Gary Nolan

Managing Director Stagecoach East Midlands

The Role of Transport in Beating the Recession- Access to Employment and Training

Runs 530 buses, and employs 1457 people

Head office in Lincoln at Deacon Road

8 depots in Lincoln, Grimsby, Hull, Mansfield, Worksop, Scunthorpe, Gainsborough and Skegness. In Newark we share with another Operator.

Rural, Urban, City and Interurban Operations

We carry 53.7 million passengers a year over 22.6 million miles

Our annual turnover is over £58.6million

Access to Employment and Training- The Key Ingredients

Network

Frequency

Partnership

Integration and Connection

Information

Funding

Where have all the Works Services Gone?

Bus Services were vital for many as the mode to travel to work

Car ownership and usage has increased Employment is more scattered Bus usage has declined Networks have been concentrated

It’s not so much the recession. Society is to blame?

Our lives have changed significantly over the last 20 years Higher car ownership, particularly

women The introduction of IT has seen more

working from home Employment legislation provides more

leave and holidays Local jobs are more scarce

Network – Getting About!

Before Major Industries Large Employers Concentrated workplaces Regular shift patterns

Network – Getting About!

Now Small enterprises Smaller workforces Scattered locations Flexible working Longer commutes

Frequency

As employment becomes scattered our task in serving them is harder.

Flexible working times increase the demands on our timetables and customer needs. “I want a bus to suit my times”

As commutes get longer, services are less frequent

Working With Our Partners

Local Authorities and Bus Operators have a common aim – improve access to employment

Some successes with improved links to employment

Access for all not just workers Not “slash and burn” . We need a

network when the recession ends

Airport Lynx

Introduced May 2007 with new Low floor buses

Integrated into our existing network Nottinghamshire County Council subsidy

and capital funding put to good use Aimed at providing links to employment

at Airport and adjacent Business Park

Integration and Connectivity

Most people are not aware of our services let alone our network

We offer Travel plan service with bespoke timetable and show connections at our Travel Shop in Worksop

Need to raise awareness and have employer buy-in

Avoids unnecessary duplication Good Interchange points – e.g. Retford

Information

Most people don’t know what we run

Is this our fault?

Jointly we produce:

Good Quality Leaflets and maps

Excellent Roadside stop publicity

TraveLine phone, web and SMS InfoPoints at key locations Joint promotion of services and

those of other operators

Funding

Most of our services operate on a commercial basis

We rely on our Partners to support services which are socially necessary but not viable

We work together to make these sustainable Local Authorities are generally Capital Rich

and Revenue Poor – Service support is key to improve our networks to serve all employment areas at most times of the day

Ways To Work – Discounted Fares

Travel costs are sometimes seen as a barrier to using bus services

Stagecoach have agreed through the STAR Alliance to offer further discounts on our Network tickets to client employers.

Current prices are £5 day and £17 weekly. Offer prices are £3 day and £11 weekly

The Future

Utilise better what already exists Focussed subsidies from the various

streams – Community Transport, local bus etc to provide better non commercial network

Workplace charging with proceeds towards improved bus services

Improved marketing of links and connections

Continued good Partnership working