Agenda item

In considering the need to adapt and change certain bus services, our planned investment to grow patronage and our plans to expand Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DDRT), the council completed a comprehensive consultation exercise that enabled residents and stakeholders to have their say on Investment in infrastructure, Maintaining or changing bus services to better reflect use and more Digital Demand Responsive Transport services. This report sets out the process and outcome of the consultation, with more than 2,600 responses received, which have been used to shape the recommendations and way forward.

(The decisions on this item can be called- in by the Communities, Highways and Environment Select Committee)

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet notes the response to the public and stakeholder consultation.
2. That Cabinet agrees the proposed changes to the public bus network as set out in Annex B, with service changes to be implemented at the start of the new academic year in September 2023.
3. That Cabinet agrees the recommended priority areas for capital investment to support bus services and help grow bus patronage.
4. That Cabinet agrees the recommended areas for expansion of new Digital Demand Responsive Transport services in 2023 as set out in Annex C.
5. That Cabinet agrees the process and timescales for updating the Bus Service Improvement Plan and Enhanced Partnership Scheme and agree that the approval and submission of the Bus Service Improvement Plan to Government be delegated to the Director of Highways and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth.
6. That Cabinet agrees that the decision to award contracts for local bus services and Digital Demand Responsive Transport services is delegated to the Director, Highways and Transport, following discussion with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth, and the Council’s Section 151 Officer.

Reasons for Decisions:

The public consultation has helped shape the bus service changes proposed in Annex B. These changes are necessary to ensure the network is financially sustainable and has responded to changed travel patterns, particularly in areas where passenger numbers are unlikely to ever recover to pre-pandemic levels. The financial review of bus services also meets the Department for Transport’s (DfT) requirement for accessing the extension of Covid bus recovery funding. The Council is committed to supporting local bus services and has increased revenue support for service delivery and capital investment to improve their operational effectiveness and efficiency.

The public consultation has also helped shape our proposed investment in bus infrastructure. It demonstrated that resident support for investment in buses is high, showing that people value bus services and that targeting investment will aid patronage growth.

The Council’s previous BSIP, published in 2021, set out a desire to expand our DDRT offer, learning from the successful Mole Valley Connect scheme funded from the DfT’s Rural Mobility Fund. This report sets out proposals for new DDRT schemes shaped by consultation feedback, including the need to promote new schemes and the flexibility they offer residents.

All LTAs are required to review their BSIPs annually. The DfT agreed that the Council’s BSIP refresh could be undertaken once the public consultation was complete, enabling the views and suggestions of residents and stakeholders to be included in the BSIP review. This report sets out the BSIP refresh process, with a submission to date at the end of May 2023.

Following the Future Bus Network Review and the consideration of consultation responses, coupled with ongoing dialogue with bus operators, the Council needs to tender the services proposed for change, along with retender of a number of contracts that were extended during the pandemic. New contracts will be awarded following a procurement process in line with the requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Council’s Procurement and Contracts Standing Orders.

(The decisions on this item can be called- in by the Communities, Highways and Environment Select Committee)

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth who started by saying that increasing sustainable travel alongside the Council’s investment in zero emission buses and minibuses would help deliver the carbon reduction targets set out in the Climate Change Delivery Plan. The Council was committed to supporting local bus services and had increased revenue support for service delivery and capital investment to improve their operational effectiveness and efficiency. Since Covid the council had been working with the bus industry to build back bus patronage. 2600 people had responded to the future bus network consultation which enabled residents to have a say on investment and infrastructure of the bus network. The Mole Valley connect service would be expanded across the county and the council would be proposing a 20 and under half price concessionary fare scheme. Members welcomed more investment being put into the service and the roll out of the on demand service which would be welcomed by residents.

The Leader explained that the Cabinet was absolutely committed to extending access to public transport alongside the active travel schemes. The council would continue to subsidise the commercial buses and the roll out on demand minibuses.

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet notes the response to the public and stakeholder consultation.
2. That Cabinet agrees the proposed changes to the public bus network as set out in Annex B, with service changes to be implemented at the start of the new academic year in September 2023.
3. That Cabinet agrees the recommended priority areas for capital investment to support bus services and help grow bus patronage.
4. That Cabinet agrees the recommended areas for expansion of new Digital Demand Responsive Transport services in 2023 as set out in Annex C.
5. That Cabinet agrees the process and timescales for updating the Bus Service Improvement Plan and Enhanced Partnership Scheme and agree that the approval and submission of the Bus Service Improvement Plan to Government be delegated to the Director of Highways and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth.
6. That Cabinet agrees that the decision to award contracts for local bus services and Digital Demand Responsive Transport services is delegated to the Director, Highways and Transport, following discussion with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth, and the Council’s Section 151 Officer.

Reasons for Decisions:

The public consultation has helped shape the bus service changes proposed in Annex B. These changes are necessary to ensure the network is financially sustainable and has responded to changed travel patterns, particularly in areas where passenger numbers are unlikely to ever recover to pre-pandemic levels. The financial review of bus services also meets the Department for Transport’s (DfT) requirement for accessing the extension of Covid bus recovery funding. The Council is committed to supporting local bus services and has increased revenue support for service delivery and capital investment to improve their operational effectiveness and efficiency.

The public consultation has also helped shape our proposed investment in bus infrastructure. It demonstrated that resident support for investment in buses is high, showing that people value bus services and that targeting investment will aid patronage growth.

The Council’s previous BSIP, published in 2021, set out a desire to expand our DDRT offer, learning from the successful Mole Valley Connect scheme funded from the DfT’s Rural Mobility Fund. This report sets out proposals for new DDRT schemes shaped by consultation feedback, including the need to promote new schemes and the flexibility they offer residents.

All LTAs are required to review their BSIPs annually. The DfT agreed that the Council’s BSIP refresh could be undertaken once the public consultation was complete, enabling the views and suggestions of residents and stakeholders to be included in the BSIP review. This report sets out the BSIP refresh process, with a submission to date at the end of May 2023.

Following the Future Bus Network Review and the consideration of consultation responses, coupled with ongoing dialogue with bus operators, the Council needs to tender the services proposed for change, along with retender of a number of contracts that were extended during the pandemic. New contracts will be awarded following a procurement process in line with the requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Council’s Procurement and Contracts Standing Orders.

(The decisions on this item can be called- in by the Communities, Highways and Environment Select Committee)