Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/044

Contact: Joanne Fellows, Growth Manager – Central Oxfordshire Tel: 07990 368897

Report by Director for Planning & Place (CA6).

The purpose of this report is to detail two new funds for the provision of bus services under the heading of ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’, to provide an update on the financial support available to bus operators as a result of the impact of Covid-19 along with updating members on other funding opportunities to support public transport.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

agree for Officers to

i.             submit an Expression of Interest to the Government’s ‘All-Electric Bus City’ funding initiative; and

ii.            submit up to four Expressions of Interest to the Government’s Rural Mobility Funding initiative.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet had before them a report detailing two new funds for the provision of bus services under the heading of ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’, to provide an update on the financial support available to bus operators as a result of the impact of Covid-19 along with updating members on other funding opportunities to support public transport.

Councillor John Sanders, Shadow Cabinet member for Environment noted that the council would be asking for funding for 4 expressions of

interest for rural services funding. He expressed his happiness with this because rural services had been badly hit by government cuts. However, he queried whether this would be balanced by the "All-electric funding initiative" that would improve air quality in the city and major towns?

Councillor Sanders queried what plans were in place to mitigate the effect of Covid-19 on bus use and the government's suggestion that commuters should consider private car journeys in preference to public transport?

Councillor Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment (including Transport) responded to the points made by Councillor Sanders, acknowledging the need to plan for the current impacts of coronavirus but to plan beyond that for the aspiration to reduce private car use. There were two parts to the bid and both were equally important.

In introducing the report Councillor Constance stated that in the last few days officers had been made aware of technical information relating to the way in which costs have been apportioned by the bus operators that could affect the bid for Oxford to become the UK’s first all-electric bus city.  Any increase in the funding required to convert the city’s bus fleet would influence the DfT’s affordability criteria and the potential success of the Bid.

Officers were working closely with the bus operators to address this as quickly as possible although it may be after the deadline for the submission of the Expression of Interest on June 4^th. While it was believed there may be a positive solution in time for submission of the EoI to be made on 4 June, if not, (and as the report indicated), should affordability become an issue as the business case developed requiring us to withdraw the EoI then Cabinet would receive a further report at that time.

Councillor Gray, Cabinet Member for Local Communities in supporting the bid as a strong supporter of direct response transport expressed concern over the long term funding of the project. He referred to the Pick Me UP service that was to end at the end of June.

RESOLVED:            to agree for Officers to

(a)          submit an Expression of Interest to the Government’s ‘All-Electric Bus City’ funding initiative; and

(b)          submit up to four Expressions of Interest to the Government’s Rural Mobility Funding initiative.