Access to services in the West Malling area

Worksheet T2 Ease of access to services
Task: to identify how easy it is for people to get around the area. Getting the following information will help to show how easy or difficult it is to use public transport to get to key services in the area.
=== Part 1 Timetabling and accessibility of public transport ===
Q 1 Information points:
'''
*Where are the public transport information points?
*What is the quality of the information offered?
'''
Method
Ask, for example, if there are there multi-mode timetables at bus stops and rail stations, and if special services (such as Dial-A-Ride) are widely advertised or actively promoted?
 
Starting points for information
*Rural Transport Partnership
*Bus and train operators
*County Council transport department
Note 
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; S3 Q1,4 also refer to public transport)
Q 2 Are bus and train times from outlying villages to the town convenient for getting to and from work and school?
Method
Compile a table showing bus and train times during the day. Note when first and last services of the day are. 
Starting points for information
*Bus and train timetables
*District council
Note 
(Worksheets EC1 Q2; EC4 Q14,17; EC7 Q7 also refer to travel. Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; S3 Q1,4 also refer to public transport)
Q 3 What times are the last Friday and Saturday night bus services from the town to villages in the surrounding countryside?
Starting points for information
*Local bus operators
Q 4. What special public and private transport services are there for people who are less able?
#For example, bus, taxi, or alternative community or voluntary transport.
Starting points for information
*County Council
*Bus operators
*Rural Transport Partnerships
Note 
(Worksheets EC7 Q8; S3 Q7,9; S3 Q5 also refer to disability issues)
Q 5. Where are the less able (for example, people who use a wheelchair or walking aid) disadvantaged in using public transport?
Method
Compare public transport routes that have accessible buses/trains with the total number of routes.
Starting points for information
*District council (ask for Access Officers)
*Specific surveys
Note 
(Worksheets EC7 Q8; S3 Q7,9; S3 Q5 also refer to disability issues)
Q 6. What are the walking distances from the main bus set down/pick up places to the focal point of the town centre?
Starting points for information
*Route maps from the bus operators
*Measuring the distance directly from a map
*Quick ‘on the ground’ surveys
Note 
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; EN3 Q7; EC7 Q13,14 also refer to pedestrian access)
Q 7 . How does travelling from the villages to the town by car compare to using public transport for going to the:
*hospital
*secondary school
*job centre
*supermarket 
*library
*leisure/sports centre
*cinema'''
Method 
Pick three rural settlements that have poor, adequate and good public transport links.
For each of these describe the journeys in terms of:
journey time (including waiting times for public transport)
*directness of service or number of changes
*number of different types of transport used
*timetabling difficulties (for example. when the *journey can not be made by public transport)
*car parking at the destination''
Starting points for information
*Local survey of the location of facilities
*Bus and train timetables
*Route maps
*Surveys of travel times
Note 
(Worksheets EC1 Q2; EC4 Q14,17; EC7 Q7 also refer to travel. Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; S3 Q1,4 also refer to public transport)
Q 8. What are the planned changes to rural public transport services that will improve services where the demand exists?
 
Method
Compare any planned changes such as new routes/discontinued routes or increased/decreased frequencies. 
Starting points for information
*Local Transport Plan 
*Bus and train operators