To provide the Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee with the final report of its Bus and Passenger Services Task and Finish Group.

1.     The committee received the final report of the Bus Provision Task and Finish Group and thanked the group members and officers for their work. Members heard that the review had taken place over the course of a year and had considered a wide range of issues including bus legislation, school transport, SEND transport, community transport, demand responsive transport, network integration, funding arrangements and cross-border services. The report concluded with eight recommendations aimed at improving connectivity, accessibility and the long-term sustainability of bus services across the county.

2.     The Chair of the Task and Finish Group explained that the review had been undertaken during a period of significant change within the bus sector, including new legislation, changes to funding arrangements and developments in transport policy. Members recognised that improvements to bus services were already being progressed and that scrutiny had helped support and shape this work.

3.     The committee discussed the format of the recommendations and agreed that the full report, including the supporting narrative beneath each recommendation, would be presented to Cabinet. Members considered that the explanatory text provided important context and detail for the recommendations.

4.     Members considered proposed amendments to the report. Discussion focused on strengthening wording relating to the Enhanced Partnership and the need to support bus operators to engage with government-funded fare schemes, including the £2 fare cap initiative. Concerns were raised that not all operators appeared willing to participate, which could create inequalities in fare levels across different parts of the county. Officers advised that the council and Enhanced Partnership could encourage and support participation but could not compel operators to take part.

5.     The committee also considered amendments to the recommendation on rural mobility innovation. Members agreed it was important that future transport solutions were assessed not only on passenger demand and value for money, but also on their ability to address transport inequalities affecting rural communities.

6.     During the debate, members discussed the importance of improved data collection, performance monitoring and evidence gathering to support future decisions on bus provision and subsidy. It was acknowledged that assessing demand in rural areas was challenging and that pilot schemes, community-led initiatives and ongoing monitoring could help inform future service development.

Resolved that:

1.     The committee agreed the eight recommendations contained within the Task and Finish Group report and;

2.     approved the proposed amendments to the supporting text as set out below:

“Strengthen the Enhanced Partnership

The Enhanced Partnership should develop a more proactive, co-ordinated and structured approach to performance monitoring, accountability and data sharing, and should include structured engagement with Community Transport Providers as part of partnership discussions and future accessibility planning. Regular reporting and agreed performance measures will help support evidence-led decision-making, collaborative problem solving and continuous improvement across the network. The Enhanced Partnership should work with operators to overcome barriers to adoption of government intervention schemes such as the Summer Bus fare Offer and the £2 bus fare cap.“

“Adopt an Evidence-Led Approach to Rural Mobility Innovation

The Council should explore emerging rural mobility solutions and transport offerings, that overcome existing access inequality as well as where there is clear evidence of passenger demand, value for money and compatibility with existing transport provision. Any future initiatives should be subject to robust evaluation.”

It was further agreed that the amended report would be forwarded to Cabinet, accompanied by a covering report explaining the changes made by the committee.