Road Based Passenger Transport Services

Award of one contract this quarter through the Road Based Passenger Transport Services DPS that this notice relates to -

Lot 1 of the DPS for Road Based Passenger Transport Services - to operate a number of local bus routes serving Bracknell Forest Borough and destinations beyond the borough boundary. Nine routes have been awarded.

The contract(s) duration will be for a maximum of 5 years, covering an initial period of 3 years plus 2 optional extensions, each of 1 year (i.e. 3 + 1 + 1)

The DPS comprises two lots:

Lot 1: traditional bus services with set routes and timetables.

Lot 2 : covers demand responsive transport and other non-typical bus provision.

Note: The DPS excludes the provision of home to school transport for pupils with special transport requirements, e.g. wheelchair and/or passenger assistant.

The Council has a duty under the 1985 Transport Act ‘to secure the provision of such public passenger transport services as the council consider it appropriate to secure to meet any public transport requirements … which would not in its view be met apart from any action taken by it for that purpose.’

The agreement will provide the structure to procure routes, the Bus Strategy developed during 2020 defines what the Council deems appropriate under the Act, and the call offs under this framework will procure those routes, ensuring by the appropriate qualitative criteria that any route details put forward by operators fulfil the requirements defined in the Strategy.

As of June 2022 the Council provides 9 subsidised public bus services operating Mon-Sat with three of these services also operating late into the evening and on Sundays. The Council also contributes to a route procured by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.