Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Highway Management

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/071

Contact: John Disley, Infrastructure Strategy & Policy Manager Tel: 07767 006742

Report by Corporate Director for Environment and Place (CA11).

The National Bus Strategy (NBS), published on 15 March, includes a specific requirement for all Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) to commit to establishing Enhanced Partnerships across their areas under the Bus Services Act by the end of June 2021.  

Commitment to an Enhanced Partnership can be done either as the long-term intention or as a precursor to development of a London-style franchising scheme. From 1 July 2021, only LTAs and operators who meet these requirements will continue to receive the COVID-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG), any new sources of bus funding from the Government’s £3bn funding commitment to buses announced last year (including funding for recovery in 2021/22) and potentially Bus Service Operator’s Grant (BSOG).

This proposal would commit the Council to enter into a formal, legal partnership arrangement with bus operators in order to meet the requirements set out in the NBS and for the Council and operators to be able to continue to access central Government funding for buses.  Commitment to enter into an Enhanced Partnership needs to be followed by the publication of a Bus Service Improvement Plan by the end of October 2021, which is proposed to form part of the Council’s emerging Local Transport & Connectivity Plan.

Key issues covered in the report include:

·       The relative features, advantages and risks of an Enhanced Partnership compared with the Franchising alternative;

·       The requirements of a Bus Service Improvement Plan

·       The current context, including the emerging post-COVID position on bus operations and use and how the proposed approach could support recovery;

·       Issues for partners, particularly bus operators, and opportunities for our joint working;

·       Financial/legal implications and risks and issues for service delivery and reputation, for example in relation to the potential need to support socially and/or economically necessary services.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)       commit to establishing an Enhanced Partnership across Oxfordshire under the Bus Services Act 2017; and

(b)       give formal notice of the Council’s intention to prepare an Enhanced Partnership and invite all local bus operators to confirm their intention to participate.

Recommendations agreed

Cabinet considered a proposal to establish an Enhanced Partnership across Oxfordshire under the Bus Services Act 2017.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highway Management, stated that the Council wanted an enhanced partnership with bus operators to get more people using buses.  He favoured this over the alternative franchising system.  There was a need to reach out to rural communities as well as improving the already excellent services in the city.  The partnership could deliver improved ticketing across bus and train services.  This was a commitment in principle, the detail would still need to be worked out with the bus companies.

Councillor Duncan Enright welcomed the move while understanding people’s nervousness about public transport under Covid-19.  There was no substitute for a great bus system and linking it to an expanded rail network was very exciting.

Councillor Liz Brighouse noted that services needed to be fit for everyone.  She was particularly concerned that so many children around the county were not able to get a scheduled bus to school, leading to an increasing budget for Home to School Transport.  She also asked that consideration be given to people with mobility issues who cannot get to a bus stop and suggested reinstating something like the previous Pick-Me-Up service.

Councillor Pete Sudbury noted that with so much development going on in the county it was vital to get more people to switch to public transport as road building would not be able to keep up.  This was a vital part of the transport policy.  Most car miles took place in rural areas so there was a much greater saving in emissions from putting services into those areas.  Services needed to be regular and reliable with safe places to park bicycles.

RESOLVED to:

(a)             commit to establishing an Enhanced Partnership across Oxfordshire under the Bus Services Act 2017; and

(b)             give formal notice of the Council’s intention to prepare an Enhanced Partnership and invite all local bus operators to confirm their intention to participate.