LTP 2006 Appendices

Role of Coaches

Coaches carry large numbers of passengers at low cost.  They are comparable with buses as efficient users of road space and they provide both operators and passengers with flexibility in routing and in the selection of origin and destination points.  Coaches play a significant role in the provision of long-distance travel and, to a lesser extent travel within the West Midlands region, commuter services and in the provision of transport for specific groups such as people with mobility difficulties and educational parties.  Coaches also play a major role in supporting the tourism industry, partly because they are a relatively cheap way to travel, but also because they are a convenient way of moving coherent groups and of keeping these groups together and under control.

Coach travel has a role within our LTP2 strategy as set out below:

• Economic Revitalisation – Coaches promote economic revitalisation, particularly of our town and city centres, as coach travel tourism is seen as important to sustaining businesses such as hotels and conferences and supporting many of the Metropolitan Area's important tourism and leisure attractions
• Accessibility and Social Inclusion – Coach travel provides a relatively inexpensive means of longer distance travel for those on low incomes (and particularly students).  With most coaches being new, well maintained and reasonably comfortable, they can provide an attractive and convenient alternative to the car.  Recent developments have seen marketing of intercity services with budget fares similar to the low cost airline network
• Sustainable Travel Patterns – Most express coaches can carry 45-53 people and therefore move large numbers of people around in relatively little road space compared to car travel, thereby helping to reduce congestion.  Recent EU legislation has increased the length of coaches from 12 to 15 metres
• Safety and Health – Coach travel is one of the safest modes available.  Also, the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution Report on Transport and the Environment concluded that: 'express coaches are the most energy efficient of any mode, particularly with the relatively high occupancy achieved'
• Integration – Coach travel can frequently be used as a 'feeder' to other services.  This is particularly important for links to airports and between conventions, conference and leisure events and appropriate rail links

Present Situation

A somewhat negative view of express coaches is often found, in which they are often seen as part of the traffic congestion problem, rather than an element within the public transport system.  However, even in areas of high coach activity, such as central London, such vehicles represent only 1 to 1.5% of all traffic on major road links in the area.

Coaches in our Area predominantly offer express services.  These provide longer distance (usually no shorter than 35 miles) scheduled services from outside the commuter catchment area.  Many express services are focused on Digbeth Coach Station, which acts as a national 'hub' interchange as well as being the terminal for Birmingham.  The Station currently charges £7 per coach visit to help meet operational costs, so excursion coaches prefer to seek alternative on street pick-up and drop-off points.  Other key centres are Birmingham International Airport, Coventry and Wolverhampton with other important stops along transport corridors.

The Authorities recognise that coaches play an important part in supporting the diverse life of our Area.  Coaches provide a convenient, economical and efficient means of moving groups of people around.  Coaches provide effective competition for long distance and regional journeys.  Many of the larger seaside resorts are well served from our Area by the dominant operator.  For many tour operators and organisers of other group activities, coaches represent the only practical way of organising their groups.  The local authorities support these activities.

The Authorities also recognise that the use of coaches can sometimes give rise to problems and to conflicts of interest with residents, businesses and other road users.  There are also concerns regarding the compliance of coaches (and minibuses) with safety standards - an issue dealt with by  the police and VOSA vehicle inspectors. The adoption of a clear and consistent strategy can help to resolve these conflicts to the benefits of the whole community.

The coach strategy will seek to encourage viable alternatives for longer distance / regional movements, to reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of the highway network to move people and goods.

Consultation

The 20-Year Public Transport Strategy identified the need to consider the role of coaches in an overall transport strategy for the the Metropolitan Area.  The need to recognise this role was also identified in consultation on the 2003 LTP, although it did not figure highly.  Birmingham City Council has undertaken annual research with the coach industry since 2000 and whilst there has been a slight improvement in the satisfaction ratings year on year, there is still a need for better coach parking facilities and information in the City and at other key centres.

The 2004 and 2005 consultations did not identify coaches as a mode about which to seek specific views and priorities.  However, the statements about doing 'more to encourage safer motoring', doing 'more to tackle congestion', investigating 'options for tackling congestion' and introducing 'more Red Routes' relate to coach operations.  The first two statements were a 'middle' priority, whilst the latter two were a 'low' priority.

