Maximum cost per passenger carried

Minimum number of passengers per trip

Percentage of cost covered by revenue

Minimum service standards for each community

Journey purposes

Other criteria

Buckinghamshire

£3.00

5

-

Yes, subject to other two criteria

-

-

Cheshire

£2.00, but with flexibility

-

-

-

-

-

East Sussex

-

-

40%

Yes

-

-

Essex

£5.00

Varies according to time and location, ranging 3 to 10

-

Yes

-

-

Hertfordshire

-

-

-

-

-

Cost-benefit analysis: benefit calculated as difference between notional total cost of passengers' using contract service and nearest alternative (including fares and valuation of time)

Kent

£3.00 guideline

-

-

-

5 prioritised journey categories according to purpose

-

Lancashire

£2.00

-

20%

Yes

-

-

Surrey

£2.50

-

-

Yes, based on knowledge of usage and need

Yes

-

West Sussex

-

-

-

-

-

Scoring system, comprising: cost per passenger; journey purpose; patronage trends; funding/resource alternatives; choice; interchange points; contribution to land use policy

Wiltshire

£3.00

(£2 for town services, £1 for non-entitled schools)

Used as guide, not absolute limit

Only for non-entitled schools: minimum 20

-

-

High/medium/low priority needs met by service

-

Hampshire

£2.50

3 (rural services)

5 (urban services)

-

-

-

-