Agenda item

This report asks Members to consider a petition presented by Councillor Potter to Full Council on 12 April 2007, objecting to recent fare rises on First York buses, and calling upon the Council to make more effort to resist future fare increases.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to:

1.      Note the content of the report, in particular, the Council’s success in persuading First York to introduce a discounted Family Ticket and to reverse the 100% increase in child single fares introduced in January 2006.

2.      Approve that the Council continues to have constructive dialogue with First York Ltd. about the fares being charged, with the aim of encouraging the Company to moderate increases as much as possible.

3.      Approve that Officers bring a report to a later meeting of the Executive Members for City Strategy and Advisory Panel contrasting ‘like for like’ bus fares in York and other Local Authorities and also within York itself.

4.      Approve that Officers further examine the options regarding cross-ticketing.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:

(i)       Whilst the rate at which the cost of using bus services is a cause for concern, it is recognised that the Council’s ability to influence this is both severely limited and constrained.

(ii)     To ensure that the Company appreciates the Council’s concerns and is persuaded to take them into consideration when reviewing charges for the use of its services.

Members considered a report which advised them of the receipt of a petition, signed by residents in the Heslington area of York, objecting to recent fare rises on First York buses.

An e-mail from Councillor Potter was circulated to Members which raised the following points:

·        Acknowledges the success of a discounted family ticket but notes that it is still more expensive than in many other much larger cities and asks that comparisons are made and pressure brought to bear on First York.

·        Welcomes the reversal of the child single fare increase.

·        Notes that some bus fares increased by between 55% and 59% between 2003 and 2007. The cost of using buses in York stops people from using this environmentally friendly option for travelling and does not encourage people to stop using their cars.

Officers reiterated that the Council had no control over bus prices and could only exert a small amount of influence.

Members raised and discussed the following points:

·        cross-ticketing/network ticketing

·        the prices of tickets in other Local Authority areas where First provide the bus services and their comparison with those in York

·        the Yozone Card and First’s compliance with this and the fact that it cannot be used after 9:30pm

·        the number of people using public transport in York has increased over recent years

·        City of York Council has very little influence over the prices set by First

·        City of York Council has successfully used influence in the past, especially in introducing the Yozone card and reversing the decision on an increase in child single fares

·        the Park and Ride service in York is an excellent and profitable service

·        the various other bus companies operating within York and their ticket prices

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to:

1.      Note the content of the report, in particular, the Council’s success in persuading First York to introduce a discounted Family Ticket and to reverse the 100% increase in child single fares introduced in January 2006 for younger children and YoZone card holders.

2.      Approve that the Council continues to have constructive dialogue with First York Ltd. about the fares being charged, with the aim of encouraging the Company to moderate increases as much as possible.

3.      Approve that Officers bring a report to a later meeting of the Executive Members for City Strategy and Advisory Panel contrasting ‘like for like’ bus fares in York and other Local Authorities and also within York itself.

4.      Approve that Officers further examine the options regarding cross-ticketing.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:

(i)       Whilst the rate at which the cost of using bus services is a cause for concern, it is recognised that the Council’s ability to influence this is both severely limited and constrained.

(ii)     To ensure that the Company appreciates the Council’s concerns and is persuaded to take them into consideration when reviewing charges for the use of its services.