As Hull’s major bus provider, EYMS has a big part to play in the city’s current status as City of Culture 2017. That role has its challenges as well as its successes
City of Culture 2017. Hull, previously a place that escaped most outsiders' notice, has thrown itself open this year and invited everyone "back to ours". It has successfully showcased itself to the rest of the country as a colourful, cultural, historical city that is well worth a visit. At the same time, its proud citizens have learned new things about their home. It's a very positive story for tourism.
And as the local bus company and a vital part of the city, East Yorkshire Motor Services (EYMS) should be a crucial part of its success. Eco-friendly transport to and from the many events could be arranged, and tourists from far and wide could be brought into the city by express bus and coach services.
But thanks to late notice from event organisers, extensive city centre road closures, and the too-slow bus service registration system, EYMS hasn't quite played the part it would have liked to.
Chief Executive Peter Shipp sums up the challenges thus: Not knowing about the detail of events far enough in advance to plan and register services; increased level of roadworks and city centre pedestrianisation putting off regular and new passengers; and increasing concerns about security that have seen roads closed at short notice – buses have been able to access the full central circuit for only one complete weekend of the school summer holidays.
How to explore Hull
Happily, EYMS has wrung success from the City of Culture status nonetheless.
For a start, the people of the city – including the 700-plus employed by EYMS – are fired up, with two members of staff being among the mighty city-wide body of volunteers; around 3,000 in all.
But the centrepiece of EYMS's involvement with the initiative is an open-top double-decker tourist service, the Hull Explorer, launched in July for the summer holidays, running from Thursday-Monday.
“We've been pleasantly surprised by the interest it has generated,” says Peter. “We've thought about doing an open-top tourist service before, but wondered if there was enough in Hull to interest people. With the City of Culture status this year, it was now or never.”
The service hit problems on its very first weekend, however: The day of its launch coincided with Hull's UK Pride festival, and far too late, EYMS found out that a large part of the route would be closed to traffic for the day – the first of several such closures – which meant leaving out several points of interest.
But despite that, the service has been a success. The problems of the first day were mitigated by offering passengers half-price fares, and because it runs with live guides and not audio software, the guides were still able to include commentary about the places the bus missed.
For the rest of the summer it has run smoothly; it hasn’t been over-subscribed, as feared, but has been popular enough to be a success. It ends on 3 September, and will be reviewed, but it’s expected to be continued next summer.
Two open-top buses were bought from Lothian Buses for this route and Scarborough's Skipper open-top service; they're both 2002 half-open-top Dennis Tridents, both repainted. Hull's makes a striking addition to the City of Culture efforts.
EYMS staff provide the guided commentary, supported on board by some of the 3,000 Hull 2017 volunteers, who businesses can apply to use and are clad in unmissable bright blue shirts. “We had some of the staff try the service before going live, and even they learned things about the city they didn't know,” says Peter.
Big Bus Day
Hull 2017's organisers are publicising the Hull Explorer as part of the City of Culture, along with EYMS's now quite famous Big Bus Day, which is included in the City of Culture programme.
The event, now in its 12th year, is held in partnership with the Street Life Museum in the Old Town and will take place on Saturday (9 September).
“The first year we did it turned out to be the biggest attendance of any event the museum had ever done, and it grew from there,” says Peter. “We had 7,000 visitors in 2015. Last year it was a bit less because it rained, but we hope this year it'll be big again.”
The company will exhibit old and new buses, including one of 12 new Volvo EvoSetis from MCV, and the whole of its substantial heritage fleet. The usual 'Shipp-Shape' moquette merchandise, such as laptop bags and slippers, will be on sale, along with bus memorabilia.
Event challenges
Hull has seen a great many sold-out events so far this year, with more to come, and to the man in the street it would seem natural for EYMS to lay on extra services for those event-goers – but serving that need has been a great challenge.
For a start, the Hull 2017 programme has been announced with quite short notice on a season-by-season basis, so EYMS doesn't always know what events will be happening in two months' time, the days of the week they will fall on, and what times they are likely to start and finish. It can't plan and register evening services for certain events 56 days in advance as required.
And, once the services are in place, it then needs to give the same notice to cancel them – it's an impractical system.
“We are stifled by regulation that stops us being responsive in this sort of situation,” says Peter. “It means we can't easily try new things.
“If you can give a good reason, you can get short notice to start or change a route, but you can't get short notice to stop it; you're locked in for weeks after it starts, and that's very much a barrier.
“The industry as a whole needs to have some flexibility.” He mentions that the Hull land train owner can simply decide to not run if he doesn't think he'll make money. “There should be a level playing field.
“The length of the de-registration period could be shortened to allow alterations. If a bus service is legitimately not being used, you should be able to stop it quite quickly.”
Growth is up
EYMS has seen a big benefit this year over other city bus networks: Passenger growth is slightly up, whereas in most cities, it's in decline.
For the year to date the growth figures have been flat, but May-June saw a 1.4% passenger increase, against decline across the rest of the UK. The figures for nearby Beverley and Scarborough are up, too.
“You can't say there has been a big boom, but we’re sure there would be declining passenger numbers if not for the City of Culture,” says Peter.
Hull 2017 has led to increased morale in staff, too. As a City of Culture business partner, EYMS gets free tickets to all the high-profile events, and it offers them to the employees, allowing them to attend events they might not have been able to otherwise – demand is very high. “We try to make sure we involve the staff,” says Peter. “It’s good for morale.”
The legacy
Hull isn't City of Culture for one year, but for four, until the next one takes over in 2021.
The city is likely to change forever; you only have to look at Liverpool, which was European Capital of Culture in 2008, to see the lasting effect such a spotlight can have.
So where does that leave EYMS?
The operator intends to continue the Hull Explorer beyond 2017. Says Peter’s son David Shipp, Performance and Business Development Manager, who is closely involved in planning the Hull Explorer: “You can wander around Hull, and if you don't pick your head up, you miss a lot of architecture and history. The Explorer helps to bring it to life for more people.”
Peter adds: “There's a much more positive feeling about the city, and a lot more people visiting. All the events have been sold out. There's more culture here than anyone thought.”
About EYMS's regular bus services, David says: “We hear many positive comments from the people who live here and use our services, although like most bus companies we generally get more complaints than compliments. But the City of Culture has given a launch pad for the positive voices, the comments you don't hear as much.
“It's been a really positive thing for the city, and it has had a massive impact on us all.
“There's no doubt there will be a legacy for Hull – it’s now a higher profile visitor destination. We’ve got to work out how that will affect us, and turn it to our advantage.”
