12 October 2011 - 13 October 2011, 18:00-00:00 -

CONCESSIONARY FARES: ?CAN WE AFFORD IT?

 

A Greater London Branch Presentation

Date: 12 October 2011 ( Evening Presentation 6.00 for 6.30 p.m.)

Concessionary Fares: ‘Can we afford it?

Venue: Parsons Brinckerhoff 6 Devonshire Square London EC2M 4YE

Nearest Tube: Liverpool Street

Speakers: Mike Holmes and George Burnett (WSP)

Chair: Michelle Wood

Can we continue to afford the cost of concessionary fares for the elderly?  (from the perspective of the bus operators and from the policy and political angle of the local authorities)

The population of the UK is ageing and by 2033 23% of the population is projected to be aged 65 and over. Coupled with an annual average population growth rate of 0.7% and changes to state pension ages, overall support ratios for the elderly will fall.

Since 2000, concessions available for travel by bus across the UK have increased substantially, both in terms of coverage and the value of the discounts provided; with the latest in 2008 giving free off-peak travel for elderly and disabled people on all local buses anywhere in England (with similar schemes in place in Scotland & Wales).

The projected cost of the concessionary travel scheme for 2011-12 is just over £1billion, and the methodology for payment to bus operators for reimbursement is now based on a fixed sum per journey. It is an objective that bus operators should be neither better nor worse off as a result of the application of a concessionary fares scheme, however the technicalities for calculating the reimbursement are far from straightforward, and can lead to disagreements and disputes between bus operators and Authorities.

Our presentation intends to consider whether the situation is sustainable, whether it will result in substantial erosion in bus service coverage and frequency, or whether there are alternative strategies which the Government may be obliged to adopt in order to constrain demand and reduce the overall cost of concessionary travel to the public purse.

Mike Holmes joined WSP last year as an Associate Director and has over 23 years experience in the field of public transport including both public and private sector organisations. Mike co-ordinates the UK Public Transport Team for WSP incorporating a wide range of specialist staff.

Mike has relevant experience in the planning and delivery of a range of services and projects including:

· Transport strategy and policy including Local Transport Plan and Bus Strategy preparation

· Land use planning and transport integration including urban realm design

· Public transport infrastructure projects (Interchanges, BRT and Quality Bus Corridor schemes, including Strategic Quality Partnerships and on street accessibility improvements)

· Direct bus operations planning & management (scheduled and bespoke contract operations including Dial a Ride and Demand Responsive Transport)

· Stakeholder engagement and consultation at both strategic and local levels involving National, Regional and Local Authorities, Specialist Interest Groups and Community Groups

Prior to joining WSP Mike held management posts in a local transport authority, the last as Planning Manager at South Yorkshire PTE and previous experience in public transport operations with First Group plc. He has also been a member of a number of national PTE and local authority working groups and Local Strategic Partnership Boards. He also works closely with CILT (UK) to assist and promote professional development across the transport sector.

George Burnett - Technical Director WSP UK
27 years' experience in public transport planning and operations.
Areas of experience include:
Transport planning and strategy
Concessionary fares schemes and negotiation/implementation
Community transport
Education transport including special needs
Public transport innovation projects

Responsible for WSP's PT product in UK and internationally and has worked on projects in Eastern Europe and Middle East.

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