3)
Many ( >10 ) FTS schemes
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, UK
Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway Sweden, UK
Some individual FTS schemes
Austria, Ireland, Switzerland Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy
Little or no FTS Czech, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia
Austria, Czech, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta ,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Only Finland has an emerging national framework for DRT
EU Sunrise project : demonstration sites
Car pooling
serving an area with low demand
serving people with disabilities
Serving rural area with low demand
Extending existing DRT
Integrate DRT into urban network
Other EU projects
SAMPO/SAMPLUS – early demonstrations of standalone services
E-drul – applying DRT principles to city logistics
EMIRES – linking job opportunities to public transport provision
Case Study
Flexible Transport Service Development in Tyne and Wear, UK
The concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
Tyne and Wear
An example of the evolution of multiple agencies working together in a single TDC
An example of integration of Flexible Services with Urban routes Other conventional or subsidised
services
Evolution: the example of Tyne and Wear
5 local authorities forming a connurbation of 540 square km
Socio-economic characteristics Population 1.07 m but declining Low levels of income/ Poor health Low but rapidly increasing car ownership
42% of households have no car in Tyne and Wear 27.5% of households have no car nationally
Heavy industry replaced by service industry Flexible shift patterns Out of town business parks
Tyne and Wear: transport provision
Role of Nexus: Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) Plan strategies and schemes/ Promote public
transport Procure non commercial services Provide, manage and operate Metro and ferry Provide special transport services
Characteristics of transport provision Commercial operators on heavily used
corridors PTEs secure unprofitable services ….
evenings and weekends
Tyne and Wear: Development of FTS
Experience since 1960s of dial-a-ride (Care Service) transport services Residents who cannot use conventional
public transport/Multiple trip purposes permitted
Basic scheduling software Bus booked 24 hours in advance via
Call Centre Nexus owns and operates vehicles
Tyne and Wear: Development of FTS (cont)
U Call: Urban Bus Challenge Government Funding (from 2002) No user restrictions/ Semi-fixed routes Trapeze telematics-based booking and
scheduling system On-board Mobile Data Terminals Bus booked up to 30 minutes in
advance 4 dedicated low floor vehicles – owned
by Nexus, competitive tender for operation
Tyne and Wear: Development of FTS (cont)
Combined TDC and Traveline Call Centre Additional Nexus services
Dial-a-ride added to Call centre Rural Bus Challenge U Call … same provision
as Urban Link to business parks Taxibus service booked through transport
operator New clients
Scheduling services for other statutory authorities
Beginnings of Regional Call Centre?
NexusNexusCare Services: Tyne & Wear Fully flexible – Bus Disabled and Elderly
Northumberland Co CouncilNorthumberland Co CouncilShilbottle Taxibus Semi-fixed – TaxiNo restriction
NexusNexusU Call: Outer West Newcastle Semi-fixed – Bus No restriction
NexusNexusU Call: Western GatesheadSemi-fixed – Bus No restriction
NexusNexusU Call: Sunderland Semi-fixed – Bus No restriction
NexusNexusU Cab: South TynesideFully flexible – Taxi No restriction
Tyne and Wear: Development of FTS (cont)
Patient Transport ServicesPatient Transport ServicesSunderland HospitalFully flexible – BusRenal dialysis patients
North Tyneside Council North Tyneside Council Adult ServicesAdult ServicesNorth Tyneside Fully flexible – Bus Adult learning disability
Special Needs Education Special Needs Education Services Services Tyne and Wear (scheduling)Fully flexible – Bus Special needs education
Durham County CouncilDurham County CouncilCross border Semi-fixed – BusNo restriction
TDC at NexusTDC at Nexus
Nexus financed service Non Nexus financed service
Age ConcernAge ConcernNewcastle Fully flexible – BusElderly
Tyne and Wear – Route 19
Against a background of declining public transport use
Success of flexible service linking business park north of river to workers in south of river (via Ferry) Service started as FTS Patronage grew as part of aggressive
travel planning in business park Now a regular service
UK: Viability of DRT
Many DRT services require subsidy to meet gap between
Revenues – Costs Authorities need arguments to justify a
Cost and Benefit Comparison Many benefits not yet quantified:
User benefits (although this is progressing)
Non-user benefits
Providing Flexible Transport Services
User Needs
Technologies
Service Design
Marketing and Promotion – in particular awareness raising
Longer term strategies – multiple services and partnerships
The concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
A Flexible Transport Service
Is the provision of a public transport trip in the same way as a conventional public transport journey provides trips for its passengers
BUT Flexibility introduces elements that
May not be used in a conventional service
May have greater/less importance in the provision of a flexible transport service
User Needs
User Needs
Essential in the planning of the service
Works best as a ‘bottom up’ approach
Flexibility of booking method
Flexibility of route
Flexibility of pre-booking period
Methodologies for establishing user needs
Informal Historical knowledge Ad hoc feedback
Formal Semi-structured interviews Surveys (on-street, on-vehicles,
household) Public meetings / Focus Groups Web based information
Technologies
Use of technologies
Source: Brake et al (2006)
Implications of choice
Can have an implication for costs (eg IVRS can give staff cost savings at TDC)
Institutional factors may have implications for eg multiple agency working
Using technology in fare collection eg smart cards can provide for fairer distribution between operators and authorities (if involved)
Interoperability is improved when using compatible equipment eg ITSO compliant
Service Design
Service Route Concepts
Exa
mp
les
Source: Brake et al (2006)
Awareness Raising
Awareness Raising
The more flexible a service becomes the less visible it is to the end user.
