Agenda item

The Corporate Director of Place to present a report which provides an update on actions taken in response to previous Executive decisions to support bus services in the short term and to maintain the bus network where possible, and details future plans to stabilise, improve and grow the local network in response to reduced government funding.

Resolved:  (i)      That the BSIP delivery update in the report be noted, including infrastructure improvement development, young person and family incentives, and the bus service support, these being the key BSIP items prioritised for the current year, the delivery of which was not affected by the bus subsidy challenges.

                  (ii)     That it be noted that there remain a number of issues within the bus industry, including changes to government funding for bus companies and the fact that the current timeline of government funding matches BSIP, leading to a potential ‘cliff edge’ of funding for services in summer 2025; although officers will continue to work with the Enhanced Bus Partnership to seek to mitigate risk, future intervention by the council may be required.

                  (iii)     That it be noted that operators have indicated they were to remove some early a.m. and late p.m. commercial services (Nos. 1, 4, 6, and 10/10A) which they consider are not economically viable, that officers have arranged short-term contracts from bus operators to retain the under-threat elements of these services, and that this additional funding will be considered by the Enhanced Bus Partnership in July 2023, with a longer-term tender process to be undertaken and reported back to the Executive.

                  (iv)    That it be noted that officers will present the subsidy per passenger as part of any future funding decisions on which services should be supported, to help Members with their decision-making.

                  (v)     That it be noted that the funding allocation to service support is limited and the initial allocation is committed, that Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), such as York, are now able to re-allocate part of the original BSIP funding to service support, that LTAs can switch up to 10% of the revenue allocation over the three-year programme without the government’s approval, and that this would impact on the council’s ability to deliver an existing BSIP deliverable project and require formal decision making.

                  (vi)    That it be noted that the report on the City Centre Bus Shuttle is imminent but that it will need to be considered, and possibly revised further, in the light of any decisions to review hostile vehicle mitigation measures.

Reason:     To ensure that the Bus Network in York is stabilised and that the council can work with the statutory Enhanced Bus Partnership to deliver its stated Bus Service Improvement Plans objectives in line with the National Bus Strategy, by both improving passenger experience and increase bus patronage.

The Director of Environment, Transport & Planning and the Head of Active & Sustainable Transportpresented a report which gave an update on actions taken in response to previous Executive decisions to support bus services in the short term and to maintain the bus network where possible, and detailed future plans to stabilise, improve and grow the local network in response to reduced government funding.

The council had secured funding of £17.4m through the government’s Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP), as well as £11.3m in zero emissions bus grants.  The first year of BSIP funding had been paid in November 2022, at which point action had begun on delivering the BSIP, key elements of which were summarised in paragraphs 12-15 of the report.  The council had commissioned consultants to examine the issues identified during consultation on the BSIP and suggest solutions; their report was expected shortly.  Due to decreased passenger numbers, driver shortages, rising costs and reductions in covid support funding, First York had made timetable changes to a number of services.  Officers had been tasked with seeking quotes from bus operators to retain all under-threat elements of the network for 3 months.  Full details of support provided to the network through BSIP funding were set out in paragraphs 18-38 and Annex 1.

Executive Member for Economy & Transport thanked officers for their work in attempting to maintain current services and highlighted the importance of the bus network in sustainable transport and the potential role to be played in future by the new combined authority.  Having noted the comments made under Public Participation on this item, it was

Resolved:  (i)      That the BSIP delivery update in the report be noted, including infrastructure improvement development, young person and family incentives, and the bus service support, these being the key BSIP items prioritised for the current year, the delivery of which was not affected by the bus subsidy challenges.

                  (ii)     That it be noted that there remain a number of issues within the bus industry, including changes to government funding for bus companies and the fact that the current timeline of government funding matches BSIP, leading to a potential ‘cliff edge’ of funding for services in summer 2025; although officers will continue to work with the Enhanced Bus Partnership to seek to mitigate risk, future intervention by the council may be required.

                  (iii)     That it be noted that operators have indicated they were to remove some early a.m. and late p.m. commercial services (Nos. 1, 4, 6, and 10/10A) which they consider are not economically viable, that officers have arranged short-term contracts from bus operators to retain the under-threat elements of these services, and that this additional funding will be considered by the Enhanced Bus Partnership in July 2023, with a longer-term tender process to be undertaken and reported back to the Executive.

                  (iv)    That it be noted that officers will present the subsidy per passenger as part of any future funding decisions on which services should be supported, to help Members with their decision-making.

                  (v)     That it be noted that the funding allocation to service support is limited and the initial allocation is committed, that Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), such as York, are now able to re-allocate part of the original BSIP funding to service support, that LTAs can switch up to 10% of the revenue allocation over the three-year programme without the government’s approval, and that this would impact on the council’s ability to deliver an existing BSIP deliverable project and require formal decision making.

                  (vi)    That it be noted that the report on the City Centre Bus Shuttle is imminent but that it will need to be considered, and possibly revised further, in the light of any decisions to review hostile vehicle mitigation measures.

Reason:     To ensure that the Bus Network in York is stabilised and that the council can work with the statutory Enhanced Bus Partnership to deliver its stated Bus Service Improvement Plans objectives in line with the National Bus Strategy, by both improving passenger experience and increase bus patronage.