Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport seeking the agreement of the Council to sign the Southampton Quality Bus Partnership with bus operators.

The agreement will enable bus operators to invest in their services in return for targeted use of Local Transport plan resources by SCC. This will help meet the Council’s aim to significantly grow bus usage in the city to accommodate the anticipated development within the city by making bus services more attractive.

(i)  To approve the Southampton Bus Partnership (Appendix 1)

(ii)  To appoint the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport to represent the Council on the Southampton Quality Bus Partnership

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Director of Environment, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport to agree elements of work pertaining to the SBP.

(iv)  To approve, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, the addition of £300,000 in 2012/13 to the Environment and Transport Portfolio Capital Programme for a Bus Partnership scheme funded from the confirmed LTP3 Integrated Transport allocation for that year.

(v)  To agree, in principle, to add similar schemes in 2013/14 and 2014/15, subject to confirmation of the LTP3 Integrated Transport allocations for those years and to future Council capital expenditure priorities.

To enable Cabinet to agree a mechanism to deliver bus based elements of the Local Transport Plan 3 agreed at Full Council in March 2011.

It Is not acceptable to do nothing as the economic building blocks using the bus as one of the main modes of transport for the city need to be laid.  Statutory Quality Contracts cannot be entered into unless it can be demonstrated that alternative partnership based approaches have failed to deliver benefits.  The terms of a Voluntary Partnership Arrangement can be met through using the mechanism outlined in this report without a binding commitment.