Issue - meetings

            (a)       That members note the changes to bus funding anticipated from 1 April     2013.

            (b)       That members note the content of this report, subject to the above   comments outlined in the preceding paragraph.

The Head of Assets and Transportation introduced the report to advise members of how bus services were currently organised within Flintshire and to outline proposals for a review of the County’s subsidised bus services and related services.

                        He explained that buses were provided by the private sector.  The Council had no mandatory obligation to fund any public transport services, however it did have powers under the Transport Acts 1985, 2000 and the Local Transport Act 2008 to enter into agreements with public transport operators to provide subsidies for services that were not available commercially.  Appendix 1 outlined the current provision in Flintshire of bus services.

                        The Head of Assets and Transportation outlined the challenges for the coming year:

• From 1 April 2013 the Welsh Government would make changes to the funding for bus services and community transport in Wales

• Across Wales there would be a reduction in grant from £33m to £25m for the next financial year.

• A new scheme called Regional Transport Services Grant (RTSG) would be in place from 1 April 2013.

• The Regional Transport Consortia would be responsible for the new grant in North Wales, this would be in the form of TAITH.

Work is currently being undertaken to understand how much of the £25m funding will be allocated to TAITH for 2013-14.             

As a result of anticipated reduction in budgets of around £223,505, Flintshire County Council will be undertaking a review of its services during 2013/14 with completion scheduled in summer of 2013. The Council were now looking at criteria to build into a Policy to determine which services it should support.

            Funding from Cadwyn Clwyd would secure a Rural Transport officer on a 12 month fixed term basis to understand the needs of the rural communities.

                        The Head of Assets and Transportation asked the Committee to look at the draft Policy in Appendix 2 and said that the review would come back to Scrutiny once Cabinet had approved the Policy and costings for routes and subsequent bandings had been determined.

                        The Chair said that member input into the proposed criteria and Policy in Appendix 2 was key.

                        Councillor P. Shotton asked if concessionary travel would be affected by the changes and asked for the widest possible public consultation on the matter.  He also asked if commercial routes would be reviewed after the review of subsidised routes.  The Director of Environment in response said that Concessionary Travel did not feature in the scope of the review and would not be affected by the changes.  A potential reduction in commercial services would be taken into account in the review.

                        Councillor C.A. Thomas asked which agency would hold the funding for Concessionary Travel from 1 April 2013.  The Transportation Manager said that currently Flintshire administered the scheme, but as of 1 April 2013, the funding would go through TAITH, and there were no indications that the current modifying factor of 0.70, which was applied to each company’s representative concessionary fare, would change from this date.  Councillor Thomas said  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63