Cardiff Bus’s feedback to National Assembly for Wales' Enterprise and Business Committee meeting

5 November 2015

The planning process for the Rugby World Cup: how you were involved and how you prepared

· Pre-planning meetings were held with Cardiff Council to discuss the RWC and potential impact on the city.

· Details of each game were considered, including the estimated crowd size, road closure times and the operational details for event Park and Ride.  

· Based on the initial plan outline, internal resources are allocated (drivers, event supervisors, buses and some ground staff) and event timetables are agreed. Cardiff Bus is very experienced and well-rehearsed with the workings of major events.  The extent of key road closures and diversions are determined at these meetings.

· Our bus services on such occasions are displaced to three main satellite terminal points around the city centre for a pre-determined period. There is a robust communication plan to inform our customers of the changes to their travel plans.

· The effectiveness of bus service provision on match days, including communication, the impact of industrial action and how it was mitigated

· On these days the overall service level for that day would be put in place with the caveat of changes to the city centre terminal points.

· Passenger numbers tend to fall on event days because of changes to travel arrangements and relocation of bus stops.  This is a similar experience with most major events in the city centre that necessitate road closures/diversions.

· In the main we serve the local communities around Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, whilst most visitors on event days are drawn from beyond these areas, and often Wales.  On these days’ journeys to the Cardiff City Centre are from these wider areas beyond our network.

· Over the years we have developed an effective communication system of notifying our customers about major events. We use different channels of communication including posters, notices on bus stops, press releases, our website, link to the council’s website, media screens/posters on all our buses, social media feeds, radio stations, Traveline and others. In addition, on the actual event days we have trained staff on the ground in key locations to direct customers and answer their questions.

· There was a contingency plan during the industrial action which was based around providing basic services - in the event over a third of our services operated with the help of management, supervisors and some drivers. The core period of the matches was covered; it is important to note that only three out of the ten matches were affected by the industrial action. As stated above, regular passengers tend to stay away from the City Centre on major event days.  For example, the East Park and Ride (Pentwyn) facility was operational until 1 am on Friday, October1, 2015 (one of the three strike days). 

The effectiveness of public transport infrastructure in the city, including any impact resulting from the current redevelopment of Capital Square and the bus station

· In the main the level of bus infrastructure within the city centre is able to cope with temporary changes made to services for event days.

· Overall, the loss of the bus station for the duration of its redevelopment has seen significant changes to how buses serve the city centre.

· We are aware from feedback received that our customers are sensitive to changes and we continue to work with Cardiff Council to ensure that disruptions are minimised.

· Cardiff is a very compact city centre by comparison to other cities of similar size and there are significant pressures on the highway network. These network pressures are also present on key corridors into and out of the city centre.

· There is sufficient evidence for more bus priority measures which will increase the speed of bus journeys. There is significant proven research that demonstrates the return on investment in such schemes and the positive impact it has on the local economy.

· This could be aided by a more robust enforcement of the moving traffic offence order (including Box Junctions).

· Also, the possibility of opening St Mary Street on major event days may help improve bus stop congestion.

Wider organisation of the events including event communication, crowd management and facilities

· In addition to specific planning meetings for RWC held by Cardiff Council, Cardiff Bus also attends the Stadium Events Liaison Group (SELG). This group brings together the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Council, emergency services and bus and rail operators to consider all forthcoming events often up to 24 months in advance of the event.

· There are various dialogues on a regular basis about the impact of planned or actual major event in the city with regards to transport issues.

· With collaborative working between the council, the police and our experienced team on the ground, crowd management on event days is a well embedded practice and does not present a major issue.  

The appropriateness and effectiveness of public transport provision for the events more generally (for example taxi services and reports of queues and overcrowding on train services and impact on wider transport services)

· We provide a comprehensive network across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Working in partnership with the Council, bus use is promoted and encouraged on event days.

· The use of our Park and Ride facility is also promoted with increased capacity and longer operating hours to cater for major events. 

Any lessons learnt for future events of this type

· Short-term event management in the city is very well structured and managed effectively by other relevant parties. This said, it will be beneficial to consider opening additional bus only access in Queen Street and St. Mary Street to reduce bus stop congestion. This may also encourage more local people to travel into the centre city.  This action will also be of benefit to the retailers.

We remain committed to keeping the city moving even on major event days.