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We are looking at changing bus services in Epsom, Ewell and Mole valley plus Guildford and Waverley areas. This is Phase 3 of our countywide Bus Review, which started in 2010 in other areas.
Surrey's buses carry over 29 million passengers per year and in partnership with bus companies we have made several improvements to services in the area.
However, running buses costs the county council a large sum of money and we need to ensure that they are affordable in the future, with the reduced amount of money we will have available. Research has shown that all or part of some bus services are not being used as well as others, but that some popular services could be used more if changes were made.
Our priority is to make bus services more efficient and provide the taxpayer with value for money. We want to provide a better service on the routes you use the most but at the same time we may have to reduce the level of bus service in some areas.
To start this process off we proposed some possible service changes.
Consultation has now closed, thank you for your feedback. We ran a three-month public consultation from Tuesday 1 November 2011 to Tuesday 31 January 2012 for your comments on the proposals. Brochures listing the changes and including a feedback form was available at libraries from 1 November. Alternatively email your feedback to review@surreycc.gov.uk
In Surrey bus services are provided in two main ways:
Over the past 10 years, costs in the bus industry have been rising much faster than general inflation. Many main bus services, including those in towns, have stopped being commercially viable, requiring Surrey County Council to spend much more in order to keep the network running.
Many of the 240 or so bus services in Surrey require some degree of financial support. In 2001/2 the cost to us was around £4million. By 2009 we were giving over £11million net support each year. This amount of subsidy was continuing to rise and would become unaffordable over the coming years due to the budget pressures we are facing.
The Bus Review gives us an opportunity to take a fresh look at the whole network, where people are travelling to and how often. This means we can focus our investment on the areas or travel opportunities where it is needed the most.
For logistical reasons we can’t consider changes to services across the whole county at once, so we are looking at services in three phases by area. Any changes start in September to coincide with the new school year.
North Surrey (Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne) and East Woking as well as Reigate and Banstead.
Surrey Heath, west Woking (including some services into Guildford) and Tandridge.
Epsom, Mole Valley, Waverley including some services in Guildford.
Most bus services in Guildford are run commercially, whilst the contracted services in the rural part of the borough will be dealt with at the same time as that for the other borough or district in which they run.
Through the whole Bus Review, our cabinet have agreed that we want to:
Whilst we may be proposing improvements on some services that benefit the greater number of the passengers, these aims mean that in some cases people may have to change buses in the future to reach some destinations or they may see a reduction in bus travel opportunity.
From November 2011 to January 2012 the public consultation was open to anyone to feedback on the initial proposals in Phase 3 areas.
Consultation has now closed, thank you for your feedback.
We are now undertaking work to establish the cost to the council of providing services that operators will not run commercially. Only when these costs are known in Spring 2012 will we be able to determine which services and at what frequency we will be able to afford within the reduced budget available.
The consultation feedback and the costs of the revised services have been included in a proposal submitted to Surrey County Council’s cabinet, who have made the final decision.
Public consultation on phase 3 initial proposed changes.
Refined proposals, including any changes arising from the consultation, submitted to Cabinet Member for Transport. Tenders for subsidised service options to be invited from bus operators and analysed.
Final cabinet approval and service change details published.
For more information on our buses or the review please visit other pages on this site or call the Surrey County Council Contact Centre on 03456 009 009.
Thank you to the many parents who have completed the on-line survey, taken part in focus groups or attended area meetings.
The cabinet met on 13 July 2010 to consider the future of Surrey's School Special bus services. In as far as possible, cabinet attempted to respond to views expressed in consultation:
Key elements of the decision reached by the cabinet, to be effective from September 2011 include:
It is therefore with regret that a number of services are to be withdrawn from September 2011.
A list of School Special Services to be withdrawn from September 2011.
A list of School Special Services to be changed from September 2011
All children entitled to free transport will continue to be transported free of charge.
The cabinet decision has been communicated to all schools with School Special services. Surrey County Council officers have worked closely with any school impacted by changes to help mitigate the effects.
Thank you to everyone that responded to the consultation. This ended on 31 January 2011. Consultation feedback was summarised in a report to Surrey County Council's cabinet on 21 June 2011. Proposals for specific changes to services and subsidy savings in Phase 2 areas were considered and approved by cabinet.. The changes meet some of the requests made during consultation, while still delivering major savings.
Focus group research on school Special Services
Outline Map of revised bus services in the Surrey Heath, West Woking and Guildford area, effective September 2011
Outline map of revised bus services in the Tandridge area effective Sep 2011
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