Official Report 262KB pdf
National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons (Scotland) Amendment Order 2010 (Draft)
Yes. We met representatives of the Confederation of Passenger Transport on a number of occasions. The planning for implementation on 1 April is well in hand. The last of the readers for buses are being introduced simultaneously. About 80 per cent of buses already operate with card readers, and we expect the remaining 20 per cent of readers to be in place. The industry is ready for that schedule.
Will card holders need to renew their cards? Will there be a system to change their cards? Will they use the cards that they already use?
You will observe on the train ticket machines that have the new reader on the front of them and a little red light that the screen has the ITSO logo, which shows that the same card standard is used on the rail network as on the bus network. The whole point of the card and the standard is that it is possible to load up a series of applications in the memory of a single card, including commercial applications. The ITSO card was therefore a good choice. It is a well-established system throughout the world and it will enable us to develop the ITSO technology in a number of travel situations. One can even imagine at some future point—although we are not actively engaged in this—people carrying small sums of money on their cards, very much as members do with our parliamentary passes, so that they can buy their newspaper before they get on the bus and travel to work.
The committee will report to Parliament on the result of the debate. I thank the minister and his colleagues for joining us. We now move into private for the remainder of the meeting.
Under items 2 and 3, we will deal with an affirmative Scottish statutory instrument. Under item 2, the minister will be invited to make some remarks and we will have some time for discussion, following which we will move to item 3, which is the formal debate on the motion on the draft order.
For clarity and good order, I draw it to the attention of committee members that I am a card holder under the scheme that we are discussing.
The cards that are already being used are ITSO cards. That was one of the good decisions that was made at the outset. Do not ask me what ITSO stands for; I cannot remember, although I should know—it is an international standard card.
As an interested outsider to your negotiations, it seemed to me that the process was long and drawn out. I am interested in what barriers you came up against and whether there was full agreement, for example between the CPT and the Government, in drawing up the specification for the independent consultancy that you spoke about.
Yes, we consulted the CPT and agreed the specification for the study. It is proper to devote a reasonable amount of time to such matters, which are important to the bus industry. My officials met the CPT fairly regularly, and Mr Swinney and I sat down with people from all the major bus companies and the CPT to conclude and to bring forward the proposals that we are discussing. From the outset, we always wished to introduce the measures on 1 April, although members will notice that under article 2(4) there is a slightly convoluted formula relating to the first year of the three years for which the figure is set. That is just to provide for the date of implementation being not 1 April but perhaps 7 April. However, 1 April has always been the date that we, jointly, have been aiming for.
You have driven down the reimbursement rate and perhaps driven quite a hard bargain. That is looking after the public pound, but are you clear that the measures will not impact on fare-paying passengers?
In parallel with the process, we have increased the funding for the bus service operators grant, which until now has been administered by the Department for Transport, but which from 1 April will be administered by Transport Scotland. That will have no practical effect, but that is one of the changes. There has been no associated parliamentary process, although we have pointed out the changes. We have given certainty on the BSOG for three years and increased the funding by about 10 per cent. One reason why we did that was that the BSOG is very much focused on keeping the wheels turning on bus routes, whereas the concessionary scheme is about rewarding bus companies for carrying individual passengers.
I have a quick final question. You highlighted the decision by the previous Administration to get the technology right, which has allowed the current measures. Are you satisfied that we are taking a similarly far-sighted approach and thinking about what might happen in future in integrating smart ticketing between trains and buses? ScotRail is installing readers and machines in stations and looking to pilot them. Are you satisfied that we will have an integrated system that will allow people to use one card in both systems?
That brings us to the end of item 2.
I ask the minister or his officials to say a little bit more about the shadow fare’s operation on the ground. As I understand it, the concession holder will board a bus and use their swipe card. I note that the introduction of the shadow fare is tied to the introduction of the modern swipe card system. Then what happens? Can you tell the committee about the mechanics of a typical journey?
A number of operators have issued tickets that entitle them to recoup the standard fare for the route. In future, people will get on the bus and use their card. Strictly, it is not a swipe card system but a pad. The card conforms to the ITSO standard—it is a standard card, the use of which has been established elsewhere. The passenger will state their destination, like any other passenger, and will be issued a ticket showing that destination.
The commencement date is 1 April 2010. Is that realistic to enable smooth running from one system to the other?