Provision of a Buckinghamshire Demand Responsive Bus Service

Buckinghamshire Council wish to commission a Demand Responsive Transport Service for Buckinghamshire. The service provision will be divided into 2 lots – one for Aylesbury and one for High Wycombe. Organisations can tender for one or both lots.

LOT 1 – Aylesbury

The scheme for Aylesbury focuses on improving connectivity to the rural areas surrounding Aylesbury (Weedon, Hartwell, Aston Clinton, Weston Turville and Halton) which are currently under-served by traditional bus routes. The DRT service will provide better connections to local economic, retail, education, and healthcare facilities, notably Stoke Mandeville Hospital (SMH) which is an important local employer and a key regional hospital.

The six objectives of the proposed DRT service for Aylesbury, as set out in the RMF bid documents, are to:

1. Reduce public transport journey times and improve journey time reliability through flexible demand-responsive systems.
2. Remove the requirement for interchange in the town centre for cross-town journeys and the need to pay multiple operators due to a fragmented local bus market and lack of integrated ticketing.
3. Increase network coverage beyond the current fixed radial system, with improved access to SMH and areas out of the town centre.
4. Improve accessibility for all passengers, with a user-friendly and inclusive service which is flexible enough to meet users’ individual needs.
5. Contribute to tackling Aylesbury’s peak time congestion through increased modal shift by providing an attractive public transport solution that in turn contributes to carbon reduction and improved air quality.
6. Include subsidised travel to cater for an ageing population and ensure that those who qualify can benefit from the service.

The budget for this service is £1,700,000 for the full contract term.

LOT 2 – High Wycombe

The scheme for High Wycombe focuses on improving connectivity to the rural areas surrounding High Wycombe (Booker, Downley, and Wooburn Green). These areas are currently under-served by traditional bus routes so implementing a DRT service will provide better connections to local economic, retail, education and healthcare facilities, notably the Cressex Industrial Park which is a key source of employment in the area, town centre, railway station and hospital.

The six objectives of the proposed DRT service for High Wycombe, as set out in the RMF bid documents, are to:

1. Reduce public transport journey times and improve journey time reliability through flexible demand-responsive systems.
2. Remove the barrier of needing to interchange in the town centre to make cross-town journeys.
3. Increase network coverage beyond the current fixed radial system, with improved access to Cressex Industrial Estate and High Wycombe Hospital and a dramatically improved transport service to surrounding villages and suburban areas.
4. Improve accessibility for all passengers, with a user-friendly and inclusive service which is flexible enough to meet users’ individual needs.
5. Contribute to tackling High Wycombe’s severe peak time congestion problems through increased modal shift resulting from a more flexible public transport service, with direct knock-on benefits in terms of carbon reduction, improved air quality and access to employment.
6. Include subsidised travel to cater for an ageing population and ensure that those who qualify can benefit from the service.

Another objective of the scheme is to support the development of the transport network by encouraging the natural development of mobility hub(s). The DRT should at least provide accessibility and connectivity to the current transport network. This connectivity to the current transport network should be promoted as a basis of the DRT service.

The budget for this service is £2,600,000 for the full contract term.