Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report

1. Executive Summary

1.1 The purpose of this paper is to consider the award of a contract following a decision by First Group to withdraw from the current contracted 38/38a/138 bus services on 26 July 2009.

1.2 This paper sets out the background to the current situation and considers the impact on the Public Transport budget and future service levels.

2. Contextual information

2.1. There is a need to maintain continuity of the bus service for local residents following a decision by First Group to withdraw from the contracted 38/38a/138 bus services in the Portsmouth City and Winchester and Fareham Borough areas.

2.2. First Group intends to withdraw from the current 38/38a/138 bus contracts from 26 July 2009 following losses incurred owing to continuing rises in operating costs. The services operate between Wickham, Fareham, Soberton Heath, Newtown, North Boarhunt and Cosham Health Centre via Southwick and the Queen Alexandra Hospital.

2.3. It is proposed to award a contract in the interim before going out to full consultation and tender in June 2010 when the other Havant area bus contracts expire.

3. Finance

3.1. The route is financially supported by Hampshire County Council at a cost of approximately £77,000 per annum. Portsmouth City Council currently makes a financial contribution of £5,000 towards the services.

4. Performance

4.1. The current contract carries approximately 25,152 annual passenger journeys at a cost of £3.06 per passenger journey.

5. Other key issues

5.1. Routes 38/138 serve a number of rural communities spread out across a wide area making replacement by Community Transport alternatives more costly in comparison to a bus-based solution.

5.2. For many of the communities, the 38/138 is the only transport service which makes the routes a lifeline for those who could otherwise be isolated if the service no longer operated.

5.3. Consideration was given to combining the routes with another local bus service which uses developer funding but this was rejected as developer funding should only be used for pilot schemes or pump-priming projects where ridership is expected to grow to make a service financially self-sufficient. This situation does not apply to the 38/138.

5.4. Additional funding was sought from Portsmouth City Council but none is available at present.

5.5. In the absence of additional funding a revised timetable was devised catering for key journeys but reducing the resources necessary so enabling the service to continue at the existing budget level.

6. Future direction

6.1. The only reasonable option to maintain a service on these routes is to revise the existing contract with First Group and redesign the timetable accordingly. In order to keep within existing budgetary limits, there will be a slight retiming of the timetable and two less journeys a day between Cosham Health Centre/Queen Alexandra Hospital and Wickham and Southwick. Analysis of the data on the journeys to be withdrawn shows that, on average, each trip currently carries only three passengers.

7. Recommendations

7.1. That the contract with the existing bus operator be extended and revised at the current cost of £77,000 per annum.

7.2. That the existing timetable be revised to remain within the above budgetary limits.

2067Rpt/777/PS

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

Links to the Corporate Strategy

IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:

1. Equalities Impact Assessment:

1.1. Not applicable.

2. Impact on Crime and Disorder:

2.1. Not applicable.

3. Climate Change:

a) How does what is being proposed impact on our carbon footprint / energy consumption?

· Fewer journeys will be operated which will require less bus fuel consumption, but may result in some additional car journeys.

b) How does what is being proposed consider the need to adapt to climate change, and be resilient to its longer term impacts?

· This recommendation will have a slight detrimental effect on sustainable transport provision.