Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Transport

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/145

Contact: Chris Spry, Senior Transport Planner, Tel: (01865) 815711

Report by Deputy Director, Highways & Transport (CA12).

This report seeks approval for continuation of the Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) services currently provided by Oxfordshire County Council and its project partners, Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Thames Travel Ltd, for bus users throughout Oxfordshire.

The provision of Real Time Passenger Information has been generally welcomed by Oxfordshire residents as is evidenced by public research, online feedback, and through the popularity of web and mobile phone services.

The report describes the development of the system since installation in 2004, and provides details of the current services provided.

The County Council's existing RTPI contract (with Vix Technology Ltd) expires on 30^th March 2012.  Therefore, it is now necessary to put in place formal arrangements to ensure the performance standards achieved thus far are maintained and extended in the future, in order to meet rising public expectations.

The outcome of a completed tender evaluation is summarised, demonstrating that a new supplier has submitted the most economically advantageous (and cost-effective) solution.

The Council's project partners continue to make substantial investment in Real Time Passenger Information.  The report highlights the extent of this funding and consequently the forecast requirement for revenue support from within Highways & Transport budgets between 2012/13 and 2015/16.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)               authorise the Deputy Director (Highways & Transport), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to award the contract for RTPI based on the recommendations contained in this report to Cloud Amber Ltd;

(b)              authorise the use of Highways & Transport budgets for the continued maintenance of RTPI services as detailed in section 22 of this report until 30^th March 2016; and 

(c)             authorise the Deputy Director, Highways & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport to approve up to two years contract extension with suitable budgetary provision, subject to the contractor achieving appropriate standards of service delivery.

Cabinet considered a report that sought approval for continuation of the Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) services currently provided by Oxfordshire County Council and its project partners, Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Thames Travel Ltd, for bus users throughout Oxfordshire.

Councillor David Turner, Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport clarified that he no longer had any interest to declare as he had not worked in this sector for five years. In supporting the use of RTPI he stressed that it was particularly effective at increasing passenger usage in rural areas where buses were less frequent. It increased passenger confidence that a bus was on its way and therefore use increased leading to a more robust service requiring fewer subsidies. He noted the lack of proposals to expand the use of RTPI bus traffic light priority systems and hoped that more advantage could be taken of the benefits to be gained from such systems in future. He queried the information contained in Annex 1 that RTPI information was available between Garsington and Watlington and asked what progress had been made in the integration of software systems between one supplier and another.

In response Steve Howell advised that between Garsington and Watlington the RTPI was in the form of a text messaging service. Work was ongoing to resolve issues around the differing software used. Responding to a query from Councillor Fatemian, Chris Spry explained that the use of full RTPI or text messaging was often the result of requests from Parish Councils or public demand. It was confirmed that the choice of service was not based on  any technical reason.

RESOLVED:                        to

(a)       authorise the Deputy Director (Highways & Transport), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to award the contract for RTPI based on the recommendations contained in this report to Cloud Amber Ltd;

(b)       authorise the use of Highways & Transport budgets for the continued maintenance of RTPI services as detailed in section 22 of this report until 30th March 2016; and 

(c)        authorise the Deputy Director, Highways & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport to approve up to two years contract extension with suitable budgetary provision, subject to the contractor achieving appropriate standards of service delivery.