Traveline (Hansard, 22 October 2002)

§ Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken with regard to contracting market research relating to the future direction of the Traveline service. [76200]

§ Mr. Jamieson
The Department for Transport is providing a supporting role to traveline and has agreed to fund and manage two research projects.
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The first research project is underway and is assessing issues that traveline may need to address to ensure effective future delivery to the customer. This includes an assessment of extending the future minimum opening hours for traveline; identifying the requirements for existing traveline customers; and establishing the extent of information that needs to be given by traveline if we to encourage greater use of public transport, among public transport users and non-public transport users. Recommendations on changes to the future traveline service following research will be examined by traveline.
The second project is planning to look at the standard of trunk journey solutions provided by traveline and the associated costs. The Department for Transport wishes to assess the extent to which the national requirements placed on traveline for the provision of trunk service information (i.e. data about the national rail and coach network) have been achieved. The requirements state that the traveline system must provide answers that are consistent with the information provided by the respective national trunk service information providers (i.e. Go By Coach, Scottish Citylink and National Rail Enquiry Service). The traveline parties will address recommendations following research.

§ Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes and improvements have been made to the Traveline website during 2002; what additional changes are planned; and by what date changes are planned to be implemented. [76199]

§ Mr. Jamieson
Traveline regional journey planners for East Anglia, London and parts of the North West have been added to the traveline website during 2002.
It is expected that the traveline journey planners for the South East, East Midlands, South West, Scotland and Wales will be added to the traveline website by December 2002.
A journey planner for the West Midlands and a journey planner covering the remaining parts of the North West will be added in 2003.
A merger of the traveline website and a website that offers a comprehensive index to public transport information sites has been started during 2002 and will be completed in early 2003. The combined site will maintain the existing traveline web address and branding.