Visions for Rural Transport Gordon Stokes 6th November 2009 Access Alliance Programme Conference

Content of talk Role of the CRC Importance of rural transport What can we learn from other countries? An ‘ideal’ vision for future rural transport A ‘realistic’ picture of future rural transport

Role of the CRC National advisor acting as: –Advisor –Watchdog –Advocate No funding money and very little regional presence

The importance of, and role of rural transport Social exclusion and rural transport Levels of car ownership Those without cars

Social Exclusion in rural areas Urban areas - lack of transport an effect of social exclusion Rural areas - lack of transport a cause of social exclusion Urban exclusion tends to be concentrated in “deprived wards” Rural exclusion can be found anywhere

High and low income areas As might be expected, but there are surprises Poorer people can be found in ALL rural areas – even leafy Berkshire and Surrey

Car ownership by income SOCR Figure % in hamlets on the lowest incomes have at least 1 car And 31% have 2 or more, compared with 8% in urban areas

Age profile of those without car access Source – Analysis of National Travel Survey Non car owners more likely to be older

% with difficulty using bus or walking

Summary of rural travel behaviour Greater access to cars, –but for people on low incomes, ownership is often a necessity Car running costs somewhat higher –greater distances needed –remote petrol stations more expensive –but less congestion – better mpg –petrol spending only about 10% higher Fewer services outlets –and once you use a car to shop, you tend to carry out activities elsewhere – a vicious circle BUT Highly polarised –HIGH Mobility is accompanied by LOW Accessibility

Rural transport in the recession Importance of linking economic and social inclusion agencies Benefits of providing transport to address social exclusion in rural areas

Cross sector benefits of rural transport Obviating or delaying need for social care Providing service for car users in case of injury, driving ban, broken down car etc Savings in unemployment benefits Savings in home visits by health staff Savings in costs of SEN transport Potential for modal shift. Analysis by Paul Beecham of 10 schemes suggested public sector cost benefit ratio of 3:1

Learning from other countries UK has been at forefront of experimentation (eg Rural Transport Partnership, Rural Bus Challenge, Kickstart, etc.) Other European countries (eg Germany and the Netherlands), invested higher expenditure in rural transport – now looking to ensure best value for money In most countries outside relatively densely populated northern Europe the situation is so different there are few comparators Most of relevance learnt from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland as well as The Netherlands, Germany, Finland etc Source – International review (conducted by STAR)

Models of funding/ provision Rural Transport Forum - stakeholders with policy-making powers and funding decisions Rural Transport Programme – implementing transport investment decisions from elsewhere Regional Transport Partnerships - funding programme developed at sub-regional level to meet rural transport and accessibility needs of community Rural Transport Innovation Fund - competitive funding programme Programme of Pilot / Demonstration Projects - to test new concepts in rural transport with a view to establishing viability Integrated community bus services - community-based bus scheme fully integrated with the commercial operations of the private sector Capacity Building – reduce dependence on grant funding through social enterprise and expanding operations Rural Kickstart - pump-priming funding specially tailored to the access needs of rural areas Brokerage / Integration - integration of all resources within private, public and voluntary sectors, and others such as Primary Care Trust transport resources Source – International review (conducted by STAR)

Ideal vision for rural transport A situation where households don’t need more than one car

Vision for rural integrated transport? Inter-town high speed high frequency services Priorities where needed Rural public transport cells Conventional and demand responsive Overall planning for simplicity of use Synchronisation of services Interchanges Information On board signing and guidance Ticketing

A realistic vision for rural transport Context for “realism” – optimism vs pessimism What do people want? What does the country need?

Four of the “Top Ten community concerns” from Parish Plans (around 2003) Difficult for old and disabled to access healthcare Need to link transport systems in a sensible way Set up taxi voucher/ car sharing scheme Traffic calming measures on main roads into villages From analysis of Countryside Agency “Parish Plans”

What would improve YOUR LOCAL area most? Source – Rural Insights Survey 2006 (CRC)

The ‘important’ issues to people Improving transport seen as more important in rural areas than in urban BUT.. Urban people make up 80% of voters Education and health always top priorities for government spending Transport has never been known to play a big role in elections

The important issues to government Congestion Pollution Safety Accessibility Accessibility is the only one where rural areas ‘figure’

Possible rural transport futures for 2029 Three scenarios (out of many) considered ScenarioCharacteristicsImplications “Economic growth at all costs” Rural issues marginalised High fuel price – but cars still needed Wider income disparities Worse public transport The “green” countryside Economy based around tackling climate change Rural areas more ‘functional’ High fuel price – car ownership falls More public transport walking and cycling and local services Strong economy, strong rural growth Planning makes ‘better use’ of rural areas Rural areas less differentiated Better local services Better public transport Source – CRC “Futures exercise” – Plymouth Univ & CRC

The role of public transport in rural areas? A safety net for those without cars? A safety net for those without cars when “we can afford it”? A public service that should provide a reasonable level of service to all? A service that should enable people to freely choose between car and public transport? Providing Choice or Meeting Need?

The Climate Change “Story” for rural areas Emissions from rural areas are high ( includes inter-urban travel) Use of fuel for housing and transport is high for rural residents (but relates to incomes, house size, and hard to heat homes) On an area basis total carbon footprint in not very different Rural areas are not inherently bad but not good either

Lincolnshire “InterConnect”

A case worth arguing? Government is unlikely to pump money into rural transport provision BUT the emissions from rural residents need curbing... AND... Interurban transport accounts for the majority of transport emissions. Government should invest in green interurban transport with staging points in rural areas Local schemes should be encouraged to link to inter-urban routes

Thank You Gordon Stokes