Best Value News
www.merseyfire.gov.uk
March 2005
Best Value News is a joint
publication by Merseyside Fire
and Rescue Service and
Merseytravel, the transport
authority for Merseyside.
We share the same objective
which is to provide the best
possible service to the council
tax payers of Merseyside.
Everyone who lives and
works in our region is a
potential user of our services
and the intention is to make
those services as efficient and
effective as possible.
The Best Value embraced by
our Authorities means that we
are committed to delivering
the correct services at
reasonable cost to the right
level of quality.
We are achieving this by
continuing to work closely
together wherever possible.
Production of this publication
in partnership is a further
demonstration of that
commitment.
As you will see, each
Authority has reported on
performance over the past
twelve months and on our
plans for the future.
We hope that you will also
get value from reading Best
Value News and if you wish to
comment on anything in this
latest edition please send your
comments to the address
under "Getting in Touch".
www.merseytravel.gov.uk
A message from Councillor Tony Newman,
Chair of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is delivering on its
commitment to provide council taxpayers with excellent value for
money, while also making Merseyside a safer place.
Within this newspaper we are publishing some of our key
performance indicators and mentioning some of the
measures we are taking to deliver them.
The Service is investing in the most modern,
up-to-date equipment and vehicles, and developing
new services such as the Search and Rescue Team and
Incident Management Team.
We are continuing our world leading work in community
fire safety, setting even more challenging emergency
response times for our frontline services, and
recruiting new firefighters.
A Message from Councillor Mark Dowd OBE,
Chair of Merseytravel
Welcome to the latest edition of Best Value News which we are
again producing with our colleagues at Merseyside Fire and
Rescue Service.
This joint publication is evidence of the close partnership between our authorities in
ensuring best value in the quality of services we provide for the people of Merseyside.
At Merseytravel we are now in the final year of the first Local Transport Plan which
has received approval from both the Government and the travelling public
of Merseyside.
You will see on the following pages details of some of our achievements which
include:
• Receiving a Transport and Works Act (TWA) Order to build
and operate Line 1 of the Merseytram scheme,
and commencing construction of the multi-modal
interchange at Liverpool South Parkway.
• We look forward to building on these achievements as
we prepare for our second five year Local Transport Plan
which is designed to continue towards our objective of
providing a quality integrated transport system accessible
to all in the region.
• In conclusion I would like to pay tribute to our own
Best Value Committee, under the chairmanship of
Councillor Alan Dean, which is committed to
ensuring that our standards are maintained.
Getting in Touch
If you have any comments on our proposals or how
they are presented in this summary, please write to:
Getting in Touch, Freepost NWW 1588A, Liverpool L3 6ZZ.
Alternative formats are available on request to the Merseytravel
Brochure Hotline on 0151-330 1066.
www.merseytravel.gov.uk
www.merseyfire.gov.uk
For a translation of this summary, please indicate the language
you need and return to the address opposite.
Merseyside Fire & Civil Defence Authority
Meeting
our Targets
Accidental fires, deliberate car fires, anti-social fires and
malicious false alarm calls have all reduced steadily over the
last five years.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s ongoing fire safety and
fire reduction initiatives, such as the Arson Reduction Team and
Community Fire Safety Team, are helping to make the region an
even safer place to live and work.
Their continued success is shown through the latest Best Value
Performance Indicators. These are set by national government and
apply to each Fire and Rescue Service in the country, allowing us
to review how we perform each year.
The number of fires in Merseyside is continuing to fall, building
on the downward trend that has been enjoyed since our
groundbreaking Home Fire Safety Checks were introduced.
As the statistics run over the financial year, we are only
able to provide sensible estimates at present.
Below are some of the key estimate statistics for 2004-05.
Deaths from fires in the home
We were pleased to see a reduction in deaths occurring in
accidental fires in the home during 2003/4. Unfortunately 2004/5 has
seen an increase in such deaths, each death reminding us how
easily fire can take a life. However, it is important that the overall
trend in fire deaths is still downwards and this is due to our
continued focus on fire prevention and protection, through our free
home fire safety checks and in particular the analysis of each fatality
to target resources at those most at risk of dying in a fire. We
believe that maintaining our commitment to community fire safety
will continue to have a positive impact on the numbers of people
dying in fires.
Accidental dwelling fires
This year we are predicting the lowest number of accidental
dwelling fires since we began recording statistics for Best Value.
This improvement is due to our world-leading community fire
safety programme and through targeting communities that are at a
higher risk of having a fire in the home. Current forecasts show we
are on target for a 10% drop compared to last year, and a 25% fall
since 2000/01.
