Transport Connections Evaluation Report - TDSA

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ABCD Department of Human Services Transport Connections Program Government July 2006 and Training (VET) classes in Horsham and at Longerenong College each Wednesday during this school year. According to the TCP coordinator, the VET buses play a vital role for the program on two distinct levels: • the buses transport approximately 175 students each week • without the participation of students that are transported in from outlying areas, student numbers would be too low to offer some of the courses. As discussed above, access to flexible funding options can assist communities in implementing, or maintaining, transport services. The establishment of the ‘Flexible Transport Solutions Fund’ can assist those areas with low population bases to broker and develop a transport service in the short to medium term. 4.3 Outcomes at the individual user level To assess the impacts at the individual level, a number of methods were utilised. These included: • Where TCP pilots directly develop or trial demonstration services, coordinators were asked to assist in conducting an individual user survey to capture information on improved access and utilisation of local transport options, increased user satisfaction with local transport options in terms of quality; safety; timeliness, availability and affordability. • Focus groups were held with individual community members in the majority of pilot projects. • Travellers on the Loch Sport to Sale bus were interviewed while travelling on the bus to gain their perception of local transport options, and the impact TCP has had. As only two projects undertook the individual user survey, the results are not rigorous enough to draw conclusions from, and thus have not been included in the final evaluation. However, observations can be made about those individual initiatives on a stand-alone basis. Assessment of the outcomes of the TCP at the individual user level, for the final evaluation, has also drawn on the data collected previously by the pilot projects about the impact of their various initiatives on individuals who are identified as transport disadvantaged, utilised qualitative data from the stakeholder consultations and data collected by the coordinators over the last 12 months on the initiatives undertaken by the pilot projects. 4.3.1 Increased knowledge and awareness of available transport options • Provision of information represented an early gain to the TCP pilot projects, with 22 brochures developed and distributed by the mid term evaluation. This ranged from transport timetables, to accommodation assistance and subsidy eligibility and availability. Access to up-to-date information emerged as a key requirement for those who are transport disadvantaged, and the pilot projects are continually addressing this need. • Over the last 12 months, as noted in section 3.1, the focus on information provision has reduced. However, the pilot projects are still developing and implementing information Final Evaluation - Transport Connections Program 2006 29 © 2006 KPMG, an Australian partnership, is part of the KPMG International network. KPMG International is a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. The KPMG logo and name are trademarks of KPMG.
ABCD Department of Human Services Transport Connections Program Government July 2006 solutions so that local communities are made aware of the available transport options. Over this time, a total of eight new brochures have been produced and distributed, including: • Hume Integrated Transport Information for Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park – in conjunction with MetLink, who will contribute to the design and printing costs, Hume Transport Links is developing materials that will include relevant transport information such as public transport, taxis, community transport and transport safety information. The first materials developed will be those aimed at seniors and young people. The brochures and access maps produced by the pilot projects are also subject to regular updates to ensure that communities have the correct information. Table 4.6 below highlights the number of brochures and maps developed as part of the TCP. This includes all timetables, accessibility maps, accommodation options and subsidy information available to eligible travellers. 16 Table 4.6: Overview of activities increasing access to local and Government resources Information brochures Mid term evaluation phase Final evaluation phase Total New information brochures 22 8 30 As can be seen from the above table, the focus on information provision has shifted from being a high priority to more of a watching brief exercise. This, as discussed earlier by the TCP cycle, is to be expected as the pilot projects move from identifying immediate need (such as lack of information) to developing solutions for more complex transport issues. Information provision can be an effective, and relatively cheap, sustainable investment if it is embedded into current processes at the local system level and, in particular, the statewide level. While it might be sufficient this time for the projects to produce appropriate timetables and information brochures, for long-term sustainable change, thought has to be given as to how this should be done into the future. The example of Hume Transport Links collaborating with MetLink, the provider of information to the metropolitan Melbourne public transport network, in developing appropriate travel information can be seen as an attempt to embed this practice. The role of the projects might be one of coordination of information, rather than production and distribution of transport material. 16 The number in the mid term evaluation column includes the Southern Mallee initiative to produce and install information stands in each of the 30 townships across that region. For the purposes of this evaluation, it has been counted as one initiative, rather than 30. Final Evaluation - Transport Connections Program 2006 30 © 2006 KPMG, an Australian partnership, is part of the KPMG International network. KPMG International is a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. The KPMG logo and name are trademarks of KPMG.
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