Sunday 2 July 2023

Suggestion: I Believe It’s Time for a New Regional Transport Body for the South East of England?

I've had this idea in my head for the past few years, and I’ve been saying it on Twitter for the past several months.

I would like to suggest that it’s time for a new transport authority for the South East of England (including Greater London and the Home Counties) to subsume TfL (including all their responsibilities listed below), various transport responsibilities by the local authorities (London Borough, Local, County Councils etc.), certain sub-national transport bodies (i.e. England’s Economic Heartland, Transport East & Transport for the South East), and the railway services of the former Network SouthEast.

The first transport authority for London was the London Passenger Transport Board, created in 1933 which makes it 90 years ago! They united the operations of buses, trams, trolleybuses, and Underground trains, but not the surface railways which were operated by the amalgamated ‘big four’ companies at the time. But the London Passenger Transport Act 1933 had established a joint committee with the representatives of the big four railway companies and the London Passenger Transport Board.

The current statutory authorities named Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority (including the Mayor of London) have been serving Greater London since the year 2000, succeeding the London Regional Transport (LRT).

The responsibility of public transport is huge because it’s one of the main assets of the economy, equivalent to utilities such as water, electricity, etc. Not everyone is able to drive a vehicle, so they use public transport to travel to work, attend appointments, leisure, shopping, etc.

The current responsibilities of TfL

The TfL website states:

How we are organised
There are three units, each with responsibility for different aspects of the organisation:
• Surface Transport
• Underground
• Crossrail (now the Elizabeth line)

Surface Transport covers the following areas:
• Buses
• Overground
• Docklands Light Railway
• Roads (including road user charging schemes)
• Cycling
• River services
• Tram
• Emirates Air Line
• Victoria Coach Station
• Dial-a-Ride
• Taxi & private hire
• Walking

Underground covers the following areas:
• Underground
• Elizabeth line

Their other responsibilities include the London Transport Museum, commercial property development, commercial media, and open data.

The control of rail services in Greater London

The proposal to transfer National Rail’s services (commuter and inner-London) to Transport for London has been mentioned several times in the past several decades.

The London Industrial Strategy
Greater London Council. 1985
Public transport
Summary

4. The chapter therefore proposes a broader approach to transport planning by local authorities, which in London would be based on the transfer to local control not only of LRT but also of the British Rail inner suburban services. It would also involve increasing the Council's legal powers to undertake transport spending for economic ends. In terms of transport planning, the approach proposed would involve widening the criteria against which transport spending is assessed, to include the impact of transport services and investment on industrial and commercial location, and urban land and labour markets. The local authority would be more actively involved in the assessment of services, investment decisions and the development of effective methods for assessing the returns in terms of employment promotion, as well as on the presently used, narrower, transport grounds. Issues to be investigated include the impact of particular service patterns on employment levels in particular areas, and on access of people to jobs: the impact of fares and service decisions on income distribution and on real incomes and opportunities; and the assessment of ways in which fares and service changes could be more accurately targeted to assist particular groups. Reorientation of transport policy in this manner would involve, furthermore, more effective local authority control of transport management strategy. The chapter proposes, on the basis of existing GLC policy work, directions for the development of an effective industrial public transport policy, aimed at integration of operations and maintenance, planning for expansion and the development of employment opportunities including those for presently disadvantaged groups such as women and ethnic minorities.

20.23 This decline in urban public transport resulted partly from the falling London population and from employment decline reducing patronage. However, it was also caused, to a considerable measure, by a mixture of bad management and problems of political control, compounded by some mistaken planning and economic assumptions. It has als o been the result of a series of national decisions, by governments and by British Rail, which have consistently placed the needs of London second to the aims of national economic and transport policies. For most of the period neither London Transport nor British Rail were under the control of London local authorities: London Transport only came under GLC control as a result of the Transport (London) Act of 1969. Before this time, London's transport was dependent on the decisions of the transport management, the government ministers responsible for transport, the Treasury, and from 1947 until 1962 a quango, the British Transport Commission.

20.61 While the points put forward below are developed in this paper in terms of policy for bus and underground operations, the effective planning of London's public transport would be best facilitated by making the GLC also the authority for British Rail inner suburban services, which operate broadly within the GLC boundaries and which should be more effectively integrated with the bus and tube operations.

Public Transport - Proposals for action

2. The GLC will develop a dossier on the run down by British Rail of the London inner suburban services, and the poor service which they provide to the public, as a campaigning document for bringing these inner suburban services under the control of a London-wide elected authority.