Making Homes Safer
Our pioneering Home Fire Safety Checks are being
recognised nationally as a fundamental fire safety
initiative. So much so that the Government is now giving
all fire authorities money to carry out their own schemes.
We started our project in 2000, the first Fire and Rescue Service in
the world to offer free home inspections, advice and smoke alarms
to every resident. In four years we have fitted 300,000 free smoke
alarms, a simple, practical way of helping save lives and reduce the
misery of fire.
We have been continuing to develop this work, building stronger
partnerships with hard to reach communities and community groups.
Our advocates service has expanded and is working with old people,
non-English speaking communities and people with hearing
difficulties. We have also continued to work with younger people
through the 60+ initiative to encourage even more Home Fire Safety
Check referrals.
Our work with elderly people earned us Beacon Authority status
and we are now working with London and Cleveland Fire and Rescue
Services as Beacon mentor.
Integrated Risk
Management Plan (IRMP)
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service followed up the
publication last year of its strategic Integrated Risk
Management Plan with its Year Two Supplement.
The Supplement continues the process of change in the Service,
highlighting the latest measures that will be introduced to deliver a
safer Merseyside.
Following a three-month consultation period, the Supplement
outlines the further expansion of its world leading community fire
safety initiatives, announces improvements in our frontline
emergency services and explains how we will work with other local
agencies and emergency services.
The IRMP Year 2 Supplement can be found on our website
www.merseyfire.gov.uk
If you have questions regarding
the IRMP please contact:
The Integrated Risk Management Plan Team
at our service headquarters on
0151-296-4000
or write to: The IRMP Team, Service HQ,
Bridle Rd, Bootle L30 4YD
If you would like to book
a Home Fire Risk Assessment
then please contact us on
freephone
0800 731 5958
Deliberate vehicle fires
Our Arson Task Force is helping to tackle deliberate vehicle fires.
While nationally vehicle fires are on the up, in Merseyside they are
on course to fall by around 16%, making it the lowest number
since the Task Force was introduced.
Malicious false alarms
There has been a year on year improvement in reducing malicious
false alarm calls and this year we will see the lowest number since
our records began in 1999, with an estimated fall of 36% on last
year. This is a result of partnership work with British Telecom and
major mobile networks that has targeted malicious calls from
phone kiosks and mobile phones. Our staff are also contributing
to this reduction by challenging people on the line who they
believe may be a hoax caller.
Anti-social fires
Anti-social fires relate to anything other than a building, such as
rubbish or bonfires. This year there has been a sharp decline in
these fires, with an estimated 36% decrease from last year. Again
this is the lowest since the Arson Task Force was set up.
Cost of fire
The cost of accidental dwelling fires to the community is set to fall
by £4 million compared to last year. This year’s estimated cost of
£35.7m is a 10% reduction on last year.
Achievements and Objectives
Buses
Mersey Tunnels
Mersey Ferries
In Merseyside, buses on the network cover nearly 50
million miles per year, and there are almost 170 million
passenger journeys annually. Merseytravel directly
subsidises socially necessary but unprofitable bus services
which represent 20% of the network; delivers major
upgrades to facilities and information systems; and mounts
promotions to increase awareness and usage of public
transport.
Merseytravel provides the socially and economically vital
road links under the Mersey 24 hours per day, all year
round. Up to 80,000 vehicles now use the Tunnels every
day.
Mersey Ferries provide cross-river commuter and leisure
services together with Special Cruises, Charter Hire and
customer facilities at the Terminals.
What we have done
✔ Introduced a bus link from St Helens to Liverpool John
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Lennon Airport in conjunction with Arriva.
Progressed the CATCH project to introduce 6 hybrid
diesel/electric buses in central Liverpool.
Devised a new bus stations strategy consultation.
Continued to refine Joblink services and Demand
Responsive Transport throughout Merseyside and in
Halton.
Increased ridership on sports buses for soccer, rugby
and horse racing events.
Worked closely with operators to improve levels of
reliability through monitoring of services and assessment
of returns for concessionary fares.
What we have done
✔ Kept toll increases to a minimum and offered greater
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discount for Fast Tag Users.
Taken part in the latest round of the European Tunnel
Safety Inspection regime for Kingsway.
Continued to upgrade the Tunnels’ ventilation systems.
Maintained our ISO 14001 accreditation for the
Environmental Management Scheme.
Conducted trials to ease the flow of traffic.
What we have done
✔ Developed our Special Cruise Programme, including an
11% increase in Manchester Ship Canal passengers
between 2003 and 2004.
✔ Gained Investors in People accreditation.
✔ Completed the refurbishment of our third vessel,
Snowdrop.
✔ Opened a major new interchange at Seacombe in February
2005.
