Agenda item

- Report for consideration by the Combined Authority Committee.

The West of England Combined Authority Committee RESOLVED:

1. To note the current position on bus network recovery.

2. To approve the continuation of concessionary fare reimbursement payments to bus operators at pre-Covid levels for a further 3 months to the end of September 2020.

The Combined Authority Committee considered a report setting out the current position on bus network recovery following a relaxation of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and the steps required to deliver this over the coming months (agenda item 16).

The Chair highlighted the following aspects of the report and commented as follows:

·       The report provided a lot of detail of the work taking place around:

- Funding sources for bus services.

- Concessionary travel re-imbursement.

- Support for community transport.

- The impact of social distancing on bus capacity.

- The latest position on bus network re-start and recovery.

·       Members were asked today to approve the continuation of concessionary fare reimbursement payments to bus operators at pre-Covid levels for a further 3 months to the end of September 2020.  This was an absolutely vital measure in terms of helping bus services to operate as the region moved through the next stages of lockdown release.

·       At this point in time, it was not possible to have certainty around the exact pace and extent of further release from lockdown restrictions; for that reason, a plan to recover the bus network was inevitably a ‘work in progress’. Nevertheless, the report set out the key issues and the steps being actively taken to support the recovery of the bus network.  Further reports would be brought through to the committee via the Transport Board.

The recommendations as set out in the published report were then moved by the Chair and seconded by Cllr Savage.

Cllr Savage welcomed the report.  He also commented on the need to explore longer term modal shift as the region moves into recovery and to continue to work with bus operators to recover bus patronage to the previous high levels as speedily as is possible; this should include discussion on measures that may support this, such as future highway interventions.

Cllr Dudd drew attention to benefit of bus priority measures introduced in Bristol.  In his view, looking at the longer term, changes in the bus transport model / ownership structure may need to be considered, e.g. consideration should be given to lobbying the government around the issue of a public stake being introduced in local bus companies given the level of public subsidy that was currently being required to keep bus services going.  There were also important issues to address around how to deal with the increasing demand for bus services as lockdown eased given the limited capacity of the bus network due to social distancing.

Cllr Romero expressed her thanks to bus operators (and to officers for their ongoing work with the operators) for the efforts made in keeping services going throughout the crisis period.  In terms of the future situation, she hoped that the Transport Board would give consideration to changes that would benefit the situation regarding bus travel across the region, including any areas where there may be a need to lobby government.

Professor West stated that it was important to recognise the scale of the challenge for public transport services, given the many demands on services, including the demand from businesses and from young people and university students across the region.  Ongoing work should be considered, working with bus operators to try to mitigate the risks for certain population age-groups across the region which may assist in helping to manage demand for bus services. 

The Chair then moved to the voting on the recommendations. Voting took place as per constitutional requirements.

The West of England Combined Authority Committee RESOLVED:

1. To note the current position on bus network recovery.

2. To approve the continuation of concessionary fare reimbursement payments to bus operators at pre-Covid levels for a further 3 months to the end of September 2020.