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TfL Press Release:

Bob Kiley outlines proposals for London Regional Rail Authority
23 March 2004

Rail passengers travelling to, from and through London could get better and more reliable services and fairer ticketing within two years under new plans set out today by Bob Kiley, London's Transport Commissioner.

The plans, which are being developed on behalf of the Mayor by Transport for London (TfL), could see the Mayor take control of all suburban commuter rail services in London. Seventy per cent of all rail journeys are made either to or from London.

A London Regional Rail Authority would oversee integrated planning of the London suburban rail network alongside the capital's Tube, bus and road system.

Read more

The Mayor’s Rail Vision - February 2012
Investing in Rail Services in London

If this new plan was taken forward, passengers would benefit from more reliable services, higher customer service standards, improved stations and higher off-peak frequencies.

London’s rail travellers suffer from having two separate public transport networks. An integrated network run by TfL – including buses, the Tube, TfL’s Overground network, DLR and trams – and different TOCs providing commuter rail services under commercial franchise agreements with central Government.

This results in a confusing mix of ticket products, fare levels, service quality standards and information provision for customers. It is the TOCs that typically provide the lower level of service and greater complexity of fare and ticket products. They also act as a barrier to integrated planning and operational management, and to innovation.

The current franchise model is ill-suited to inner-suburban rail management. It is both more expensive and less efficient than other alternative models that have been tested successfully on TfL’s Overground network.

As a result of this fractured approach to rail service provision, existing assets are not being exploited to their full capacity and the new infrastructure being delivered over the next decade may not reach its full potential.

The money saved through adopting a more efficient franchising model could be ploughed back into improved service quality and customer facilities. Gross savings from the Southeastern and West Anglia franchises alone could amount to £100m over 20 years, and TfL would look to improve some 104 stations, bringing them up to superior London Overground standards.

The success of London Overground exemplifies the benefits of devolution. Customer satisfaction has a score of 92 out of 100 and reliability performance is at a UK record of 96 per cent compared with the TOC average of 91 per cent. Demand has trebled since TfL took over the network and is forecast to grow by a further 34 per cent by 2020.

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January 2016

A new approach to rail passenger services in London and the South East
Working in partnership to improve services and support growth

This prospectus sets out proposals for that partnership, which will provide strategic direction for the region’s rail passenger services.

The partnership will be between DfT and TfL, working closely with train operators, Network Rail and the supply chain. Crucially it will provide a forum for all LEPs, local authorities and other local and regional bodies to have a say in the specification and management of rail services.

There is an intrinsic link between the frequency and quality of those services and the infrastructure upon which they operate, which is largely the responsibility of Network Rail. The funding and structure of Network Rail is currently being reviewed by Nicola Shaw, Chief Executive of HS1. Major investments throughout the region are being reviewed by the National Infrastructure Commission.

This prospectus doesn’t therefore commit to specific infrastructure proposals nor does it discuss changes to accountability for infrastructure. It focuses on the procurement, specification and management of the railway operators providing the day-to-day service to customers.

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Broken Rails: A rail service fit for passengers - November 2018

Every day, many Londoners rely on trains to get around the city. Too often, these trains are infrequent, unreliable and overcrowded, as well as expensive. London needs a rail network that works first and foremost for passengers. In this report, we look at the changes needed to deliver a better rail network for Londoners.

Current proposals only go some way to addressing London’s rail needs. Largescale projects, such as Crossrail 2, will bring significant benefits to rail passengers, but it will be many years until they are delivered. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy offers up a wide range of projects to improve London’s rail network. But it is unclear how all these projects will be funded and when they will actually be delivered. Network Rail’s plans for the next five years address some of the challenges facing London’s rail network, but are limited and again, contingent on funding.

The Transport Committee's report called 'Broken Rails: A rail service fit for passengers' outlines a clear set of priorities which, in the short-term, would improve train journeys for Londoners. We also challenge the Mayor, TfL and Network Rail to find new ways of working to ensure they coordinate to deliver and fund a world-class rail network to serve the capital.

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Strategic Case for Metroisation in south and south east London - March 2019

The role of this Strategic Case is to set out the need to make better use of the south and south east London suburban rail network to serve all those who live, work and visit there and to encourage greater public transport use in these areas to support continued and sustainable growth.

