The Future of Public Transport
Our vision is to transform travel. We believe that to do this we need to take a fresh look at the way we travel, bringing superior vehicles to our towns and cities that will improve the quality of the travelling experience for our customers. The introduction of our new ftr vehicle plays a part in realising this vision.
ftr is a new concept in public travel developed in close consultation with current and potential customers. It aims to deliver the high quality of a tram with the flexibility of a bus. These leading-edge vehicles are stylish and comfortable, offering a smoother ride. An ftr scheme can help to reduce urban traffic congestion by making public transport an attractive and realistic alternative to the private car.
In May 2006 the first ftr scheme was launched on the busy service 4 route in York in partnership with City of York Council. A real-time information system tracks the location of the vehicles and gives traffic light priority to help them run on time. This technology also gives customers details of when the next ftr is due. Customer Service Hosts travel on each ftr to ensure speedy boarding, answer travel enquiries and issue tickets where appropriate. Tickets can be bought at PayPoint outlets across the city. Ten vehicles are currently operating the service in York and passenger numbers are growing steadily.
In January 2007 the ftr concept was brought to Leeds in a partnership between First, Leeds City Council and Metro. First have invested in 17 new ftr vehicles; Leeds City Council have invested in new stopping arrangements and highway improvements as well as new bus priorities; Metro have provided new stops and shelters. Full operation of the scheme in Leeds began in May 2007.
To assess customer response to the ftr concept, independent customer research was carried out in York in January this year. Overall 87% of customers rated their most recent journey as good, very good or excellent. Five per cent of customers now use the ftr instead of their cars.
The quality of the ftr pilots, hosts and ticket inspectors, cleanliness of the vehicles and quality of information all received very positive feedback. Ratings for the ticket machines, the ease of buying a ticket and the length of time customers sometimes had to wait for an ftr received lower ratings. This was one of the reasons that we moved to full hosting on all vehicles.
The results of this survey reflect very positively on customers' attitudes towards the ftr concept. The local team continues to work closely with City of York Council to identify congestion hot spots and ensure consistent service delivery.
Following the successful launch of the ftr, detailed plans are currently being developed for further schemes in cities around the UK with Swansea preparing to launch in 2008 or 2009.