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
and introduce a website dedicated to Mersey Tunnels.
✔ Achieve the Investors in People standard.
✔ Redevelop the Pier Head Ferry Terminal by 2007.
✔ Further develop the Leisure Cruise and Cross River
✔ Complete work on the ventilation systems.
✔ Progress maintenance work.
✔ Use new technology to improve the Fast Tag scheme,
✔ Open the Spaceport Visitor Centre in Summer 2005.
✔ Double the size of attractions and customer facilities in
Seacombe Terminal in 2005.
Commuter markets.
✔ Support the local tourism initiatives, including Sea
Liverpool 2005 and other Capital of Culture events leading
up to, and beyond, 2008.
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
✔ Develop our bus strategy to include possible quality
contracts and enhanced integration with other modes.
✔ Develop a new service, linking Liverpool South Parkway
and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
✔ Introduce a yellow bus scheme to enhance the dedicated
school services already operating in Maghull and Rainford.
✔ Improve the quality of the local bus fleet by awarding
grants for environmental measures to improve buses.
Merseytram
Passenger Information
Merseytravel places great emphasis on providing high
quality information for both the travelling public at point of
use, and the potential travelling public.
What we have done
✔ Met and exceeded national targets for the Traveline
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Merseyrail
The Merseyrail Network covers 88 stations, with over 33
million passenger journeys being made on the network
each year.
What we have done
✔ Continued to refurbish all rolling stock on the Northern and
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Wirral Lines.
Continued to deliver improved facilities and enhanced Park
& Ride at stations as part of the Local Transport Plan.
Appointed a new operator for the City Line, the same
operator as the Northern and Wirral Lines.
Improved security by introducing CCTV, additional security
staff and penalty fares.
Installed gates at the 5 underground stations and
Southport.
The Merseyrail Electrics network maintained its position as
the best performing operator in mainland UK.
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
✔ Ensure that at least 99.3% of scheduled journeys run.
✔ Increase the number of rail users by 5% each year.
✔ Continue to improve security, both on trains and on
stations.
✔ Deliver further improvements in passenger information
provision, Park & Ride, and bus/rail interchange at stations.
✔ Open Liverpool South Parkway interchange in winter 2005.
✔ Develop proposals to extend the electrified network.
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service.
Piloted a scheme of electronic kiosks at bus stations.
Produced and maintained bus stop specific timetable
displays at 6,000+ bus stops.
Developed the Merseytravel website to include journey
planner facilities.
Upgraded the provision of information at Liverpool John
Lennon Airport.
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
The Merseytram project is a proposed 3-line network Line 1 from the City Centre to Kirkby; Line 2 to Whiston
Hospital and Line 3 to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
What we have done
✔ Received Government funding approval for £170 million
towards the costs of Line 1.
✔ Received approval from Government to build and operate
Merseytram Line 1.
✔ Shortlisted partners to build and operate Merseytram and
to provide the trams.
✔ Completed the public consultation on Line 2, with over
90% in support of Merseytram.
✔ Started the procurement of the Tram vehicles.
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
✔ Build Merseytram Line 1 and start passenger services.
✔ Complete construction of Line 2.
✔ Progress the funding and powers and approvals for Line 3.
✔ Produce neighbourhood "key maps" for all areas in
Merseyside.
✔ Introduce SMS text messaging facility at bus stops.
✔ Provide North West timetable information via Traveline
and the website.
Promotions
What we have done
✔ Translated key booklets into alternative languages to
improve access to information.
✔ Expanded the programme of joint promotions.
✔ Increased the range of leisure-based leaflets.
✔ Targeted promotions such as advertising Princes Parade
Fares & Ticketing
Merseytravel provides a free Concessionary Travel Scheme
for elderly and disabled people. Merseytravel’s prepaid
tickets, which include Trio, Trioplus, Solo and Saveaway
tickets, are used on a fifth of journeys within Merseyside
every day.
What we have done
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Increased the number of independent ticket agents.
Increased sales income of all tickets by 3%.
Increased ticket sales to local organisations by 300%.
Extended Young Persons tickets to those on training
schemes.
✔ Extended the Concessionary Travel Scheme.
bus services to local businesses.
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
What we are going to do over the next 5 years
✔ Continue the programme of translations.
✔ Continue to support the Merseytram team with the public
consultation for Line 3 and the TWA Submission for Line 2.
✔ Extend the promotional programme for Local Transport
Plan quality bus corridors.
✔ Explore options to extend the pre-paid ticket schemes into
Halton.
✔ Introduce Smartcard technology for ticketing purposes.
✔ Trial automatic passenger counting technology.
✔ Explore alternative options for purchasing tickets,
eg via the Internet.