The ‘metroisation’ concept

We want to create a more reliable, efficient and integrated public transport network across south London, Surrey and Kent. This will help support new, affordable homes while making it easier and quicker to travel.

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Unfortunately, the proposal is still ongoing, and the devolution transfer by the government has not been delivered.

Currently, TfL, in collaboration with the Department for Transport is expanding contactless payment to 233 railway stations in the South East of England.

TfL Programmes and Investment Committee

Date Issued: 1 March 2023
Item: Expanding Pay As You Go on Rail in the South East

1.1 This paper sets out the request for unbudgeted Financial Authority and Programme and Project Authority required to expand Pay As You Go (PAYG) on Rail in the South East. All content reflects the latest known information at this stage of the project. Funding is currently agreed for the current scope but as the project evolves there may be a requirement to seek approval for currently unfunded scope changes.

3.1 In February 2019, the DfT undertook a public consultation on expanding PAYG on rail outside London. Upon request from the DfT, Transport for London (TfL) submitted Rough Order of Magnitude costs and an outline customer proposition for the project, covering the acceptance of PAYG using contactless payment cards as well as enabling concessions and discounts to be supported. These deliverables were submitted to DfT in August 2019.

3.2 Following publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail in May 2021, the DfT settled on an expanded geography that will see around 233 stations upgraded to accept contactless payments. The contactless payment system will need to seamlessly integrate with the existing TfL/Train Operating Companies’ (TOCs’) Contactless area to allow customers to travel to and from London using a single tap in and tap out with their payment card. The project requires a technical solution that can be deployed and integrated successfully within the existing operating environment to achieve the DfT's required objectives.

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The expansion of contactless PAYG could enable the transfer of rail services in South East England to a new transport authority subsuming TfL and could integrate ticketing with bus services outside of Greater London. You can read more about my suggestion for reforming ticketing in my previous article.

Let’s take a look at the French transport authority named "Île-de-France Mobilités". The size of the region is 4,638 sq mi (12,012 km2); they control transport services including buses and trains and they have powers to regulate ticketing and fares within the region.

Île-de-France Mobilités designs, organizes and finances transport for everyone living in the Ile-de-France region.

Every day in Île-de-France 9.4 million trips are made by residents using one of the largest public transport networks in the world. Whether for business or pleasure, with a Navigo pass (card or smartphone) or a single ticket, passengers can ride on the 1,500 bus routes, 14 metro lines, 9 tram lines and 13 train and RER lines which crisscross the Region.

To operate all of these lines every day, Île-de-France Mobilités has contracts with transport companies such as RATP, SNCF, Transdev, Keolis, RATP Dev, Savac-Lacroix and many others.

The cost of running this gigantic system amounts to more than 10.5 billion euros each year. It is financed by local authorities (region, departments and the City of Paris), employers via a transport subsidy tax and the obligation to cover 50% of the cost of transport for staff, and by the ticket sales. It’s Île-de-France Mobilités that creates the various ticket types such as Ticket t+, Navigo Liberté+, Navigo weekly/monthly/annual passes, Imagine’R pass, Senior pass and Junior pass, and sets the prices.

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In December 2022, the government announced a devolution deal to create a new Mayoral Combined Authority for the North East of England, which includes devolved transport powers along with bus franchising and new integrated contactless ticketing schemes.

Transport

101. A new, directly elected North East Mayor and the North East Mayoral Combined Authority will exercise the following powers and functions devolved from central government in order to deliver the ambitions set out in the North East Transport Plan and associated policy and strategy documents.

Local transport plan

102. Responsibility for an area-wide local transport plan will be conferred onto the mayor and North East Mayoral Combined Authority.

103. In line with best practice as set out in new local transport plan guidance planned for early 2023, the constituent authorities will review and refresh the existing North East Transport Plan by March 2024, to be finalised by the mayor and combined authority once it is established. It is expected that the Local Transport Plan will implement quantifiable carbon reductions to the higher standard recommended in related guidance.

104. DfT will support the North East Mayoral Combined Authority in the delivery of its local transport plan, through collaboration between DfT ministers, officials and the North East Mayoral Combined Authority, and where necessary assisting the North East Mayoral Combined Authority in securing the support and collaboration of agencies such as National Highways, Network Rail, and Great British Railways Transition Team to play their part in delivery.

