Bus Regulation (Scotland) Bill

Consultation by Iain Gray MSP

October 2013
Introduction
The Scottish Women's Convention (SWC) is funded to engage with women throughout
Scotland in order that their views might influence public policy.
The SWC uses the views of women to respond to Scottish and UK Government consultation
papers.

SWC Evidence Source

The Scottish Womens Convention engages with women using numerous communication
channels including Roadshow events, Thematic Conferences and regional contact groups.
This submission paper provides the views of women and reflects their opinions and
experiences in a number of key areas relevant to transport in Scotland.

Purpose of the Consultation

The proposed Bill aims to give transport authorities greater control over bus services in their
area. Using these powers, transport authorities would be able to:
Bundle profitable and non-profitable routes and franchise them as a package.
Set a minimum level of service within the franchise, agreed with the operator.
Use local authority fleets to provide socially useful services where there are gaps in
provision.
The Bill will also include new powers for the Traffic Commissioner to impose financial
penalties on operators who do not meet the terms of franchises. Transport authorities will also
be able to seek redress for the cost of retendering routes where operators have walked away
from franchise agreements.
The Bill would provide scope for transport authorities to run services how they see fit.
Flexibility is important as each authority will have different public transport needs.
Question 1: Do you support the general aim of the proposed Bill? Please indicate
yes/no/undecided and explain the reasons for your response.
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YES
The proposed legislation will have a significant impact on women. Bus services have been
discussed at SWC events throughout the country and poor public transport is one of the
biggest barriers to women taking up opportunities in education and employment.
Women are more likely than men to use trains and buses in particular. At present, services in
many parts of the country are patchy and inconsistent and can be very expensive. Improved
bus services would ensure that women have better access to education, employment,
childcare, shopping and leisure activities.
The SWC strongly agrees with proposals put forward in the consultation. Both bundling
profitable and non-profitable routes together and providing minimum service levels would be
extremely beneficial to women.
Routes and Timetables
It is vital that all areas of the country are provided with at least a minimum level of service.
Timetables are often unreliable, inflexible and downright impractical. Women have
commented that bus services often restrict their ability to sustain economic and social
activities. A lack of provision, as well as joined up timetabling, often results in women
experiencing stress, considerable travel times or isolation.
Accessing employment and education in poorly serviced areas can be difficult for women.
This, coupled with a severe lack of accessible, affordable and appropriate childcare, can
restrict a womans ability to fully integrate with learning, training and work opportunities.
Safety
There are often gaps in waiting times for buses which do not run frequently, resulting in users
having to hang about until the next bus comes. Not all bus stops have shelters or adequate
street lighting, which can pose real safety risks for women. Many are also quite a distance
away from peoples homes.
I very rarely use the bus because I have to walk more than a mile in either direction to get to
the bus stop and the streets are quiet and not particularly well lit. I would definitely not use
buses, especially at night, as I wouldnt feel safe.
Rural Scotland
The proposed legislation would be of particular advantage outwith main towns and cities,
where buses often run to suit tourists or in line with the school day. Similarly, many bus routes
run to limited timetables in the evenings and at weekends and in some cases there are no
services at all during these times. This timetabling does not fully serve the needs of local
communities.

Women in rural areas understand that it is not possible to run the same level of service as is
available in urban areas. However for many, more than one service per day would be an
improvement on what they have at the moment.
Bus companies need to realise that just because a route isnt profitable, doesnt mean its
not important or well used. Just because we live a bit further out of a town doesnt mean we
should be punished with limited services.
Patient Transport
Bus companies need to understand that people use public transport for specific purposes. As
services are becoming more and more centralised, people have to travel further to get to, for
example, hospital appointments. Patient transport is not always available, meaning that many
have to travel long distances and often have to take more than one bus to get to their
destination. Attending early morning appointments is often impossible, as there is no way of
getting to a hospital in a centralised area from a more rural part of the country.
Fares
The inclusion of a fares agreement within the minimum service level is extremely important.
Public transport is expensive and in some areas restrictively so. The high cost of travelling by
bus severely restricts womens ability to undertake education, employment and social
activities. This is particularly the case in rural areas. It is difficult for families on low incomes to
use the bus, particularly if they have more than one child. Very few companies offer off peak
tickets and different companies often charge different rates for the same bus route.
Buses should offer similar types of tickets as trains do whether its off peak or free child
places with a paying adult at the weekends. Charging a little less would mean more people
using the service.
In some parts of the country, it is cheaper and easier to use the train. This is often due to poor
bus timetables and the high cost of fares. At the weekends, for example, children can travel
for free on the train with a paying adult. If bus companies offered this type of ticket, families
may be more inclined to travel this way. Similarly for many, owning or having access to a car
is the only option.
I would prefer to use public transport but its just not feasible where I live. Its a bit of a
Catch-22 situation living in a rural area means the cost of owning a car is high because of
the cost of fuel and insurance, but there is simply not sufficient public transport to make that a
reality. If more than four people are travelling somewhere its actually cheaper to take a taxi.

Question 2: What would be the main practical advantages of the legislation proposed?
What would be the disadvantages?
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Overall, the most practical advantage of the proposed legislation would be that improved bus
routes and timetables would mean that more people would be able to make use of the
services. Better public transport, at an affordable rate, would open up many opportunities for
women with regards to education and employment.

Question 4: How can community transport be better utilised to serve local

communities and particularly low passenger volume routes?
Where available, Community Transport is a valued resource, particularly in rural areas.
One of the main problems with this type of service, however, is that if it is not considered
good value for money then funding is reduced or removed. Realising the value of these
services to local people as well as ensuring adequate funding and support would be a positive
step.
Post Office buses, which are no longer in use, were well-used and greatly valued. On Skye,
for example, they allowed people to travel to parts of the island not accessible to public
transport, as well as delivering shopping to people in more remote areas. Their removal had a
detrimental impact on rural communities, with the decision being made without consultation or
understanding of the consequences.
It was a lifeline. This kind of service is a big thing in a small community like this.
Similarly on Skye a transport initiative, whereby if a person lived within 20 miles of Portree a
bus would pick them up and take them into the town, was also a valued service. The
geography of the island, however, meant that it was very expensive to run and as a result it
folded.
In bigger towns and cities, there are services such as Dial-A-Bus and My-Bus. These are
not, however, always available.
I know of elderly neighbours who have used the service but have had to wait well over half
an hour for the bus to come back for them. This seems to defeat its purpose.
Car share schemes are available in some areas, however there can be issues with regards to
insurance, car servicing etc. For many volunteer drivers, providing this service is seen as
more hassle than its worth.

Question 7: Is the proposed Bill likely to have any substantial positive or negative
implications for equality? If it is likely to have a substantial negative implication, how
might this be minimised or avoided?
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The proposed legislation will undoubtedly have a positive impact on women, who use public
transport more than men. The reasons for this are outlined under the response to the
questions above.

For further information, please contact

Lorna Kettles, SWC Research Advisor
Email lorna.kettles@scottishwomensconvention.org
Telephone 0141 339 4797
www.scottishwomensconvention.org