Decision details

Results of procurement process for contracts for supported bus services and award of new contracts to replace those that expire on 31 August 2019.

The Cabinet Member agreed:

(i)  To maintain the non-commercial bus network intact until the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is resourced to manage, review and procure contracts jointly with the Council or until the West of England Bus Strategy is implemented;

(ii)  To make savings to achieve value for money from bus revenue support where there is no material impact on the bus network or where external factors – such as changes to the commercial bus network – render provision unnecessary;

(iii)  To delegate approval to the Corporate Director to award new contracts for non-commercial bus services in accordance with these objectives.

WECA is working on a Bus Strategy which will include a policy for the support of non-commercial bus services. Until this policy is developed and adopted (estimated 2020-21), WECA has asked its constituent authorities to maintain as much of the current bus service network as possible within the constraints of funding.

The option not to award new contracts and thereby cease provision of some existing bus services after 9 November 2019 was considered but rejected on the grounds of the impact on communities away from the commercial bus network. Also, it would pre-empt the emerging WECA Bus Strategy.