Conventional marketing techniques need to be supplemented by aggressive marketing of the FTS product.
Who and how to inform
Most marketing at present is aimed at direct users. With FTS better to both: Target potential users directly Target organisations that can identify potential
direct users
Different approaches are needed at different stages in service development Before need to explain the character of the service After starting users need motivation to continue
whilst carefully targeting new ones
Examples of posters
Longer term solutions
Managing multiple services
andPartnerships
Decisions for long-term sustainability
Level of Level of telematics telematics
Level of Level of telematics telematics
Management
resources
Management
resourcesExit strategyExit strategyExit strategyExit strategy
Centralised or Dispersed management?
Centralised or Dispersed management?
Geographical aspects
Organisational aspects
Partnerships
Not all transport services are fully utilised
Sharing capacity can bring overall savings in many different elements Dispatching costs Purchasing and operation of vehicles
Revenues need not be affected so with lower costs services become more viable
Partnership: a Good but Impossible Idea?
Managing multiple services shows how resources can be shared
Sharing on a wider basis means Management sharing Sharing of dispatching Brokerage of vehicles
Establishing common pool of resources – not ‘mine’ or ‘yours’ but ‘ours’. Savings then belong to partnership not ‘my budget’ or ‘your budget’
Recognising that governance issues are all important and will need hard work to resolve
Benefits of Partnerships
Partnerships offer the opportunity to ‘share’ thus reducing both avoidable and non-avoidable costs
Partnerships offer real long run savings
Can be used to make better services
OR maintain more marginal services
1. CONNECT project – free access web based portal with information and training packages
2. UK Good Practice Guide
Other ResourcesThe concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
CONNECT Project www.flexibletransport.org
Main activities of CONNECT (CONcepts for NEw Collective Transport)
Web-based Knowledge Base / Virtual Library
Development of skills and training Guidelines and recommendations for
supporting business development User Communities Workshops Training modules available for
download and to be rolled out across UK
Connect Portal
Training Modules
Module A: Systems and operations for FCMS
Module B: Technologies for FCMS Module C: Vehicles and vehicle
technologies Module D: Impacts of FCMS Module E: Business development Module F: Best Practices
UK Good Practice Guide
Web downloadable from www.ceg.ncl.ac.uk/research/transport/projects/goodpractice.htm
Designed to assist in the provision of telematics based FTS
To demonstrate role of DRT to citizen mobility within budgetary constraints
Contains practical experience and a series of ‘Be aware of….’
A mixture of experience dissemination and innovation
UK: Good Practice Guide
Sections on: The concept Economic framework Technologies Service Design Managing multiple
services Marketing/Promotion Partnerships – the
future
UK: Good Practice Guide - innovations
Economic Framework Discussion of viability Introduction to economic decision making
based on avoidable cost – ‘those costs which can properly be attributed to a service and are outlays which are avoided if the service is withdrawn’
The relationship between revenues and fares
Issues about costs and how services are procured – including the role of risk
Monitoring Performance
The concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
Monitoring Performance and Quality/Efficiency
Travel Dispatch Performance Multiple services dispatched can
reduce unit cost but lack of local knowledge can be a problem
Driver performance Critical in achieving customer
satisfaction Passengers
Call Centre Staff
Drivers
Monitoring Performance and Quality/Efficiency
Vehicle performance ‘one size fits all’ OR Vehicle brokerage
Route performance Passengers carried, number of users
Approach to publicity
Monitoring Performance and Quality/Efficiency - cont
Customer attitudesHigh satisfaction but little modal shiftDifficulties in understanding FTS
BUTCustomer attitudes difficult to
measure as they are experienced in ‘bundles’ of quality
The role of benchmarking – the benchmarking cycle
ANALYSIS1. Data analysed2. Benchmark established3. Gap between practice and
benchmark identified4. Establish causal differences in
performance5. Set targets for improvement
ACTION1. Communicate need for
change2. Development of plan3. Implementation of
plan4. Review progress
PLANNING1. Select process and identify
potential partners2. Identify data3. Devise data collection
method
ANALYSIS1. Data analysed2. Benchmark established3. Gap between practice and
benchmark identified4. Establish causal differences in
performance5. Set targets for improvement
ACTION1. Communicate need for
change2. Development of plan3. Implementation of
plan4. Review progress
PLANNING1. Select process and identify
potential partners2. Identify data3. Devise data collection
method
Where next?
The concept
European Experience
Case Study
Providing FTS
Other resources
Monitoring performance
Where next?
FTS – the future
Vehicle brokerage between authorities and agencies to reap economies of scale Scheduling and booking system used to get most
appropriate vehicle for journey requested Find commercial niches
At employment shift changeover Evenings and weekends
Education Leisure and retail
Convert low demand fixed services to DRT – either by geographical area or by time of day
Identifying potential passengers
Who are they? How do they use transport now? Where is it difficult to reach? Why is it difficult to reach these
places/activities? Would they change to public transport if it
were more appropriate? Acceptance of new forms of public
transport Acceptance of public transport
constraints Safety and security
Service Design
Service Design is a critical stage ideally developed with stakeholders the travelling public bus (and other) operators the local authority, and the dispatch centre manager
There needs to be: A willingness for key actors to be flexible Comprehensive user requirements
undertaken Awareness of the constraints involved
(space, time, type of vehicle, payment method)
Sunrise: Florence and Bratislava
Firenze: feasibility study to extend current DRT service to the hotels of the metropolitan area of Florence to service an area where a major hospital of the area is located.
Bratislava: feasibility study to integrate DRT
in poor serviced urban areas with the traditional fixed network of public transport.