Oyster card for Bristol a step closer?

See this report in the Telegraph about the Government's efforts to introduce smart ticketing, which is something Labour in Bristol has been campaigning on for some time with its 'brunelcard' campaign. I know First Bus are keen on this (although of course they don't want to have to pay for the new technology that would be required). It could significantly cut journey times and increase reliability, because you wouldn't get hold-ups waiting for people to board the bus.

Also in the news today, the OFT's report that lack of competition in the bus market has led to high fares, which has resulted in a referral to the Competition Commission. I gave an interview to the BEP today about it, which I suppose will be in tomorrow's paper. I don't see how it would be possible to reintroduce competition into the local bus market. You can't force private sector companies to come and try to compete, and there's a tidy carve-up of the main markets between the major bus companies at the moment. Here's a quote from John Major, of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, which represents the bus industry which, to be frank, is patent nonsense*:

"Bus companies operate in highly competitive local markets and it is always in our interests to keep prices competitive to attract passengers out of their cars and onto our services... There is a great deal of competition between bus operators, large and small, although the biggest competitor for the bus industry is the car."

I'm not sure what could be done to persuade Arriva or National Express to start competing with First on key routes in Bristol (and it would only be the key, money-making routes) and even if they did, they'd probably just emulate what happened when deregulation first happened, i.e. use their reserves to run services at very competitive prices and then as soon as they've got rid of their competitors, whack the fares up. So you're left with outlawing some of the predatory practices mentioned in the OFT report (but that still leaves you relying on other companies being willing to compete). Or you regulate the current providers either by specifying maximum fares (as happens with the trains, on some tickets) or going down the Quality Contract route, which I've talked about many a time on here before.

The original Tory vision of a marketplace where passengers could pick and choose which bus they wanted to travel on, looking at fares and reliability and timings, is just not going to happen. It was a flawed vision in the first place, based on a dogmatic belief that market forces were the solution to everything and a hatred of anything that was municipally-owned or run.

*Nonsense except for the bit about the car. Cabot Circus are currently offering parking at £1 an hour for a maximum of seven hours. Not much on an incentive to get the bus if you're popping into town to see a film or do some shopping.

Just a little of what I've been up to...

One of the good things about recess is that it gives MPs a chance to catch up with people from some of the key local institutions/ stakeholders. (The best thing about recess is not having to flit from one city to another every three or four days; in fact I gave up my London flat at the start of recess and won't start looking for another until the new parliamentary session is upon us in October).

So this week for example I've met with the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive of Bristol City Council, along with my fellow Bristol MPs Doug Naysmith and Dawn Primarolo, for a very useful chat about how we can work together in future to get the best deal for Bristol, for example in accessing new funding streams. We also talked buses! (You can't have a meeting with the Council without talking buses - the Chief Exec told us she'd met with Sir Moir Lockhead from First Group and Justin Davies of First Bus in Bristol recently, but the thrust of that conversation seemed to be that First Bus is a ringfenced operation and can't be subsidised by First Group's profits - and fares aren't going anywhere but up. But the fight goes on).

And today I had a really interesting meeting with the Vice Chancellor of UWE. Nothing to blog about, but a really useful overview of how the university's funding stacks up (e.g. the NHS is a big funder because UWE runs nursing courses), and how they make decisions on student numbers and which courses to offer (e.g. whether every uni should attempt to offer courses across the board, or accept that it's not worth running under-subscribed courses and stick to their areas of strength). UWE is big on the STEM subjects, teacher training, nursing (etc) and creative/media courses, so we had an interesting chat about the value of vocational courses. And UWE doesn't differentiate between so-called 'hard' and 'soft' A level subjects. After all, if you're doing a media studies degree, an A Level in Media Studies is a hell of a lot more useful than Classics. We also talked about student finance, of course, and the availability of bursaries. And we also talked buses! The Uni puts on its own free bus service for students, (free at point of use but paid for as part of the initial package) to ferry them between campuses and from the city centre - and this is because First Bus is basically too unreliable. Under the terms of their licence the buses have to be available to everyone, not just students.

Tomorrow I'm catching up with the head of the Bristol Credit Union for an update on all that's happening there.

