Bus service provision
Dear Powys County 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 How many and which supported routes are likely to be completely withdrawn in the fiscal year 2018/19?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 How many and which supported routes have been completely withdrawn in the fiscal years 2016/17 and 2017/18, listed for each year?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
Cyfarwyddwr Strategol: Rheoli Gwybodaeth/
Adnoddau
Information Compliance
Strategic Director: Resources
Neuadd Y Sir / County Hall
David Powell
Spa Road East
Llandrindod Wells
Powys LD1 5LG
If calling please ask for / Os yn galw
gofynnwch am
Tel / Ffôn: 01597 82 7543
Fax / Ffacs: 01597 82 6215
Email/Llythyru electronig:
[1][Powys County Council request email]
Our ref / Ein cyf: F2018-0298
Date / Dyddiad: 22/03/18
Request Accepted
FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000
Reference No: F2018/0298
Dear Mr Todd
Thank you for your request for information, received at this office on
22/03/18, in which you requested details of the following:
Bus Service Provision
The above is a summary of your request. The full details of the
information sought is provided to the officer to whom the request is
tasked.
Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act, subject
to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third
party. In some circumstances Powys County Council may be unable to achieve
this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised
time-scale at the earliest opportunity.
There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of
the information you request. If this is the case you will be informed and
the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment
from you. If you choose not to make a payment then your request will
remain unanswered.
Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.
The due date for responding to this request for information is 23/04/18.
Should you need to discuss this further please contact the Information
Compliance Team on 01597 827543.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Powys County Council.
Yours sincerely,
Information Compliance Team
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Powys County Council request email]
Cyfarwyddwr Strategol: Rheoli Gwybodaeth/
Adnoddau
Information Compliance
Strategic Director: Resources
Neuadd Y Sir / County Hall
David Powell
Spa Road East
Llandrindod Wells
Powys LD1 5LG
If calling please ask for / Os yn galw
gofynnwch am
Tel / Ffôn: 01597 82 7543
Fax / Ffacs: 01597 82 6215
Email/Llythyru electronig:
[1][Powys County Council request email]
Our ref / Ein cyf: F2018-0298
Date / Dyddiad: 09/04/2018
Reference No: F2018-0298
Dear Mr Todd
Thank you for your request for information dated 22/03/2018 concerning Bus
Service Provision
This is to inform you that your request has been considered and I can
provide the following response:
The Request:
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 £4,835,070
2. What was the total spend for supported bus services in the fiscal year
2017/18? £4,504,099
3. What was the total spend for supported bus services in the fiscal year
2016/17? £4,233,579
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)? We are about to retender the entire local bus service in Powys
and are hoping to retain all and in some cases enhance the current service
provision
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? None
6. How many and which supported routes are likely to be completely
withdrawn in the fiscal year 2018/19? None at present but please see
answer to Q4 above.
7. How many and which supported routes have been completely withdrawn in
the fiscal years 2016/17 and 2017/18, listed for each year? None
8. How many and which of the previously supported routes have been taken
on commercially? None
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.
Powys County Council tenders around 90% of its entire local bus service
network with the remaining 10% being operated commercially. We
effectively ‘franchise’ the entire network by specifying the timetable,
the fares the vehicle type, the route and ticket types. Additionally we
retain all on bus and concessionary fare revenue. Once the contract has
been awarded, we do not allow the operator to terminate the contract or
any part thereof. We believe this has led us to have a very stable local
bus service network and because of the potential to generate income has
offer a certain amount of protection to the local bus network in Powys.
We believe that this request is now complete and shall be closed
immediately. Should any further information be requested regarding this
topic, a separate request will need to be submitted.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Powys County Council.
Yours sincerely,
Information Compliance Team
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References
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1. mailto:[Powys County Council request email]
2. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/crown-copy...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.ico.org.uk/
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