Agenda item

Supported Bus Service Contracts 2015

To discuss proposed supported bus service contracts.

Minutes:

The Panel considered a report detailing the planned changes to the supported local bus network and the forthcoming procurement of the revised bus contracts. Proposals to award contracts were scheduled to be considered by the Executive in January 2015.

 

Arising from the Panel’s questions and comments the following points were noted:

 

·                     Whilst the 598 Sandhurst Shopper Service was infrequent there had not been any requests to increase the frequency. The Transport Development Manager would provide information concerning the route of the 598 to a Councillor outside the meeting.

·                     The proposed Route D would provide a service to the Binfield Road.

·                     Whilst the 108 route did not include Jennett's Park Community Centre it might do so in the future.  However, other services did serve the Community Centre.

·                     With regard to the implementation of the Bus Strategy Working Group's proposal for shared tickets amongst operators, the Strategy would be adopted in January 2015 and Officers had begun related work but this would be the subject of negotiation with bus operators.

·                     Similarly, whilst Officers could take forward Members' views regarding the unfairness of a bus operator not issuing child tickets in the evening they could not guarantee that the operator would agree to change its policy.

·                     A real time bus information service was being constructed at the moment and was being twinned with a web page accessible by smart phones. There would also be information accessible by the blind and partially sighted. The system would be rolled out from November

·                     The proposals focused on the Council's supported routes to and from Bracknell town centre. A number of the new routes stopped at a Tesco store as it was acknowledged that Tesco was a popular destination.

·                     Whilst the proposed route B (replacing service 199) no longer served Birch Hill Sainsbury's, it did go to the town centre where there was a Sainsbury's store.

 

The Panel noted the report.

Supporting documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk