Amendments to subsidised local bus service contracts Committee Operations Date of meeting 23 January 2015 Date of report 14 January 2015 Report by Assistant Chief Executive (Operations) 1. Object of report To advise the Committee of amendments to the following local bus service contracts: Monklands Hospital Airdrie Holytown Wishaw (service 248A) Milngavie - Anniesland (service 15) Duntocher/Hardgate - Gartnavel Hospital (service 118) Bellshill Holytown Chapelhall Salsburgh Harthill (service 235) Bellshill Holytown Salsburgh Harthill (service 236) Helensburgh Tarbet Carrick Castle (service 302) Helensburgh Rhu Garelochhead Coulport (service 316) Alexandria Balloch Luss (service 305) Alexandria - Helensburgh (service 306) Alexandria Drymen Balloch Balmaha (service 309) Glasgow City Centre Roystonhill Stobhill Hospital (service 329) Galston Fenwick - Kilmarnock (service 332) Kilmarnock Moorfield Industrial Park (service 333) Grange Estate Kilmarnock Southcraigs (service 334) Glasgow City Centre Carmunnock East Kilbride (service 31) Partick Gartnavel Hospital (service 141) This report affects the Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire council areas. FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 1 of 7
2. Background (a) Monklands Hospital Airdrie Holytown Wishaw Law (service 248A/248B) Service 248A is operated on behalf of SPT by McNairn Coaches, providing a daytime Monday to Friday service (5 return journeys) between Monklands Hospital/Airdrie town centre and Wishaw, via Holytown, New Stevenston and Cleland. Previous reports to this Committee detailed changes made by Stuart s Coaches in January 2014 to services in the Law Village area, which led to amendments to existing SPT subsidised services to ensure local bus service provision satisfied guideline criteria. As a result of continued representation from local elected members and the community for additional direct links between Law Village and Wishaw town centre, existing subsidised service 248A Wishaw General Hospital Holytown, operated by McNairn Coaches within contract W010B was revised. SPT adjusted the timetable and route of service 248A within contract W010B to extend early morning, mid-morning and afternoon peak journeys between Wishaw and Law Village as service 248B. The adjustment has resulted in an increase in subsidised mileage, and therefore the contract cost increased on a pro-rata basis by 9,856 per annum, with effect from 17 November 2014. (b) Milngavie - Anniesland (service 15) Duntocher/Hardgate - Gartnavel Hospital (service 118) Services 15 and 118 are operated on behalf of SPT by Glasgow Citybus, providing an hourly daytime Monday to Saturday service between Milngavie and Anniesland via Bearsden as service 15, and an hourly evening Monday to Saturday service and an hourly all-day Sunday service between Duntocher/Hardgate and Gartnavel Hospital via Bearsden as service 118. Additional commercial provision is operated by Glasgow Citybus on service 15 by means of increased frequency between Bearsden and Anniesland with all journeys extending to Glasgow city centre. Glasgow Citybus made a request to SPT to adjust the timetable of the subsidised element of service 118, which involved the removal of a Saturday only journey between Anniesland and Hardgate, to coincide with network changes from 12 January 2015. SPT permitted this alteration because the journey between Bearsden and Anniesland can be made using the revised commercial service and the section of the route between Bearsden and Hardgate is withdrawn as a result of low patronage. FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 2 of 7
SPT adjusted the timetable of service 118 within contract W033A to coincide with Glasgow Citybus network changes, from 12 January 2015. No additional costs apply. (c) Bellshill Holytown Chapelhall Salsburgh Harthill (service 235) Bellshill Holytown Salsburgh Harthill (service 236) Services 235 and 236 are operated on behalf of SPT by Stuart s Coaches, providing early morning Monday to Saturday journeys, an hourly evening Monday to Saturday service and an hourly all-day Sunday service between Bellshill and Harthill via Chapelhall as service 235, and an hourly daytime Monday to Saturday service between Bellshill and Harthill as service 236. Following changes introduced to rail timetables by Scotrail, SPT amended the Sunday timetable of service 235 to maintain interchange at Bellshill Railway Station SPT adjusted the timetable of service 235 within contract 4199C to coincide with timetable changes to the rail network, from 14 December 2014. No additional costs apply. (d) Helensburgh Tarbet Carrick Castle (service 302) Service 302 is operated on behalf of SPT and its funding partner Argyll and Bute Council by Garelochhead Coaches, providing a daytime Monday to Saturday service between Helensburgh and Carrick Castle, via Tarbet and Arrochar, and incorporates school journeys for pupils attending Lochgoilhead Primary School A new road traffic and pedestrian system was introduced in Helensburgh town centre as part of on-going streetscape improvements by Argyll and Bute Council. The resulting change to the road network necessitated an amendment to the route of service 302. SPT adjusted the route of service 302 within contract 8811C, from 8 December 2014. No additional costs apply. (e) Helensburgh Rhu Garelochhead Coulport (service 316) Service 316 is operated on behalf of SPT by Garelochhead Coaches providing an early morning and late evening Monday to Saturday service and a two hourly all-day Sunday service between Helensburgh and Coulport via Garelochhead. A new road traffic and pedestrian system was introduced in Helensburgh town centre as part of on-going streetscape improvements by Argyll and Bute Council. The resulting change to the road network necessitated an amendment to the route of service 316. FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 3 of 7