Strategy

There is a need for an approach, which recognises and supports the positive aspects of coaches while seeking to minimise and eliminate their adverse effects.  A co-ordinated approach covering the whole of our Area is necessary.  To be fully effective, any strategy will require action not just by local authorities, but by coach operators and the tourism industry generally.  Central government will have a role to play because of their wider perspective.  The key elements of our strategy are set out below.

Coach Terminals

The LTP2 Partners recognise the importance of suitable long-stay facilities with the following criteria:

• Be within easy access for passengers to key destinations
• Provide good linkages with strategic public transport network
• Have close proximity to short stay parking
• Provide a convenient access to the primary road network
• Must be secure, well signed and where possible, have driver facilities (even more important with the advent of the Working Time Directive which came into effect from April 2005)

The Plan recognises that Digbeth Coach Station offers a poor passenger environment and the interchange with other forms of transport is unsatisfactory.  Proposals for the redevelopment of the existing Coach Station at Digbeth are being developed by National Express supported by Birmingham City Council.  The timescale for completion is 2008 although this depends on the outcome of negotiations with neighbouring landholders around the Coach Station.  This proposal replaces the earlier proposal for a new regional coach station at Ludgate Hill / Great Charles Street in Birmingham.  This was abandoned due to the inability to agree an appropriate scheme for the site.

Wolverhampton currently has coach facilities at Faulkland Street in addition to the Wolverhampton Bus Station.  In the longer term, it is hoped to increase capacity for coaches at the Bus Station that is better linked to the City Centre, the Railway Station and taxi services.

It is inconceivable that all the regular and occasional services could be accommodated within proposed bus station upgrades - priority is likely to be given, subject to space availability, to regular inter-regional services.  There will continue to be a need for other pick up / set down facilities.

Pick up / Set-down Facilities and Long Stay Parking

In addition to the development-led provision of coach facilities, the Authorities will consider with operators the need for on-street and off-street coach parking places and pick-up and set-down points.  In planning such facilities, account will be taken of proven and forecast demand, the impact on adjacent activities / frontages and the need to to implement relevant TROs to allocate on-street facilities for regular interregional services as well as vacation / leisure coach services.  Facilities should be convenient and welcoming for passengers without causing inconvenience or danger to pedestrians or other traffic.

The Authorities will consider ways in which public off-street coach parking, whether provided by the public or the private sector, can be secured as long term or 'permanent' provision.  They will also keep under review, in conjunction with the appropriate strategic bodies, the strategic provision of terminal facilities for coach services.  There is also a need to consider the Metropolitan area as an origin for many coach trips as well as a destination.  There should be sufficient and appropriate formalised points, with adequate signing and notification to the industry in order to ensure maximum usage.

With regards to Birmingham, there are now 21 set down and pick up points (giving parking of 15 or 30 minutes) within the City Centre and the Jewellery Quarter.  This includes five new points provided in the past year, particularly to serve shopping trips to the Bullring.  Work is also ongoing for the provision of long stay parking for the NIA and ICC, City Centre attractions, shopping and events.

The review of the Unitary Development Plans in our Area provides the opportunity to include appropriate standards for coach parking and pick up / set down facilities at new developments such as major visitor attractions, hotels and events.  Key to this are the following:

• A need for effective communication of all coach parking facilities to the coach industry - marketing and promotion, maps, information on events, etc
• A need for relationships between local authorities and the coach industry to be improved.  Birmingham’s work in this area has been recognised in various award schemes including the Beacon Council Award operated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.  Under this scheme, Birmingham's workshops on best practice have created interest with local authorities such as Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton in working more closely with and for the coach industry
• A need to educate drivers on issues such as the environment (leaving engines running, etc.) - refer to the Code of Practice for 'Coach Based Tourism’

Integration

Perceptions of coaches and the role that they can play in providing for travel needs are changing.  In policy terms, the Government’s previous emphasis on integrated transport and element of Guidance Guidance that meeting the needs of longer distance travellers should be addressed in LTP2s provide an opportunity for coach travel to establish itself as an alternative to the car.  This may particularly be the case with express coaches that, in the past, have drawn more passengers from other public transport modes.