Again, less to this story than meets the eye

I was going to blog last night about the Daily Mail story that middle class pensioners might start being means-tested for their free bus passes, but glad I held off. I've now had this email from Sir Jeremy Beecham, the (Labour) Vice Chair of the LGA:

Dear Kerry,

You may be aware of the lead article in today’s Daily Mail, and subsequent coverage on the BBC’s Today, which cites a report written by Oxera and commissioned by the Local Government Association which examined local bus services and the bus subsidy system. I would like to reassure you that the LGA and councils are emphatically not in favour of means testing free bus fares.

The Daily Mail article concentrates on a suggestion by Oxera that the concessionary bus fare “scheme is targeted too widely, benefiting many people on higher incomes with access to cars” and its subsequent recommendation that the concessionary bus fare scheme should become a “targeted” initiative focused on those who require such support.

The LGA makes it clear on page 5 of our publication that we reject this finding and state that:

“Means testing for concessionary fares is not the solution. Take up of the scheme would fall drastically, the benefits it delivers greatly reduced and administrative burdens significantly increased.”

Whilst we believe that there are problems with the way the concessionary bus fare scheme has been funded, and which ultimately has caused financial difficulties for some local authorities, bus fare concessions for pensioners are popular and councils are positive in their wholehearted support for them. Councils want their local bus schemes to be the best that they can be so that people are encouraged to use public transport instead of cars and therefore reduce congestion on the roads.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Sir Jeremy Beecham
Vice Chair of the Local Government Association

From Bristol to Bath and back again

Bristol City Council is consulting on plans for the Greater Bristol Bus Network along the A4 Bath Road. Let's hope they do a better job than last time, when they consulted on the A420 Showcase Bus Route. The consultation took place over a relatively short period in the summer, when many people were away. The drop-in shop in Church Road where local residents could supposedly go to learn more about the plans was staffed by people who knew nothing about the proposals, couldn't answer any questions and did little other than hand out maps of the proposed route. After meeting with local residents and local shopkeepers I lobbied the Council to get the consultation period extended, and for an actual dialogue with those who had concerns, e.g. council officials actually getting out and talking to the shopkeepers about the impact the bus lane and new parking restrictions would have on passing trade.

So has anything been learnt from the experience last time? The signs aren't good. What's billed as an 'informal consultation' is already running, from 4 July to 14th August, a period when many people are away. There's a drop-in shop, which is open three days a week over a short period. I hope we aren't in one of those scenarios when very few people know about the consultation, the plans are published, no-one likes them - and the council responds by saying 'well you were consulted'. It's only a genuine consultation if (a) everyone knows it's taking place, (b) there's a two-way dialogue, with as much information as possible being given to those who are interested in the consultation and someone who can answer their questions as and when they arise, and (c) people are given sufficient time to check out the plans and to respond, including organising their own informal consultations within their community. In the latter case I'm thinking of local residents' groups, neighbourhood partnerships, shopkeepers, businesses on the industrial parks, schools (not just the school run, but there's quite an issue in transporting pupils from schools to other premises to use facilities there, and the time it takes). I simply don't think this can be done in the time available, but I think it's essential that such groups pool information with each other and hammer out their collective response. It will give their submissions much more clout.

So I have some questions for the Council: Who decided that this was a suitable time to have the consultation, and why? What efforts have been made to let local residents and road users know about the consultation? A leaflet drop to local residents would not suffice; it's a major road from Bristol to Bath, many of the road users aren't local. Has, for example, information been distributed to motorists using the A4 Park and Ride? What happens after the informal consultation closes? Will the submissions be made public, at least in summary form? What feedback will those making submissions get, and will the Council facilitate opportunities for the concerns and objections to be discussed, for example in public meetings?

Apart from the fact that it's my job to ask such questions, as the A4 runs through my constituency, I'm also asking these questions now because I think it's absolutely crucial we get this right. The A4 is a dreadful transport corridor at the moment. The traffic is always heavy, and often unpredictable; what should be a ten minute journey can sometimes take three-quarters of an hour, not just at peak times but at random points throughout the day. It affects shops, businesses, people's jobs and lives. The GBBN is being supported by a considerable amount of Government money - £43 million or so across the city - which we've lobbied hard for over the year. It's too good an opportunity to squander.

