Agenda item

As detailed in recommendations 1-3.  Recommendations 4 and 5 to be amended to read:

(4)       For the forthcoming academic year the Council applies its current transport policies in full and addresses the historic anomalies as set out in the report;

(5)       That the cost for concessionary bus passes for 2018/19 be £300 (option 2), as per the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation, with a review of the cost for subsequent years to be undertaken.

And an additional recommendation of:

(6)       That officers bring a further report on how to address the issue of sibling entitlement, as per the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation.

Councillor Thomas introduced the Outcome of Public Consultation on Public Transport and School Transport Anomalies report which provided details of existing subsidised bus routes and the outcome of the bus network review consultation exercise that had been undertaken to consider those services and deliver an affordable and sustainable public transport service in the future.  The report also provided details of the proposed way forward for dealing with historical non-statutory school transport arrangements and anomalies following a report which had been submitted to an all Member workshop in November 2017.  A report had also been submitted to a special Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 12^th July.

            On the bus network review, Councillor Thomas explained that there had been a number of changes to the commercial bus network by bus operators which had impacted on communities and left potential gaps in service provision; this was not within the control of the Council.  However the Council had a statutory duty to keep the bus network under review and intervene if appropriate.

In order to deliver a more sustainable solution a fundamental review had been required.  During the consultation process four options were outlined to the public, elected Members and town and community councils.  They were:

·         Option1 – stop subsidising bus services completely;

·         Option 2 – do nothing and continue to support the existing subsidised routes in place as they were currently;

·         Option 3 – Support subsidised routes on the core bus network and implement alternative, sustainable local travel arrangements in communities not on the core network; and

·         Option 4 – Support subsidised routes on the core bus network and introduce a demand responsive service for communities not on the core network.

Elected Members and town and community councils predominantly supported option 3, with individual responses supporting option 2.  Option 3 was also the preferred option expressed by the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  Under that option, local travel arrangements on the non-core network were intended to be provided by smaller minibus vehicles. Those arrangements would operate in a similar way to conventional bus services with a scheduled timetable and fixed route.  However, the scheduled minibus services may not operate to the same frequency or level of service as provided by conventional bus services.  Proposed routes had been identified for the local travel arrangements and were appended to the report.

The school transport route optimisation and re-procurement exercise was completed in September 2017.  The exercise delivered maximum benefit by ensuring the most efficient use of vehicles and delivery of the most cost effective routes and vehicle capacity for the required number of eligible passengers.  As a consequence, a number of historical non-statutory transport arrangements were identified that were over and above the current Home to School Transport Policy and presented opportunities for alternative service delivery and potential efficiency savings.  The identified anomalies were detailed in an appendix to the report along with proposals on how each issue could be dealt with in turn.

Details of the concessionary fares were outlined in the report.  Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been requested to consider the options to reach full cost recovery and the Overview and Scrutiny Facilitator provided the following feedback from that meeting:

Bus Network Review

·         Consensus that option 3 should be taken forward;

·         Members wanted assurance that consultation with town and community councils would continue before a timetable was produced and shared;

·         Concern that the Committee was being asked to recommend an option without knowing what the impacts/cuts to routes were going to be.

School Transport Historical Anomalies

·         Concerns raised on siblings groups – if it was not possible to access transport for sibling groups, parents may feel that their parental choice of school was being taken away from them; and

·         Assurance sought that consultation had taken place with Ysgol Pencoch as there was a concern on the impact of vulnerable children.  An assurance on the extensive consultation process was given.

Concessionary Fares

·         Suggestion to look at what neighbouring authorities charged and increase concessionary fare in line with their charges.

The formal resolutions from the special Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee were as follows:

(a)       That the Committee recommends the adoption of Option 3 (support subsidised routes on the core bus network and implement alternative, sustainable local travel arrangements in communities not on the core network) within four geographical areas of the County;

(b)       That the Committee recommends to Cabinet the approval of the proposed service levels on the strategic core bus network;

(c)        That the provision of an in-house minibus service to support the local travel arrangements, where it was cost effective to do so, be supported;

(d)       That the Committee recommends to Cabinet approval of the proposed approach for dealing with historical non-statutory school transport arrangements that had been identified during the service review;

(e)       That the Committee recommend to Cabinet that the school transport provision for siblings be given further consideration; and

(f)        That the Committee recommend the adoption of Option 2 as its preferred pricing structure for a concessionary bus pass, with a review to be carried out on the impact of the increased cost after one year.

Councillor Shotton suggested taking the recommendations in the Cabinet report in turn, which was supported.  It was accepted that the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee supported recommendations (a) – (c) in the report.

A discussion took place and it was agreed that recommendation (d) would read “for the forthcoming academic year the Council applies its current transport policies in full and addresses the historic anomalies as set out in the report”.

On Option 2 for the concessionary fares, the Chief Executive advised that if the Cabinet resolved Option 2, this would result in a charge of £300.  This would not see full cost recovery but partial recovery and officers could undertake work on the risks and impacts of that decision and it could be subject of a longer term review.  Councillor Thomas moved that Option 3 be agreed and on being put to the vote was lost.  Option 2 was put to the vote and carried.  It was therefore agreed that recommendation (e) would read “that the cost for concessionary bus passes for 2018/19 be £300 (Option 2) as per the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation, with a review of the cost for subsequent years to be undertaken”.

An additional recommendation, (f), was also agreed “That officers bring a further report on how to address the issue of sibling entitlement, as per the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation”.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That Cabinet notes the work undertaken for the bus network review and consultation exercise and approves the adoption of Option 3 (support subsidised routes on the core bus network and implement alternative, sustainable local travel arrangements in communities not on the core network) within all four geographical areas of the County;

(b)       That Cabinet approves the proposed service levels on the strategic core bus network;

(c)        That Cabinet approves the provision of an in-house minibus service to support the local travel arrangements – where it is cost effective to do so;

(d)       That for the forthcoming academic year the Council applies its current transport policies in full an addresses the historic anomalies as set out in the report;

(e)       That the cost for concessionary bus passes for 2018/19 be £300 (Option 2) as per the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation, with a review of the cost for subsequent years to be undertaken; and

(f)        That officers bring a further report on how to address the issue of sibling entitlement, as per the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation.