Agenda item

A report was submitted which provided an update on the development of the South Yorkshire Bus Improvement Programme (SYBIP), developed in response to the Bus Review, and considered the implications of the recently published National Bus Strategy.  The report provided context to consider pursuing an Enhanced Partnership for the South Yorkshire bus system and provided an opportunity to discuss other future delivery models including Bus Franchising.

Major Jarvis MBE was pleased that the paper had been brought before Members at today’s meeting.  The Bus Review that had been commissioned early in the mayoral term had laid bare the issues that were faced in transforming the bus system.  The work that was being undertaken as a result of the review and the importance of bringing it together with the Government’s national Bus Strategy was critically important.  He wished to assure Members and the public that the MCA would look very seriously at all options for how the bus network would be managed in the future, including franchising.  The bottom line was the requirement for a system that delivered the improvements that were so clearly needed.  He stressed that the decisions for consideration at the meeting today did not presume or preclude any option.

The Bus Review that had been published in 2020 had highlighted the challenges within the South Yorkshire bus system, together with a series of wide-ranging and ambitious recommendations for improvement.  Following which, a paper had been agreed by the Transport and Environment Board in January 2021 as to how the 7-Point Plan that had been developed in response to the Bus Review would be reconfigured due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had significantly impacted upon bus patronage.

Councillor Read reflected upon bus improvement and the incredibly challenging year that had been faced by the bus operators.  He considered the need to move to an enhanced partnership in order to continue to access financial support from the Government.  This did not preclude moving towards a franchising model in the future.

Mayor Jarvis MBE commented that members of the public should be absolutely clear of the MCA’s collective ambition to deliver the best possible public transport network for users within South Yorkshire.

Councillor Sir Houghton CBE considered it appropriate to keep all of the options available, in light of the public being less than happy with the services that they had received.  However, he considered it important to know the financial implications of the options.  He referred to the comparisons that had been made to the public transport system in London with the rest of the country, although the public transport system in London had received a vastly superior amount of Government funding in comparison to the rest of the country.  It was necessary to be fully clear of the financial implications of any option, otherwise this could result in massive implications with the tax payers locally.

Mayor Jarvis MBE commented that the MCA wished to progress the work at pace, whilst being absolutely clear of the resources available to do so.

RESOLVED – That the Board:-

i)        Noted the key decisions required by the National Bus Strategy and the deadlines indicated.

ii)      Noted the update on the development of the programme and the suggested focus of activity in the next 6 – 9 months.

iii)     Confirmed agreement to pursue an Enhanced Partnership for the South Yorkshire Bus Network.

iv)     Confirmed that future alternative delivery models included Bus Franchising also be evaluated..