Bus service provision

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Dear North Lincolnshire Council,

I am gathering information on bus and public transport provision as part of the Save our Buses campaign, which maps cuts to bus services across the country. We know that the Government has made deep cuts to local authority budgets, and that this is having an effect on the provision of local bus services. We would like to gather a national picture of bus cuts, so that we can explain to central Government exactly how their decisions are having an impact across the country.

My questions are as follows (in each case I am only after the information for your authority):

1. What is the agreed total budget for supported bus services in the fiscal year 2018/19

2. What was the total spend for supported bus services in the fiscal year 2017/18?

3. What was the total spend for supported bus services in the fiscal year 2016/17?

Note: This refers to the Department for Transport’s definition of a supported bus service as: “one where a local transport authority has invited tenders for the operation of a service (not e.g. seats on a bus or subsidised tickets etc), and a contract exists as a result of that tender”. Please, exclude extra sources of funding such as Section 106/developer funding, Community Infrastructure Levy, local authority staffing and publicity, RTPI expenditure and revenue, the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), Local Education Authority funding for home to school transport, NHS-funded non-emergency patient transport, social services transport, voluntary transport and other central and national government grants or income streams.

4. How many and which supported routes are likely to have cuts in services in the fiscal year 2018/19 (for example loss of weekend or evening services)?

5. How many and which supported routes have had cuts in services in the fiscal years 2016/17 and 2017/18 (for example loss of weekend or evening services), listed for each year?

6. How many and which supported routes are likely to be completely withdrawn in the fiscal year 2018/19?

7. How many and which supported routes have been completely withdrawn in the fiscal years 2016/17 and 2017/18, listed for each year?

8. How many and which of the previously supported routes have been taken on commercially?

Our campaign also seeks to promote examples of councils which have protected bus services, sometimes in innovative ways. Please do feel free to share any information you feel is relevant on how your council has protected bus services.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Todd

Campaign for Better Transport

Sharon Mitcheson, North Lincolnshire Council

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Todd

 

Thank you for your recent freedom of information request to North
Lincolnshire Council

 

In relation to this please see the attached letter of response.

 

Kind Regards 

Sharon Mitcheson

Business Services

FOI/Complaints Co-ordinator (Operations)

Clerical Officer

01724 296725

 

 

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Dear Sharon Mitcheson,

Thank you for the information. Unfortunately, you appear to have given us gross figures. When you revisited the issue last year, you said that Net 2016/17 is £788,000 forecast spend is £834,770.

If you could let me have the updated net (spend) figures it would be much appreciated

Last time you specified that the net position deducts:

1. Contributions from third parties such as neighbouring authorities.
2. School transport contributions.
3. Income from minimum cost contracts.
4. BSOG some of which is paid in additional daily rates the rest props up the additional costs of revised tenders.

In case this is helpful.

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Todd

Sharon Mitcheson, North Lincolnshire Council

Dear Mr Todd

I have passed your comments on to the service area that provided me with the information.

I will contact you, when they have returned any further information.

Kind Regards

Sharon Mitcheson
Business Services
FOI/Complaints Co-ordinator (Operations)
Clerical Officer
North Lincolnshire Council
01724 296725

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Sharon Mitcheson, North Lincolnshire Council

1 Attachment

Good Morning Chris

I have received the 'net' information as you requested:

2. 2017/2018 - £849,399.80

3. 2016/2017 - £953,652.22

Kind Regards

Sharon Mitcheson
FOI/Complaints Co-ordinator Operations
Business Services
Civic Centre
01724 296725

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Dear Sharon,

Thanks for the revised 2016/17 and 2017/18 figures. Do you have the equivalent revised figures for 2018/19 (budget obviously at this stage)

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Todd

Sharon Mitcheson, North Lincolnshire Council

Dear Mr Todd

Please see figures below

Do you have the equivalent revised figures for 2018/19 (budget obviously at this stage)?

Net figure is £757,000 (budget obviously)

Gross figure as previous given £1,061,660 (budget obviously)

Kind Regards

Sharon Mitcheson
FOI/Complaints Co-ordinator Operations
Business Services
Civic Centre
01724 296725

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Dear Sharon,

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Todd