Quick update

No time to blog today because it's last day before recess and have to clear desk before heading to Bristol. Will be in the constituency for most of the next few weeks, as it's elections the week after, apart from visiting the hospital (which is excellent, I have to say - NHS has been fantastic, from the speed with which the ambulance arrived to the cleanliness of the hospital and the friendliness of the staff. I have promised to pass on this praise to AJ). Tomorrow I will be on the buses in Bristol as the car is still suspension-less. Always good to do that occasionally to check out the service, although having now worked out it means leaving home at 7.30am to be at my first appointment, I'm not so convinced... And yes, I know plenty of people have to do that every day, but that doesn't mean I actually have to enjoy the experience.

News from Westminster.... Bercow bandwagon for Speaker gathering pace. Had a good chat with him yesterday. Haven't heard anyone say they're supporting another candidate, but that may well be because I don't mix in those circles. There will be at least one hustings, on June 17th, which I can imagine will be a daunting prospect for the candidates. Good news too re Gurkhas; have spent the past couple of weeks drafting and redrafting letters to go out to those constituents who had contacted me about the issue, which now have to be rewritten! Posted expenses on website a few days ago and went through with journo too. I'm sure we will still be talking about the same issue when Parliament returns on Monday 1st June. We've got the Second Reading of the Immigration and Citizenship Bill on the Tuesday, so will be aiming to speak in that debate. And then it will be the local elections. As we are now in pre-election purdah I shall be banning party political broadcasts on behalf of the Green Party from now onwards. Hope you're listening Glenn!

Tonight's council meeting

Buses being debated at Bristol City Council tonight. If I'm not in the Chamber I'll watch it on the webcast. Before anyone starts griping about why Labour wasn't saying these things when they were running the Council, the answer is, they were - but they were also trying to work with First Bus and the other local authorities and this obliged us to pursue a rather more conciliatory strategy, building consensus, don't rock the pram or the Tories/ Lib Dems will throw their toys out...

Mark has also put down some questions about the waste strategy (i.e. where is it, what is it and how the hell are you going to make the sums add up with the PFI element?) but I understand there's a good chance they won't get to it.

Just me moaning about things

In the library in Portcullis House. I seem to have finally persuaded the parliamentary IT people that my 'repaired' phone (back from the manufacturers after a month's intensive care) is not working. It took two visits and much explanation on my part of the fact that (a) there is no signal and (b) you can't make or receive calls or texts, which I think would fit most people's definition of 'not working', but we had to have much consultation and expert furrowing of brows before it was confirmed. Am now trying to persuade them that it's not worth sending it away again to be repaired. I'm now plonked in a corner looking at emails while the guy sets up my 'temporary' replacement, which I might not let them have back.

Spotted on my trips to and fro - Diane Abbott and Moira Stewart deep in conversation over a coffee.

More on buses in the BEP today; the Lib Dem seems to be saying that the problem is that the bus drivers don't smile enough. They don't smile, they can't spell... Although Cllr Rogers then comes back in on the comments to say it's a symptom, not a cause. Fair enough (fare enough?) but doesn't really get us very far, does it? Like the buses really....

I have a letter in the BEP today

Tory has missed the bus on fares

"I read with interest the Conservative candidate for Bristol East's Feedback piece on bus fares in Bristol ("Bristol MPs say bus fares are too high", April 15).

I know she has only recently started taking an interest in local politics, which perhaps explains why she suggests that Dawn Primarolo and I have only just "woken up to the cost of travelling on First buses". The truth, as Post readers will know, is that both of us have been campaigning on this issue for a long time. This has included talking to ministers, meeting with successive managing directors of First Bus, talking to employee representatives and the local authority, and yes, writing letters to try to pin down First to give some firm commitments as to how it intends to improve our bus services. We have made it clear we believe that First must shape up or ship out.

Ms Shafi talks about the prospect of another company coming in to provide a bus service in Bristol, and yet her party, the Conservatives, voted against the Local Transport Act and the new Quality Contract scheme which would make this a viable option.

She also proposes an Integrated Transport Authority, which again was included in the legislation her party opposed. I have long been an advocate of the need for Bristol and the surrounding area to have its own transport authority, and I am glad that she has now come on board. Perhaps she could talk to her Conservative colleagues on the other three councils and persuade them of its merits now?

Finally, I note that Ms Shafi signs off by saying that letter writing is not taking 'proper action'. Perhaps she could inform us what she has done personally to campaign for better transport in Bristol (other than writing her letter, of course)?

Kerry McCarthy, MP."

I did a debate with Ms Shafi at St Brendans Sixth Form College the other week. When she started complaining about the buses, I challenged her on the above points. Her reply? "I'm not here as a Conservative, I'm speaking as someone who wants to use the buses but can't..." I expect I'll be hearing that line frequently over the coming months.

One of the students asked a cracking question, about how could a Conservative frontbench stuffed full of Old Etonians claim to speak for young people like him? Ms Shafi posited herself as an example of just how much Cameron's Conservative Party has changed - at which stage I urged the students to take a look at the Rees-Mogg progeny, Jacob and Annunziata, who are both fighting very marginal seats in nearby Somerset.

Charlotte Leslie, another Bristol Tory PPC, uses the same response in debates - look at me, I'm young and blonde, and I've been selected for a marginal seat; look how much the Tories have changed. Yes, I mutter under my breath, but you're still rather posh Charlotte, aren't you?

BEP goes big on buses

Further proof, if it was needed, that nothing gets Bristolians talking quite as much as buses...

Tony Benn back in Bristol

Went to the Watershed tonight for the showing of a film about Tony Benn's life, which was followed by a Q and A with the man himself. The film is being shown this Sunday and next, on ITV I think. There are several recognisable scenes in the film; Tony was of course MP for Bristol South East for something like 33 years, and there is footage of him outside the St George Labour Club, where I now have my office. (I have to say, it looked a lot smarter in those days!)

Tony as usual had some entertaining anecdotes at his disposal. He told the story of how someone wrote to him after the Russians had first landed a vehicle on the moon - so presumably some 40 years ago or more - saying: "Now that the Russians can put a car on the moon, any chance of sorting out the bus service in Bristol?" I assume the answer was No!

I think I got this from Popbitch

Bus routes get the Royal treatment...

Several years ago the Sultanate of Oman spent a great deal of money building hundreds of bus stops across the country. They are all beautifully built with crenellations on the top. To date however, the country has no public buses.

Ask and ye shall receive

Went down to Bristol this morning with Rosie Winterton, the Transport Minister, for the announcement that we're finally getting the £42m from the DfT for the Greater Bristol Bus Network. This means another 10 showcase bus routes (although I'm told the preferred terminology now is 'integrated transport corridors' - can't see it catching on somehow).

I was asked by the West of England Partnership a month or so ago to raise this with Rosie, as they'd been waiting for a long time for confirmation they were going to get the cash, and didn't know why it was being held up. So I did, in the Local Transport Bill committee; she promised she'd look into it as soon as the Committee was over and 10 days later, the cheque's in the post!

When Rosie moved to Transport from Health, where I was her PPS, I told her I couldn't join her at her new department because then I wouldn't be able to lobby her on transport issues. That decision has obviously paid off!

Paul Smith (Labour PPC) and I also met Justin Davies, the new MD of First Bus at the event. Had a good, albeit brief, chat with him about what he could do to improve performance. I asked about smart cards (he sees the benefits but there are some technical/ cost issues), and he also talked about driver recruitment, which is being stepped up. I also asked about the prevalence of the 'Sorry Not In Service' buses; as I suspected, it's because my office is near the depot, but he accepted that it doesn't look good when customers are stuck at bus stops and they see buses sail past. He seems on the ball, and keen to improve things - as they say, "things can only get better"!

Buses, benzos and Bebo

I enjoyed today. Sometimes on Fridays I feel like I'm rushing from one place to another, never quite getting there on time (and sometimes running spectacularly late). Often the day is spent 'being seen' at a local event or 'showing my support' for a local organisation; often it's about being shown around places, which can be interesting and educational, but doesn't always require a great deal of input from me. Today was very productive 'though.

