City of York Council Economy, Place, Access & Transport (EPAT) Scrutiny Committee

 

Proposed Task & Finish Group review into ‘Dial & Ride’ services

 

Members: Cllr Jane Burton (Lab), Cllr Chris Steward (Con), Cllr Stephen Fenton (LD)

 

1.    Background

 

At the EPAT committee meeting on 22 January 2024 it was agreed to form a Task & Finish Group to undertake some research with a view to coming up with options for consideration should the council wish to commission a replacement for the Dial & Ride service. This has been prompted by the decision by York Wheels to cease operating the Dial & Ride service which they had been commissioned by City of York Council to provide.

 

2.    Proposed objectives of the review

 

  1. Establish the cost and specification of the Dial & Ride service that was commissioned by CYC and provided by York Wheels until 31 December 2023;
  2. Establish whether there remains a need for a Dial & Ride-type service in York;
  3. Establish the nature and scope of current Community Transport provision in the city;
  4. Identify examples of services similar to York’s Dial & Ride which are provided in other areas of a similar size to City of York Council area;
  5. Make recommendations to Officers / Executive Members on possible options for the reinstatement of a Dial & Ride-type service, with financial and operational considerations clearly set out.

 

  1. In order to achieve its objectives, the Task & Finish Group shall undertake tasks including:

 

  1. Undertake an online review of Dial & Ride-type provision in comparator towns and cities and compile findings;
  2. Where appropriate, arrange information-gathering Teams or phone calls with service providers in other towns and cities;
  3. Meet with CYC officers and request relevant documentation in order to better understand the cost and specification of the Dial & Ride service commissioned from York Wheels;
  4. Meet with representatives from York Wheels to better understand the issues that led to them withdrawing the Dial & Ride service;
  5. Meet with representatives of the York Bus Forum and other interested individuals and organisations such as advocacy groups for older people and disabled people;
  6. Speak with residents who used the Dial & Ride service to better understand the impact on them of the service’s withdrawal. In order to do this, it is suggested that all CYC elected members are asked if they have been contacted by residents who used the Dial & Ride service, and if so, ask them to ask those residents if they would be happy to speak to a member of the Task & Finish Group.

 

4.    Proposed timescale

 

a.    Tasks set out above at 3 (a) to (f) are completed by 1st March

b.    A draft report setting out the information gathered and emerging recommendations is to be completed by 8th March and shared for review as appropriate

c.    This report (as amended) is to be considered by the EPAT committee at its meeting on 25th March (publication date for papers is 15th March).