Congestion issues must be solved if new funding and support models for bus operators are to be successful, an industry figure has warned.
The position was put forward by Ed Cameron, Commercial Manager at Ascendal-owned operator Whippet, during a transport and infrastructure committee meeting of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) on 11 January.
It comes as franchising is considered as a more serious option among leaders of the combined authority, despite a lack of clarity around the type of model that is being proposed.
Mr Cameron’s presentation follows work examining traffic conditions and where improvements can be made to Whippet’s on-time performance, which he says currently falls short. Whippet’s data follows Department for Transport statistics that show a downward trend in bus punctuality from the year ending March 2021.
“It’s quite appalling,” Mr Cameron says. “Universal, our university contract, is our only frequent bus route. Our fastest end-to-end journey takes 34-35 minutes and runs at an average speed of 13.5mph. During the morning peak, that same journey can drop to 69 minutes, or approximately 6.8mph. That is not an attractive product for customers and is costing us more than it should.”
Whippet as such operates eight buses on its Universal route, whereas Mr Cameron says free-flowing traffic would allow the use of only five. Such delays cost the company thousands in additional running costs, have a negative impact on driver retention, and mean punctuality is the main theme of negative customer feedback.
A franchising route could go some way to addressing those issues, Mr Cameron suggests. However, without a proposed model, operators might be reluctant to commit.
“All the operators in Cambridgeshire are united on this,” he says. “That is the strategic position of where we are, and that’s what we presented. We have a good relationship with the CPCA officers and elected members and they’re taking it seriously. I hope that steers their thoughts about what is included in an Enhanced Partnership or what’s included in a franchising model.
“Whether buses are commercial, tendered, supported in some way or franchised, it doesn’t matter if they can’t get around the city freely in a way that is consistently reliable for passengers. If a bus is unpredictable, how you fund it becomes irrelevant.”
