Those following the Island Line trains debate will know that after the Department for Transport (DfT) consultation was launched, a letter raising concerns about the process was published through OnTheWight.
The concerns were raised by former Isle of Wight council leader, David Pugh, now an active member of the Keep Island Line in Franchise (KILF) group.
DfT response raises further questions
Ahead of Tuesday’s consultation meeting, David has shared the DfT’s response to his letter which you can read in full at the bottom of this article.
He has suggested Islanders planning to attend the consultation meeting may find the queries raised below helpful when forming their own questions to ask at the meeting (David is unable to attend himself, but other representatives from KILF will be present).
Self-sustaining model is “open to challenge”
David told OnTheWight,
“They [DfT] have sought to assure me that ‘the consultation document seeks to understand public views, and invites consultees to advance all factors which they consider should be taken into account in assessment of options for the Island Line, including the merits of the line operating on a self-sustaining basis‘ [my emphasis].
“So in theory the merits of the proposed self-sustaining model is open to challenge. In my view the consultation document does not make that sufficiently clear, and still implies a level of pre-determination. Nevertheless, we will encourage Islanders to respond to the consultation on the basis that they are contributing to a meaningful process.”
Lack of detailed income/costs
David went on to explain the DfT have only provided a headline breakdown of revenue and costs, still not shedding any detailed light on what makes up these figures.
He makes two further points,
“How does passenger income for 2014/15 of £959k equate with an advert on Island Line (pictured) that talks of 1.4m passengers a year?
“Are they really saying that the average fare paid is less than £1? I am told that this figure was given to the Advertising Agency two years ago, and passenger numbers can’t have decreased by so much to mean it generates passenger income of just £959k.”
In terms of the staff costs (over £2m cited by DfT for 2014/15), he has asked the DfT,
“In terms of the staffing costs allocated to Island Line, can you confirm whether the figure of £2,093m is wholly and exclusively in relation to staff who are based on the Isle of Wight 100% of their working time, directly in relation to the day-to-day operation of Island Line?
“This is an important point for clarification – particularly to understand whether South West Trains have allocated an unspecified amount of mainland-based management overheads into this figure.”
DfT response
Full details of the response can be read below. Click on the full screen icon to see larger version.