Buses

124. The government is committed to delivering improved bus services across the country and has published a National Bus Strategy committing to £3 billion of expenditure nationally over the course of this parliament. The North East has ambitious plans for the improvement of bus services as set out in its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

126. The North East mayor will have access to bus franchising powers under the Transport Act 2000. This will provide the opportunity to further develop high-quality bus services as part of an integrated local transport system and help to facilitate the delivery of smart, simple integrated ticketing across all local modes of transport in the city region.

128. The North East has widespread smart and integrated ticketing on offer through the “Pop” brand and the established back-office systems managed by Nexus to support its use on bus and Metro, alongside single-operator products, as either a smart card or phone-based payment option. It also has a long-standing commercial multi-modal, multi-operator ticketing scheme (Network One Ticketing Ltd).

129. The North East Mayoral Combined Authority and Nexus plan to develop the “Pop” brand so that it can deliver smart, capped, simple integrated ticketing across all local modes of transport in the city region as set out in the North East Transport Plan, Bus Service Improvement Plan and Local Rail and Metro Strategy. The government recognises this is a priority project for the North East Mayoral Combined Authority which they will prioritise in their CRSTS plans. As technical solutions to facilitate multi-operator bus ticketing are developed, the government will seek to work with North East Mayoral Combined Authority and any other parties to facilitate their swift deployment in the North East region.

130. The North East Mayoral Combined Authority and Nexus will work with the Department for Transport, Great British Railways Transition Team and Northern Rail to develop proposals to introduce integrated ticketing using the “Pop” brand and functionality onto the Northumberland Line when it opens for passenger service (target December 2023). This will allow seamless integrated journeys to take place on the Northumberland Line and the Tyne and Wear Metro, with fares subject to a daily cap and discounted fares for young people. The North East Mayoral Combined Authority will develop a business case for its wider deployment on other local rail services in the North East. The government will support the North East Mayoral Combined Authority in discussions with Great British Railways Transition Team and Northern Rail to achieve this.

Smart and Integrated ticketing: contactless bank card / mobile phone bank payment

131. The government recognises that the North East Mayoral Combined Authority and Nexus wish to build upon the “Pop” brand by introducing capped contactless bank card and mobile phone bank payment options on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

132. The government is currently engaging with Great British Railways Transition Team, bus operators and Combined Authorities to develop proposals for contactless capped bank-card transactions across the services of different operators and travel modes. The government commits to working with Great British Railways Transition Team, the North East Mayoral Combined Authority, and Nexus with a view to the North East being actively involved in this work.

Rail

133. The government will support the North East Mayoral Combined Authority in seeking a new rail partnership with Great British Railways Transition Team, once established, so that their priorities can be taken into consideration in future decisions regarding their local network. The North East Mayoral Combined Authority, alongside existing Level 3 authorities, will be considered a priority for these agreements which will provide the ability to influence the local rail offer. Local priorities will need to be coordinated and compatible with surrounding areas and the needs of the national network.

134. The government recognises the North East Mayoral Combined Authority’s ambitions for further devolved powers and will work with the region, Great British Railways Transition Team, and Transport for the North to develop a suitable partnership that facilitate the improvements to services, stations, and fares and ticketing that are set out in the North East Transport Plan and Metro and Local Rail Strategy.

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Recently, the government has funded £45.6 million to Transport North East to improve bus services in the North East of England and to deliver lower fares to help passengers save money on travel.

As for funding public transport and the infrastructure, let’s take a brief look at the concept used by TransLink in British Columbia, Canada.

TransLink funds road and transit operations within the Metro Vancouver region, including improvements and expansion, from its share of the motor fuel tax, transit fares, parking tax, and a portion of property taxes collected in each of our region's 21 municipalities.

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Taxation and road user charging (including the Ultra Low Emission Zone) may be controversial, but this could be one of the methods to increase cash flow for the transport authority, which includes keeping fares low to encourage people to travel using public transport. I’m not saying that taxes should rise. I also believe the responsibility for surface transport (including roads) and the Dartford Crossing (bridge and tunnel) could be transferred to the new transport authority.

Reformed bus services

Some of my readers who follow me on Twitter might have seen me tweeting the old London Passenger Transport Area map.

The new authority would help enhance cross-boundary bus services, such as reinstating route 84 back to New Barnet and extending the 375 to Ongar.

I’d like to see Kent’s Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit service become part of the London bus network, in terms of the 1 hour hopper fare, which enables people to transfer to route 96 (and vice versa) without extra charge.

