Main themes

Questions relating to Parish issue/question raised - Relating to enhancements to services provided (see feedback in the right hand column):

Issue/Question raised

Parish

·         How viable is it to enhance the bus services (listed on the right) including to compliment the ‘twilight’ economy?

·         If service providers are unable to provide the suggested enhancements – is there funding KCC could provide?

·         The House of Commons Transport Select Committee report on Passenger transport in isolated communities (HC288 published 22 July 2014) discusses the concept of ‘total transport’ which involves pooling transport resources to deliver a range of services, eg, combining hospital transport with local bus services – Is it possible to create a form of total transport for Maidstone Borough?

·         How are bus services for Maidstone borough currently marketed?

• What could MBC do to help with this?

·         Could an ‘oyster card’ type system be introduced to provide flexibility to move from service to service?

·         What would need to be done to ensure bus routes are in place and running before new developments are completed?

o   What can MBC do to help with this?

·         Has any consideration been given to providing a radial bus service running around Maidstone?

·         How possible would it be to provide a ‘flag down’ service for rural services where bus stops are situated on roads without footpaths?

o   Could a service such as this be trialled?

·         When will real time service update boards be provided at rural bus stops?

Regular integrated bus links from rural villages to train stations and Maidstone

Marden

Boxley

Leeds

Bus services finishing too early (including on Sunday)

Boxley

Sutton Valence

Bearsted

Boughton Monchelsea

Sunday bus service needed

Boxley

Sutton Valence

Bearsted

Boughton Monchelsea

Cross borough service don’t exist – ie Headcorn to Lenham or Staplehurst

Headcorn

Boughton Monchelsea

Sunday Park and Ride service requested

Bearsted

Routes not convenient for local shops and doctors etc.

Beasted

Less parking in new developments and so of few bus service contradict and result in more cars in the town

Leeds

No Arriva office in Maidstone

Leeds

Bus service planning carried out in Germany – not locally

Leeds

Main themes

Questions relating to Parish issue/question raised - Relating to performance issues (see feedback in the right hand column):

Issue/Question raised

Parish

·         What can be done to minimise disruption ie car parked blocking roads and lack of timely information going to service providers

·         How can the criteria for the different bus services be clarified?

·         Why are people who live within 500 meters of a bus stop not able to use the Kent Carrier Service?

·         How viable would it be to introduce interchangeability of tickets between the different service?

·         What is being done to combat buses arriving and leaving earlier than scheduled?

·         The House of Commons Transport Select Committee report on Passenger transport in isolated communities (HC288 published 22 July 2014) raise again the potential for local authorities to use Quality Contract to introduce franchising systems similar to those operating in London – where the local transport authority specifies what service is required and the private sector competes for the right to provide it – how viable would Quality Contracts be for the Maidstone borough?

·         Has KCC investigated how the test case, Nexus in Tyne and Wear, has performed with Quality Contract?  If not, is this something they could find out?

Arriva and NuVenture both run a highly valued service through Barming and Teston.

Issues are: narrowness of roads and cars parked obstructing the route and timetabling

Notification of road works upsetting timetables causing detours

Barming

Teston

Buses to infrequent and unreliable

East Farleigh

Bearsted

Boughton Monchelsea

Leeds

Cost too high

Sutton Valence

Inconsistency – use of different bus passes and Kent Carrier

Staplehurst

Headcorn

Boughton Monchelsea

Bus passes disintegrating quickly (don’t last the issue period – wear out)

Staplehurst

Is the dedicated school bus to Cornwallis going to continue?

Staplehurst

Headcorn

Number 5  and 59 bus services – buses not arriving

Staplehurst

Kingswood and Broomfield

How many complaints have KCC received in last 2 months

Staplehurst

Bus stops and shelters – not enough seat, positioning wrong, do not shelter from rain

Staplehurst

Headcorn