For a start, I was on foot most of the day, as the car is still being fixed. (The gasket has gone, and some other things. The guy at the garage refuses to accept that my failure to appreciate on anything but a conceptual level that a car needs water in its radiator is to blame; he thinks there must be a leak in the water pump. I have tried to confess, but he can't quite bring himself to accept that someone could be that useless).

So I headed off to Colston Parade, caught the bus to my office in St George. Why is it that there are so many 'Sorry - Out of Service' buses in Bristol? There were two parked at the bus stop for at least ten minutes while I waited this morning. Later on 5 buses passed me as I walked the length of Church Road on my way to a meeting in Old Market. 4 were 'out of service', one just said 'First Bus' on the front, but was empty and heading for the depot. Why?

First meeting of the day was with two young(ish) men who are trying to set up a role model/ mentoring programme in Bristol for black youth, sending speakers into schools to motivate and inspire pupils. They're both obviously hugely committed to the project, and I'm convinced it could have a real impact. So that was quite inspiring. Then I did a quick radio interview with Original FM about the 'Keep Casualty in Bristol' campaign, called Cllr Pete Hammond for an update on EPHs, chatted to Cllr Ron Stone who popped into the office....

At 11.30am the police turned up, followed by social services. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how agencies in Bristol work together on child protection cases and what support they can give parents whose daughters have fallen into abusive relationships with older men (an issue which was brought to my attention by two mothers whose daughters have ended up living with men in Bristol). It's particularly difficult once the girls turn 16, or when they're not willing themselves to co-operate with agencies. We also discussed internet 'grooming' and I was disturbed to learn how easy it is for predatory paedophiles to use sites like Bebo - which doesn't keep a history of usage - to contact children. I'm going to be talking to Luton South Labour MP, Margaret Moran, who I know has been doing a lot of work on this issue, and following up in a number of other ways.

In the afternoon we walked through St George's Park and along the cycle path to my surgery at Easton Community Centre. Only a few cases today but most of them were quite complex and involved trying to get my head round lots of official paperwork - from the Pensions Service, the Tax Credits Office, Housing and Council Tax Benefits, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal - and asking confused constituents what I could do to help. People often don't know quite what information I need, so we can talk for ages and go off at all sorts of tangents before I finally hit on a piece of paper which tells me exactly what the problem is, and what I can do about it.

One example today was a woman who'd been told she'd been overpaid Pensions Credit as she'd not told the Pensions Service about her private pension; she insisted she'd never applied for Pensions Credit. In fact, what happens now is that pensioners are automatically assessed for their eligibility for Pensions Credit when they turn 60 (or 65 for men). It replaces the old system whereby people had to apply for Pensions Credit or the Minimum Income Guarantee, and take up was far too low. It also removes the stigma which some people, who'd worked all their lives, felt about applying for benefits. But in this case it had caused confusion, as my constituent was adamant she'd not submitted an application.

Back in the office for a telephone conversation with Justin Davies, the new MD of First Bus Bristol, to talk about today's news about some routes being axed. He assured me it's a genuine consultation - which runs till May 25th - and urged me to do all I could to publicise it. We're going to to meet at the Lawrence Hill depot on May 23rd so I can tell him what my constituents are saying. The axing of the no. 48 is a particular concern, although the BEP says there'll be a more frequent service on the no. 49 to compensate. Also told the MD to expect a letter in the post on Monday, asking what the company is doing to make use of new technology (e.g. satellite tracking) to improve performance, and when/ if they're going to introduce smart cards.

After that I met with Una Corbett, who has been doing sterling work on behalf of Battle Against Tranquilisers for a long time now - see http://www.bataid.org/. She raised a lot of what seemed to me to be valid concerns about the way in which people addicted to benzos are treated by GPs, pharmacists and psychiatrists, and I'm going to be tabling some questions on it soon, as well as firing off a few letters.

Then it was a mad rush to sign off on a huge pile of correspondence, discuss key issues with the office staff, chat with the chair of my constituency party, read the press cuttings, etc, etc, before heading off to a meeting at the GMB offices with care home staff and relatives of residents in EPHs. We're expecting revised proposals to be announced by the City Council soon, and came up with a list of criteria we could use to assess whatever is offered.

Arrived home exactly 12 hours after I left, as the sunshine gave way to thunder and lightening. Made it just in time!