There should be no boundaries when it comes to travel using public transport, that’s why I believe the responsibility for bus services should be expanded to the South East of England, along with franchising, which is currently in place in London and will shortly launch in Greater Manchester in September 2023.

I’m not advocating for the abolition of deregulation for bus services; bus operators can still set their own routes to provide additional transport links. I’m also not advocating for the abolition of franchising for London bus services; I’d like to see more creativity in buses and other public transport to attract people to travel using public transport.

The new authority would have powers to provide enhanced bus services in the South East and to provide bus infrastructure such as stops, bus lanes, etc.

Recently, the government has invested £16 million to improve bus services in Kent as part of delivering their Bus Service Improvement Plan. I’d like to see bus services within the Home Counties have major improvements, including high frequency services, bus priority measures, etc.

The management and accountability of the new transport authority

The new transport authority could have strong accountability with a new elected board (on a non-partisan or cross-party basis) and regular representations with the Councillors, London Assembly, Mayors, Members of Parliament, Government Ministers (including the Department for Transport and Treasury), organisations (i.e., disability charities, consumer groups), neighbouring regions, etc.

I would also suggest there should be an open forum that allows the general public to submit their suggestions, ideas, and solutions to help improve public transport in the Home Counties and the South East of England. Currently, the Greater London Authority already has its own online community under the name ‘Talk London’ to allow the general public to comment on the policies proposed by the Greater London Authority.

I’d like to see strong accountability and oversight for buses and other public transport services at a local level (including consultations) to identify issues and suggest improvements to services, especially for people who are disabled and live outside of Greater London, as they need better accessible public transport services.

The final decisions for new transport infrastructure to create new services such as Crossrail 2 (Chelsea-Hackney line), Bakerloo line extension, KenEx Tram, etc. should be decided by the new transport authority without bureaucracy.

Travel concessions

The new transport authority would expand the Freedom pass and other concessions to all residents in the Home Counties and the South East of England for various modes of transport. This means the disabled and older people living in Epping Forest would be able to travel to London by using the Underground for free.

It is quite disappointing that the free travel concession for low-paid staff and London bus operators is only valid for TfL services, as they don’t include National Rail services in Greater London. The new transport authority could expand the free travel concession to all transport staff (and nominees) and on all buses, trains, and trams within the region.

Other concessions, such as Railcard discounts, shall remain unaffected and will continue as usual.

Branding

The roundel used for TfL’s buses, trains, and tram services should be retained as they are unique to London. I would like to see a more localised identity for transport services within the South East of England, incorporating the Home Counties.

Extract from Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) document:

The local bus network is presented as a single system that works together, with clear passenger information

91. BSIPs should consider strong network identities so that to passengers it feels like a coherent, consistent, strongly-branded operation which gives people confidence in using it – so that passengers know when the bus will arrive, what the fare will be and what the experience will be like. Typefaces, liveries and logos create an impression of unity.

92. …Local branding should reflect the community and not the operator, though successful existing brands should not be sacrificed.

As for railway services, with the expected creation of the new Great British Railways public body in the near future, the British Rail double arrow symbol will be retained as it represents railway services within Great Britain. I’d also like to see local branding retained for the railway services in the South East of England to give these services their own identity, along with line names that are soon launching for the London Overground services, which helps make journey planning easier.

Conclusion

It’s time for a brand new chapter for Greater London and the South East of England to help improve public transport with stronger integration of services. This could benefit everyone and will encourage more people to travel using public transport with the help of low fares, contactless smart ticketing, and frequent transport services in the South East of England.

I know everyone may not agree with me, but keep in mind that I’m not an activist or an expert in politics or economics; I’ve taken my own time to write up my ideas on how the role of public transport should be reformed. The creation of the new authority will require primary legislation and the will of the government. Recently, the Government agreed to a new devolution deal to create a new Mayoral Combined Authority for the North East of England, with stronger local transport powers.

I have decided to help the idea grow from a user on Twitter in regards to creating a new South East Regional Transport Authority.

My idea is not limited to London and the South East of England; other regions can take my ideas on board to help improve public transport in their own areas.

That’s all I’ve got to say in my article.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my Twitter page here.

Further reading:

• Suggestion: Why Inclusive Surcharge-free Data Roaming on Smartphones is Important for Overseas Tourists (& Vice Versa) to Navigate Public Transport, and To Purchase E-Tickets etc.

• I Believe TfL Should Reform The Travelcard Agreement To Offer Smart Flexible Ticketing Options

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