The need to improve access and affordability of travel to Birmingham International Airport for coach travellers is recognised in the West Midlands Regional Transport Strategy.  The need for encouraging coach trips into the regional centres that reduce the number of car journeys and support the tourist trade is also recognised.

Limited long-stay coach parking facilities are currently provided in our Area so it is essential that these are improved in order to meet demand, particularly at key attractions and within Town and City Centres.  Coach - bus and possibly coach - rail interchanges are best for linking services, particularly to facilitate better baggage handling and porter services, as this can take place under cover.  This would help to reduce kerbside congestion at on-street sites and improve safety of loading luggage from both sides of vehicles.

In terms of competing directly with high-speed rail services on trunk routes into the centre of the region, the express coach may be seen as 'second best'.  However in terms of accessibility to where people live, regular coach services and private hire can be tailored to meet a more localized role with local pick-up and set-down locations.

A more integrated approach to transport, in terms of organisation, infrastructure, information and ticketing, may lead to more coach services as feeders for the rail network.  As coaches become more widely regarded as a relevant transport mode, they will be used to justify:

• new bus priority measures, for example on trunk roads
• the inclusion in bus priority measures
• their integration into wider fares and ticketing structures

Moreover, if policies to reduce the use of the car are pursued more vigorously, there will be a substantial shortfall in public transport provision, which needs to be made good.  Coaches may play a part in filling that gap, perhaps offering more commuter focused services like those that are now common-place in London.

Vehicle Accessibility

Due to the nature of their design, modern coaches in general are not readily accessible for mobility impaired people, due to having high level passenger seating areas.  The industry will need to respond to this challenge through improvements in design or adaptation of existing fleets if their full potential is to be realised.  All new coaches are now required to be wheelchair accessible.  A wheelchair accessible coach was launched at the NEC during the 2005 Coach & Bus Exhibition.  By 1^st January 2020,.  all coaches will have to be wheelchair accessible.  In association with this, coach drivers need to be fully aware and trained of the needs of disabled people.  There also should be consideration of a greater presence in Birmingham of continental coaches where they will require a facility to set down and pick up on the right hand side.

Co-ordination

The Authorities will initiate liaison with each other to exchange information, to co-ordinate any actions relating to coaches which they propose to take and to eliminate as far as possible any significant cross-boundary differences in practice.  There will be a greater two-way dialogue with the industry on serving coaches needs and demands and also how to encourage services to stop at more destinations.

Projects and Programme

The five year programme contains a number of specific schemes designed to assist coaches namely:

Birmingham

Digbeth Coach Station Redevelopment - Digbeth Coach Station is the third busiest coach station in the UK and a major gateway to the region.  The aspiration is for a world class facility and it is hoped that the redeveloped Coach Station will be open in 2008.

New Coach Parks - Two new coach parks to provide off street parking facilities for the NIA / ICC area as well as a general off street facility for the City Centre.

Coventry

In Coventry, long distance scheduled coaches (National Express, etc.) have a dedicated facility at the Pool Meadow Bus Station which includes an indoor waiting area with facilities and toilets next to a taxi rank and with a small amount of short-stay parking.  Tourist coaches coming into the City mainly visit the Cathedral and drop passengers in front of the building before moving away to a layover area for the 45 minutes or so that is normal for the visit. There are currently two coach spaces in Priory Street and more are being sought on-street in Fairfax Street following the completion of an environmental scheme in Priory Street.  Tourist coaches going out of the City can use the Pool Meadow facilities or wait on-street in Fairfax Street.

Walsall

Wolverhampton

The Centro Major Scheme to redevelop the Wolverhampton Bus Station will improve capacity and facilities for coaches.  This will ensure close integration with taxis, the railway station and local bus services.  The residual need for further coach parking will be evaluated in the light of the Centro scheme.

Other schemes in the programme such as bus lanes, highway improvements and parking enforcement will also assist in the movement of coaches.