Agenda item

(a)  That the draft Bus Service Improvement Plan be approved.

(b)  That delegated authority be given to the Executive Director - Place and Communities, in consultation with the Lead Member for Sustainable Transport and the Environment, to: 

i.  approve the final version of the BSIP and submit this to the DfT,

ii.  subject to approval of the BSIP, commence preparation of the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme (EPP).

(c)  That it be noted that a report would be presented to Cabinet for approval of the EPP.

The Lead Member for Sustainable Transport & the Environment introduced a report that sought approval of the draft Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) for submission to the Department for Transport (DfT) by 31^st October 2021.

The submission of the BSIP was an important first step in the Council’s response to the National Bus Strategy and provided opportunities to improve services, for example by being able to access DfT funding and develop an Enhanced Partnership with bus operators in Slough.  The overall requirement was to establish and commit to a joint plan with operators to improve the reliability and quality of services, increase bus passenger levels and improve bus passenger satisfaction.  The Lead Member commented that bus fares were relatively high in Slough and it was hoped the Council could work closely with bus companies in the partnership to address the issue.

The report set out the general principles for the BSIP and would enable the development of an Enhanced Partnership Plan which would contain much more detail and proposals for specific schemes.  All future projects would be subject to feasibility and the availability of funding and it was proposed the EPP would be presented to Cabinet for approval before progressing any schemes.  The full plan would be required by March 2022.

The Cabinet welcomed the plan and emphasised its commitment to promote public transport and other sustainable forms of travel, including through bus and cycle lane provision.  The impact of Covid-19 on bus usage was noted and it was expected to take time for usage to recover to pre-pandemic levels.  Members asked whether bus operators were working constructively with the Council on BSIP and Officers responded that there was a commitment to work together and three partnership meetings had already been held.  The bus priority measures put in place by the Council had been welcomed by bus operators as a vital pre-requisite to improving the reliability, and potentially the frequency of services in the future.  Improved information, use of technology and multi-operator ticketing were all areas that would explored in the short term to identify improvements that could be delivered.

Lead Members asked a number of specific questions about local services and routes, including to Heathrow, and Officers responded to the points raised.  It was expected that services negatively impacted by reduced demand would be restored as the economy recovered.  The partnership would provide a platform to review the network in the future.

After due consideration the Cabinet approved the recommendations and draft BSIP.

Resolved –

(a)  That the draft Bus Service Improvement Plan be approved.

(b)  That delegated authority be given to the Executive Director - Place and Communities, in consultation with the Lead Member for Sustainable Transport and the Environment, to: 

i.  approve the final version of the BSIP and submit this to the DfT,

ii.  subject to approval of the BSIP, commence preparation of the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme (EPP).

(c)  That it be noted that a report would be presented to Cabinet for approval of the EPP.