COST, USAGE AND REVENUE OF CONNECT VILLAGES AND CONNECT PORTS SERVICES

Summary

The requester sought detailed cost, usage, and revenue data for Connect Villages and Connect Ports services, but the Department of Infrastructure stated it was not required to fulfill the request due to internal budgeting policies that prevent isolating specific service costs. The authority did disclose approximate minibus purchase costs and fleet replacement figures from a previous 2019 request, noting that minibuses are used for multiple services and costs are aggregated.

Key Facts

• The Department of Infrastructure is not required to fulfill the request because shared services are funded via internal budget transfers rather than invoicing.
• No minibuses were purchased solely for Patient Transport Services or Connect Ports/Villages; they are part of a general fleet replacement program.
• All running costs for minibuses are incorporated into the operational expenditure of the entire bus fleet and cannot be split by service.
• Approximate purchase cost for a new minibus is between £50,000 and £60,000 depending on specification.
• Between 2017 and 2019, the department purchased 16 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 35 Mobility minibuses and 4 Sprinter 45 Transfer minibuses.

Data Disclosed

• £50-60,000
• £732,516
• £345,528
• 8 x Mercedes Benz Sprinter 35 Mobility minibus
• 4 x Mercedes Benz Sprinter 45 Transfer minibus
• 2017-18
• 2018-19
• 2020-03-02
• 2020-04-06
• 17 April 2019
• 1st April 2017
• 1st April 2019

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held in a separable format due to internal budget transfer policies rather than invoicing
• Costs incorporated into general operational expenditure of the entire bus fleet

Original Request

1. Number of passengers carried on Connect Ports service since inception broken down by month. 2. Number of journeys operated on the service broken down by month and split between dedicated connect ports journeys and those carrying DHSC clients. 3. Revenue taken on Connect Ports Service and total passengers identifying proportion of total journeys where more than one pick-up point (or drop off on return) is used. Monthly breakdown again please. 4. Number of passengers carried on Connect Villages operation and total revenue per month since inception. Total number of journeys where only one pick-up is scheduled (express as a proportion of easier) 5. Total cost of minibus operation excluding timetable journeys (eg service 4 and other rostered routes operated by "normal" bus drivers) split between direct costs (mileage related such as fuel, maintenance and tyres) per mile, wage costs (per journey or per hour of operation or per mile as easiest) and standing costs including vehicle provision, depreciation and/or finance as appropriate, insurance, admin etc. per week or month expressed as an average cost per vehicle split over the fleet.

Data Tables (9)

Full Response Text

• Purchase - an approximate purchase cost per new minibus is £50-60,000 depending on specification but it should be borne in mind that we have at least 5 manufacturers of minibuses and that some vehicles were purchased some years ago. • Income – the funding of minibuses is largely from internal budgets. Government policy is that shared services are funded by the transfer of budgets, not by the issuing of invoices.
Should you wish us to try to identify the income from commercial activities that may be possible but we would not, for the reasons given above, be able to identify the matching costs.

Please quote the reference number 735665 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review. If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 799065 21 May 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 17 April 2019 and which states (sic):

"Since 1st April 2017 to 1st April 2019 how much money has the DOI spent on minibuses? Clarification: I would only specifically like to know the amount of money spent (cost) on purchasing minibuses that are used for the "Connect Ports" and "Connect Villages" and the patient transfer services to/from Nobles Hospital that were originally done by Red Cross and the Island private sector taxi/private hire service providers. Ideally also I would like to know how many mini-buses were bought for these purposes also."

No vehicles have been purchased for the sole purpose of Patient Transport Services (PTS) or Demand Responsive Transport (Connect Ports/Villages).
However, we are happy to supply below the purchase costs of minibuses which have been bought as part of our normal programme of fleet replacement during the time period you have stipulated. It is important to note that minibuses are used for services other than those named in your request and, for that reason, all running costs associated with minibuses are incorporated in the operational expenditure of the entire bus fleet. 2017-18 8 x Mercedes Benz Sprinter 35 Mobility minibus 4 x Mercedes Benz Sprinter 45 Transfer minibus £732,516 2018-19 8 x Mercedes Benz Sprinter 35 Mobility minibus £345,528

Please quote the reference number 799065 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

FOI Response Team

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas. IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: DPO-DOI@gov.im

Our ref: 866265 19 July 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 26 June 2019 and which states:

"How many times has the Connect Villages been booked in the north of the island since the service began? How many times has ConnectPorts been booked to firstly the airport? And secondly the sea terminal? How many drivers does Bus Vannin employ on a zero hour contract for the Connect minibuses? How many drivers does Bus Vannin employ on a full time basis who work on the Connect minibuses? How many people using the services have used a free bus pass since Connect services were launched?" There have been 6,697 journeys taken on our connectVILLAGES service from its inception in December last year up until the end of June 2019. It is possible that multiple journeys are made all under one booking however, we do not have the facility to collate our figures in this way. There have been 622 passengers who have booked connectPORTS to the airport since our service began last October, to the end of June 2019. As above, it is possible that multiple journeys are made under one booking. As our “connectPORTS” service has not yet been offered to the sea terminal, the number of bookings is zero.
We have 5 members of staff that operate our connectVILLAGES and connectPORTS service on a regular basis with a further 3 other zero hour drivers who help out as required. Our staff work across Bus Vannin services so there are no specific staff on full time contracts working on our connectVILLAGES or connectPORTS services only.
3,515 ‘free’ passes have been used on our connectVILLAGES service from its inception in December last year up until the end of June 2019. Please quote the reference number 866265 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post. An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date. Yours sincerely

FOI Response Team

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 946173 11 September 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 3 September 2019 and which states (numbered for ease of reference):

"1. Please can you provide information since the inception of the Village Connect service of how many users have obtained transport to the Ramsey Group Practice and/or Ramsey Cottage Hospital as well as how many users have obtained transport from the Ramsey Group Practice and/or Ramsey Cottage Hospital? 2. Also please can you advise if there is an internal policy regarding the pick up of individuals from the Ramsey Group Practice and/or Ramsey Cottage Hospital where they do not have a definitive time for collection? if there is a policy please supply it. Thanks"

1. The table below shows the number of users transported between the locations in your request, since ConnectVILLAGES was launched. Location Dropped Off Collected Martin Ward 96 89 Ramsey District Cottage Hospital 175 113 Ramsey Group Practice 134 73 2. There is no specific policy for unarranged pickups other than that when a passenger tells us they are ready we will get a bus to them as quickly as possible. This is no different for these locations to anywhere else covered by the service.

Please quote the reference number 946173 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper

version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

FOI Response Team

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team/AQ/TC/MF Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 1041661 2 December 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 11 November 2019 and which states (sic):

"How many people are employed on the bus services including the dial,a bus are employed on zero hour contracts? What rate of pay per hour is paid"

The Department has the following number of zero contract employees in bus services: • Minibus section - 96 staff - £10.54 per hour (+8% holiday pay) • Big buses - 83 staff - variable rate of pay: o New pay scale £11.19-£12.51 (+8% holiday pay) o Old pay scale £14.13 Monday-Friday, £20.03 weekends (+8% holiday pay)

Please quote the reference number 1041661 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve

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