Bus
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Bus Services Act Open data and accessible information
Policy futures for urban transport
The latest edition of Policy futures for urban transport emphasises how a new deal on funding and powers is essential to keep the UK's cities moving forward.
The report sets out the 10 key policy changes that are needed to make cities healthier, fairer and more prosperous.
These include further devolution of rail services; greater funding for buses; reform of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle legislation; an ambitious strategy to encourage more cycling and walking; a long term investment plan for urban rail services; and a visionary national policy framework on air quality.
Briefing on Bus Rapid Transit
Number crunch: Transport trends in the city regions
Our report, Number crunch: Transport trends in the city regions, identifies some of the most defining patterns of the past decade (and projected future trends) that are changing the face of the UK’s city regions, and the way that people travel within them.
Ageing urban populations, rapid bus passenger decline and huge growth in private hire vehicles are just some of the dramatic shifts taking place in UK cities.
The report draws on data from our unique, free and interactive online tool ‘Data Hub’, which allows users to generate bespoke analysis, graphics and charts of transport, economic and population data.
TSC inquiry into Mobility as a Service
Policy Futures
Policy futures for urban transport sets out how, with more focused governance in place, the city regions are delivering major investment programmes including on public transport, highways and active travel, and smart ticketing. The report says that - with the right national policy framework - further and faster progress can be made, including:
- ensuring that the benefits of transformative technological change are maximised including new ways of paying for access to transport, connected and autonomous vehicles and data;
- that barriers between different sectors are broken down so that the benefits that transport can bring to achieving wider policy goals - in areas like health, employment and education - are fully realised.
The Scandinavian way to better public transport
‘The Scandinavian Way to Better Public Transport’ shows how transport authorities in three Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) are using devolved powers to transform public transport for the better - and sets out the lessons that the UK could learn.
Bus Services Bill guidance
Total Transport: a better approach to commissioning non-emergency patient transport?
‘Total Transport’ schemes pool resources and vehicle fleets from across the public sector which are currently used to provide separate mainstream, social services, education and healthcare transport provision. Through pooling and coordination a better overall service can be provided at less cost to the taxpayer. However, it is proving challenging to get NHS non emergency patient transport services to participate in such schemes despite the major savings that could accrue from doing so. This briefing explains the scale of the potential opportunity from Total Transport schemes which include the NHS.
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Young people and bus travel briefing
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Ticket to Thrive: The role of urban public transport in tackling unemployment
This report reveals the vital role of public transport, and the bus in particular, in enabling people to find and sustain employment. Some 77% of jobseekers in British cities outside London do not have regular access to a car, van or motorbike and can face significant barriers to work as a result. The report finds that these barriers include expensive public transport tickets; poorly connected employment sites; mismatches between working hours and available transport; and limited travel horizons. It recommends seven key policies that could help overcome these obstacles, including: a new funding deal to enable local councils to protect lifeline bus services and connect people to opportunity; more effective powers over bus services for local transport authorities, offering them greater control over where and when buses run and the affordability of fares; a review of the potential for an adequately funded national jobseeker and apprentice travel concession.
Oxford SmartZone
In 2011, the two main bus operators in the city of Oxford introduced an inter-operable smart ticketing system known as the SmartZone. Meanwhile, many other parts of the country have faced significant challenges in attempting to introduce inter-operable smart ticketing in deregulated bus markets. The Oxford system has therefore attracted considerable attention and it has been suggested that it could offer valuable lessons for other areas. This paper explains the context within which the scheme was developed and describes the key features of bus ticketing in the city of Oxford and in its wider travel to work area. The paper then compares the Oxford system with the aspirations of Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs).
Air Quality in the City Regions: A Transport Toolkit
Aimed at city region authorities, this toolkit provides an accessible overview of the issues and options for tackling air pollution associated with transport.
Making the connections: The cross-sector benefits of supporting bus services
The bus is key to achieving 46 policy goals of 12 of the 24 Departments across Whitehall including the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, Department of Health, Department for Education and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This report shows how, despite these cross sector benefits, all the main forms of funding for bus services are under severe pressure and sets out how bus funding can be reformed.
Bus priority works for business, shops, communities and growth
This brochure and website sets out how well planned bus priority schemes can transform roads and high streets; make walking and cycling safer; create clearer parking and drop off spaces; and reduce congestion for all road users.
Bus Punctuality - towards a structure that can deliver
This report explains how the national system for monitoring, improving, and enforcing bus punctuality is supposed to work now, why it doesn't work well, and how it could be reformed.
Changing Highways Policy
This report to pteg by Atkins focuses on the most important recent and forthcoming changes to highways policy and the implications of these for Metropolitan areas, including in respect of air quality, carbon emissions, technology, the Strategic Road Network, road maintenance, road safety, planning, freight, management of road space and parking policy.
LSTF Monitoring and Evaluation Guidance - Final Report
Building on the work of the Department for Transport, pteg commissioned AECOM to prepare additional guidance for PTEs and other Local Transport Authorities to assist in the monitoring and evaluation of Local Sustainable Transport Fund projects. The guidance provides a practical approach to developing cost effective and affordable monitoring and evaluation programmes.
The Case for the Urban Bus - the economic and social benefits of investing in the urban bus
A detailed evaluation of the economic and social benefits of investing in the urban bus.
Moving on: Working towards a better public transport offer for young people in tough times
Aims to get local transport authorities thinking about how they can provide the best deal for young people on public transport in a difficult economic climate.
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Passenger transport in isolated communities
Work of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency
Integrated Public Transport Committee Inquiry
Bus Subsidy Reform Consultation
EU Bus Passenger Rights
High Hurdles on QCs
Competition in the local bus market
Competition Commission addendum on geographic market segmentation and operator conduct
Bus Market Investigation - pteg response to provisional decision on remedies
Directive 2003/20/EC - Use of seatbelts and child restraints by child passengers on buses and coaches
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‘Transit oriented development’ can help meet housing demand and reduce car-based urban sprawl, says report
- Report sets out five point plan to realise more building developments based around sustainable, public transport and active travel
Leading urban transport data tool relaunches with expansive range of new statistics
- Refreshed Data Hub expands ability to ‘select, visualise and share’ key transport data
Transport crucial to achieving Government’s ‘Prevention is better than cure’ vision
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s ‘Prevention is better than cure’ vision, whilst also highlighting th
Transport key to ‘putting towns back on the map’, says report
Transport has a key role to play in helping the UK’s post-industrial towns to thrive – putting them firmly back on the map, a report by the Urban Transport Group finds today.
Urban Transport Group sets out concerns over new Scottish buses legislation
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the intent of new legislation to reform bus services in Scotland but has warned that changes need to be made if the legislation is to be workable in practice.
New deal on funding and powers essential to keep cities moving forward, stresses Urban Transport Group
Further devolution of rail services, greater funding for buses and reform of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle legislation – these are just three parts of a new deal on funding and powers that is required to keep the UK’s cities moving forward.
Bus partnership website relaunched
Website aims to prevent ‘wheel reinvention’ on partnership agreements
Dramatic shifts in transport trends of UK cities, revealed in new report
Ageing urban populations, rapid bus passenger decline and huge growth in private hire vehicles are just some of the dramatic shifts taking place in UK cities, a new report from the Urban Transport Group reveals today.
Urban Transport Group responds to ‘deeply worrying’ bus figures
The Urban Transport Group has today responded to the latest statistics on bus patronage released by the Department for Transport.