Decision details

To approve new formal partnership agreements between commercial bus operators and the council using provisions under the Bus Services Act 2017. Agreements aim to contribute to better integrated and coordinated services on key routes into the city by reducing service duplication and bus ‘bunching’ at and between stops, thereby promoting bus travel and reducing harmful emissions from public transport.

a)    Note the progress with bus partnership integration work, including the bus network optimisation plan.

b)    Approve the certification of the relevant agreements proposed between bus operators that form part of proposed network optimisation plan.

To contribute to better integrated and coordinated bus services on key routes into the city by reducing service duplication and bus ‘bunching’ at and between stops, thereby promoting bus travel and reducing harmful emissions from public transport. Part of the wider approved Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme.

Other options were considered as part of the wider process related to forming the approved Enhanced Partnership Plan and Enhanced Partnership Scheme. These included:

• Bus franchising – this was discounted due the complexity, timescales and potential costs involved.
• Other partnership approaches – not acceptable to commercial bus operators at this point in time.
• Independent operator action, with no co-ordination – this has partially taken place over the last 12 months as noted in the network optimisation plan. Further short-medium term independent commercial changes related to shared bus corridors appear unlikely.