Transport Services (Alt Bridge and Knowsley Central Schools)

The below are key known risks that could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contracts and because of their nature, cannot be addressed in the contract as it will be awarded. These matters have been identified because they may result in changes to the Authorities requirements, the resources required to deliver the Services, or the cost and method of delivery.

Workforce Transfer (TUPE):

At the date of publication of the Tender Notice, the Authority cannot determine with certainty the identity, number, employment status, contractual terms, or associated employment costs of employees who may transfer to the successful Contractor at service commencement. This is because the relevant workforce may change between the procurement process and the commencement of the Contract, and the final application of TUPE will depend upon the circumstances existing at the point of transfer.

The Authority considers that this uncertainty could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the Contract because a material difference in the transferring workforce could affect the Contractor's staffing, mobilisation arrangements, and costs. Owing to the nature and timing of the risk, its precise consequences cannot be fully addressed in the Contract at the point of award.

Service Demand and Route Changes:

The Authority cannot guarantee pupil numbers, passenger requirements, pick-up locations, educational placements, vehicle requirements, or route configurations throughout the Contract Term.

Service requirements may change due to:

• Changes in educational placements;
• Service users joining or leaving the service;
• Changes in individual passenger needs and/or risk assessments;
• Changes to route structures, frequencies, and/or vehicle capacities, and
• Changes required to maintain the safe and effective delivery of the Services;

At the date of publication of the Tender Notice, the Authority cannot determine with certainty the number or needs of passengers who will require transport throughout the Contract Term, the educational establishments they will attend, their pick-up or drop-off locations, or the routes, vehicles, and associated resources that will consequently be required.

The Authority considers that material changes in demand or route requirements could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the Contract where they result in requirements that are materially different in scale, configuration or nature from those reasonably anticipated when the Contract was awarded. Owing to the nature of passenger demand and the Authority's statutory responsibilities for eligible transport, the precise nature, timing and extent of such changes cannot be fully determined or addressed in the Contract at the point of award.

Passenger Needs and Behavioural Requirements

Individual passenger requirements may change during the Contract Term due to changes in medical, behavioural, educational, or safeguarding needs.

This may result in changes to vehicle types, staffing requirements, passenger assistant requirements, seating arrangements, risk assessments and route structures.

Recruitment and Workforce Availability

The Authority recognises that the availability of suitably qualified, trained, and appropriately vetted drivers and passenger assistants may affect the delivery of the Services.

At the date of publication of the Tender Notice, the Authority cannot predict the extent to which wider labour market conditions, availability of appropriately qualified personnel, or recruitment and vetting timescales may materially affect the availability of the workforce required to deliver the Services during the Contract Term.

The Authority considers that an exceptional or material shortage in the availability of suitably qualified and appropriately vetted drivers or passenger assistants could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the Contract where its scale or duration materially affects the Contractor's ability to maintain the required Services notwithstanding reasonable recruitment, retention and contingency measures. Owing to the nature of labour market conditions and the timing and extent of any such shortage, its precise consequences cannot be fully determined or addressed in the Contract at the point of award.