The Sustainable Travel Group(STG)

Welcome to:

Bus Forum

4th July 2011

Bus Forum

IntroductionsDave Smith

Team Leader – Quality Team / Safer Travel Team

Peter Haines

Transport Officer – Quality Team / Safer Travel Team

Simon Garratt

Transport Officer – Quality Team / Safer Travel Team

Mark Watters

Team Leader – Business Development & Support

Ashley Holland

Team Leader – Contracts Team

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Agenda

• Housekeeping – please turn mobiles off, no fire drills expected• Invoicing• E – Auctions• Safer Travel Review• Driver Training• Contract Issues• New Academic Year• Monitoring Form• CRB /driver registration• Road closure notifications• Working Group nominations• Questions

eAuctions

Phase 1 (AM event)10 Contracts24 operators competed548 bids submittedLasted 1 hour and 50 minutes

Phase 2 (PM event)10 Contracts21 operators competed464 bids submittedLasted 1 hour and 10 minutes

Results still being finalised but indications are that good savings have been made.

Your feedback is welcome (at the end of the session).

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InvoicingPlease help us to help you!

The following are the main problems with invoices:• No Invoice number!• Incorrectly addressed• Wrong prices quoted• Addition errors• Wrong VAT amounts• Not quoting Contract numbers • No reference to dates of operation (or even which month)• Not declaring journeys not operated/varied• Handwritten is still acceptable but must be clear and hold all the details

needed.• No Payee details – note that our Audit requirements state that the payee

should be the name of the contract holder e.g. “John’s Coaches” NOT “Mr. J. Smith”. We may have to enforce this in future.

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InvoicingExamples of bad invoices:

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Invoicing

• Template and instructions are on our website• Reminder that contract payment terms are 30 days now.• Please note that we also expect operators to bill in good

time – very late invoices won’t be paid (12+ months)• Audits across all services (bus and taxi)

– Contacting schools/parents/carers to confirm travel

– Spot checks on site (also for quality compliance)

– Returning incorrect invoices (thus delaying payment)

• If your contract changes – please tell us!

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Invoicing

Removal of email facility beginning from end of July i.e. August onwards invoices should be posted or hand delivered (receipts can be obtained). Why?• Problems with emails not being received from companies meaning payment missed/delayed• Document formats don’t always open or print• Increased workload and costs in STG• Concerns on data protection i.e. personal details of clients being emailed by companies (mainly taxi)

Our role:

ü Promote safe and responsible travel on the school bus.

ü Support all school transport stakeholders.

• Operator’s & Driver’s

• School’s & Teacher’s

• Pupil’s & Parent’s

ü Regulate the operation of school transport along with conduct of

pupil’s and driver’s.

Promote

• Presentations in school assemblies.

• Age 5 – 16 to explain the rules and the consequences of not following them!

• Year 6 classroom sessions. • Teaching the rules BEFORE school transport commences

• Driver training sessions.

• Tips on handling difficult situations.• What is expected of them as school bus drivers.• Creates a dialogue with your drivers and gives the opportunity for

them to voice any concerns. We are human, you know!

Support

• Gateway checks• Pass checking pupils• Badge and signage checks• Vehicle checks

• Ride-ons • To give driver’s support where they think they need it! Don’t be

afraid to ask!

• Observations• Timing• Student behaviour

• CCTV If you’ve got it, use it!

13,242 Students that travel on a school bus in Leicestershire each day.

Bus bans issued within the ’10/’11 academic year.

Permanent bans issued.

300

3

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RegulateThe statistics!

Any further questions?

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Contract Issues

Ø Trading on busesØ Giving sweets and drinks etc to passengersØ Drink driving

Bus ForumNew Academic Year

• Mainstream framework extended• Summary of recent eAuctions

• X• X• X

• Tenders by email for local bus and others• 2011/12 bus passes will be green, sample

being circulated• Season tickets for service buses will be very

similar but will contain detail of specific journeys as currently

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CRB /Driver registration

• CRB charge £44 for enhanced disclosures

• The Council are introducing ‘on-line’ CRB

• Each contractor will need to nominate an ‘evidence checker’

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Road Closure Notifications• Operators will receive ‘e’ notification• Headline details will have location and dates• Operators asked to consider alternatives using

local operating knowledge• Advantage is more notice and wider notification

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Working Group nominations

• Remit of the working group:– For both the Authority and bus companies to gain an insight and understanding of the aspects of contract work that are important to them and work together to address any general issues that may arise

– For LCC to pass on information on relevant policy or legislative changes, duty of care issues and general information affecting the bus market

– To discuss new ways of working and to work in partnership

– To look at all aspects of LCC contract work for mutual benefit

– To share the discussion with all in the market via the published minutes

• Please contact Dave Smith or a member of staff in the STG with your nomination.

• We are looking for 1-2 people from approximately 10 companies to form the 2010/11 working group to meet 3 times between now and April 2011.

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Working group nominations and further information

· By phone: 0116 3058777 and ask for the Quality Team· By email: STG@leics.gov.uk· In writing:

Quality Team

Sustainable Travel GroupEnvironment & Transport DepartmentCounty HallGlenfieldLeicester LE3 8RJ

Our website: www.leics.gov.uk in “Roads and Transport”

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Q & A Session