Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport seeking approval of the reimbursement rates to bus operators for the Council’s concessionary travel scheme that are proposed to apply from 1 April 2010.

(i)  Subject to the inclusion of an ‘additional costs’ claims procedure in accordance with recommendation (v), to extend the 2009/10 Concessionary Fares Scheme, as set out in Appendix 1, so that it will remain in operation from 1 April 2010 until further notice, pending the publication of revised guidance from the Department for Transport (DfT);

(ii)  To continue to reimburse operators at the 2009/10 rate of 41.2p in the £, plus 15p per generated journey, in accordance with the guidance given by the Department for Transport’s Reimbursement Analysis Tool (‘RAT’) that was issued in December 2008 until such time as a revised RAT is issued by the DfT and re-imbursement rates re-calculated by the Authority accordingly;

(iii)  To retain a figure of 50% for return ticket sales in the average fare calculation;

(iv)  To delegate authority to the Executive Director of Environment, in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council and the Executive Director of Resources, following consultation with the Cabinet Members for Environment & Transport and Resources, to make any necessary variations or changes to the scheme arising from any outstanding appeals or revised guidance issued by DfT and to take any action necessary to give effect to the recommendations including but not limited to the service of statutory Notices (including Variation and Participation Notices if required) and participation in and determination of any appeal against the proposed Concessionary Fares Scheme or reimbursement arrangements for 2010/11.

(v)  To delegate authority to the Executive Director of Environment, in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council and the Executive Director of Resources, following consultation with the Cabinet Members for Environment & Transport and Resources, to determine the arrangements for operators to claim additional capacity and capital costs.

To enable the Council to comply with the statutory requirement to serve bus operators with minimum 28 days notice of the reimbursement arrangements to be used during 2010/11.

It is a statutory requirement that the Council has to publish details of its proposed reimbursement calculation in advance of the scheme introduction, so the only options that could be considered are to vary the level of generation factor employed, or the level of additional costs allowed, or the proportion of non-single journeys included in the calculations.  The first two of these factors have been assessed in the light of the adjudication in December 2009 received from the Secretary of State and the contents of the Guidance issued by the Department for Transport (DfT) in December 2008 for use in 2009/10 as no guidance is yet available for 2010/11.