Community Engagement Sub-Group

Background and Context

According to the Scottish Community Development Centre, community engagement is ‘a way to build and sustain relationships between public services and community groups – helping them both to understand and take action on the needs or issues that communities experience’. Engaging and empowering local people and communities on the design and delivery of local transport solutions will be vital to increasing patronage, improving connectivity and achieving net zero. It improves outcomes for operators, local authorities and bus users.

Significant changes to bus services and networks are anticipated in the months and years ahead across Scotland. It is essential that there is open, inclusive and transparent communication between operators, local authorities, bus users and communities about these changes and accessible, meaningful and timely engagement with bus users and communities to address, mitigate or prevent the challenges which may result. Community engagement is also an essential and helpful tool in shaping conversations and decision-making in more positive circumstances, such as long-term transport planning and network or service expansion.

There is evidently a need to improve the consistent and fair implementation of these processes of community engagement and empowerment across Scotland. All operators and local authorities have duties and responsibilities in line with statutory notice periods, the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the National Standards for Community Engagement (2016). Alternative or superior solutions can be found through collaboration and partnership – for example, support for new Community Bus Services to bridge the gaps left by services which have been declared commercially unviable.

Purpose

The sub-group on Community Engagement agreed to:

  • Identify the challenges and opportunities in improving community engagement on networks and changes
  • Discuss, review and coordinate activity to improve community engagement
  • Co-design best practice guidance for community engagement which are aligned with the seven principles of the National Standards for Community Engagement, applied in a transport context and supported by case studies
  • Promote communication and collaboration between stakeholders
  • Recognise and represent the voices and interests of bus users and communities in the work of the Taskforce

Sub-group Structure

The sub-group was chaired by David Kelly of the Community Transport Association and comprised of representatives from the following organisations:

  • Representative for large bus operators
  • Representative for small/medium bus operators
  • Transport Focus
  • Transport Scotland
  • Bus Users UK
  • Association of Transport Coordinating Officers (ATCO)
  • Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
  • Confederation of Passenger Transport
  • Strathclyde Passenger Transport
  • HiTrans
  • Handicabs Lothian Limited
  • Public Health Scotland

Actions & Outputs

The primary output of the Sub-group was a published document of best practice guidance for community engagement on networks and changes. It contains specific guidance for bus operators, local authorities and communities and case studies of best practice and is aligned with the National Standards for Community Engagement.