SPT adjusted the route of service 316 within contract 8812D, from 8 December 2014. No additional costs apply. (f) Alexandria Balloch Luss (service 305) Alexandria - Helensburgh (service 306) Alexandria Drymen Balloch Balmaha (service 309) Services 305, 306 and 309 are operated on behalf of SPT and its funding partner Stirling Council by McGill s, providing a daily service between Alexandria and Luss via Balloch as service 305, a daytime Monday to Saturday service (5 return journeys), a return journey on a Sunday between Alexandria and Helensburgh as service 306, and a ninety minute daily service between Old Bonhill/Alexandria and Balmaha as service 309. A new road traffic and pedestrian system was introduced in Helensburgh town centre as part of on-going streetscape improvements by Argyll and Bute Council. The resulting change to the road network necessitated an amendment to the route of service 306. The route was further amended, omitting Charlotte Street, Helensburgh, whilst maintaining services at existing bus stops, to alleviate issues with vehicles grounding on the road surface. SPT adjusted the route of service 306 within contract W012, from 8 December 2014. No additional costs apply. (g) Glasgow City Centre Roystonhill Stobhill Hospital (service 329) Service 329 is currently operated by JJ Travel, providing a daily thirty minute service between Glasgow city centre and Stobhill Hospital via Roystonhill. This provision is currently delivered within temporary contract (3164T2) until 10 January 2015. As reported to this committee on 14 November 2014 the long-term contract (3164G) to deliver service 329, was awarded to First Glasgow at a cost of 366,145 for the contract period 11 January 2015 until 15 July 2017, equivalent to an annual cost of 145,340. A registration application to operate the service, Monday to Friday, on a commercial basis was submitted by JJ Travel, with a granted start date by The Office of the Traffic Commissioner of 11 January 2015. SPT has withdrawn the awarded contract, 3164G, and following a review of the residual level of requirement for subsidised bus service provision in the area, put in place revised arrangements, details which are referred to in a separate paper to this committee. FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 4 of 7
SPT withdrew the agreed award to First Glasgow of contract 3164G. (h) Kilmarnock - Galston (service 332) Services 332, 333 and 334 are operated on behalf of SPT by Shuttle Buses, providing 3 return daytime journeys between Kilmarnock and Galston as service 332, 2 peak time journeys between Kilmarnock and Moorfield Industrial Park as service 333 and a 2 hourly daytime service between Grange Estate and Southcraigs as service 334, all Monday to Saturday. East Ayrshire Council made a request to SPT for an adjustment to the route of service 332 via the car park of the Co-operative Galston and in order to release sufficient time within the timetable to accommodate this change, an alteration will be made to the direction the service travels through Fenwick at peak times. SPT agreed to the alteration to meet the needs of the travelling public. SPT adjusted the timetable and route of service 332 within contract W040A1 to accommodate the request from East Ayrshire Council, from 9 March 2015. No additional costs apply. (i) Glasgow City Centre Carmunnock East Kilbride (service 31) Service 31 is operated on behalf of SPT by Western Buses, providing an hourly evening Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday service between Glasgow city centre and East Kilbride via Carmunnock. The current provision is delivered under temporary contract LS82T2. As reported to this committee on 14 November 2014, contract 3164G was awarded to First Glasgow, at a cost of 177,767 for the contract period 11 January 2015 until 15 July 2017, equivalent to an annual cost of 70,564. Following the award of contract LS082B, SPT received a request from First Glasgow to alter the route of subsidised service 31 in Glasgow city centre to mirror its daytime Monday to Saturday commercial provision. Following analysis of journey patronage, SPT agreed to amend the route of service 31. SPT altered the route of service 31 within contract LS082B, from 11 January 2015. No additional costs will apply FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 5 of 7
3. Committee action The Committee is recommended to agree the following: (a) alteration to the route and timetable of service 248A within contract W010B with effect from 17 November 2014, at an additional cost of 9,856 per annum; (b) alteration to the timetable of service 118 within contract W033A with effect from 12 January 2015, no additional costs apply; (c) alteration to the timetable of service 235 within contract 4199C with effect from 14 December 2014, no additional costs apply; (d) alteration to the route of service 302 within contract 8811C with effect 8 December 2014, no additional costs apply; (e) alteration to the route of service 316 within contract 8812D with effect 8 December 2014, no additional costs apply; (f) alteration to the route of service 306 within contract W012 with effect 8 December 2014, no additional costs apply; (g) withdrawal of award of contract 3164G to First Glasgow; (h) alteration to the route and timetable of service 332 within contract W040A1 with effect 9 March 2015, no additional costs apply; and (i) alteration to the route of service 31 within contract LS082B, with effect from 11 January 2015, no additional costs apply 4. Consequences Policy consequences: Legal consequences: Financial consequences: In line with Regional Transport Strategy. All proposed amendments are compliant with the terms and conditions of contracts. Amendments to contracts detailed in this paper will result in additional costs of 1,643 in 2014/15 and 8,614 in 2015/16. Personnel consequences: None. Equalities consequences: Seeks to reduce the incidence of social exclusion by supporting socially necessary services. FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 6 of 7
Risk consequences: None. Eric Stewart Assistant Chief Executive (Operations) Gordon Maclennan Chief Executive for further information please contact Alex Scott, Bus Services Manager on ext 3388 FLR4/OP01R096-v2 15:04 Page 7 of 7