Agenda item

Better Buses

 

“That this Council:-

 

(a)      agrees with the former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Prof. Philip Alston, that “abandoning people to the private market” by deregulation bus services “is incompatible with human rights requirements.”;

 

(b)      understands that the Government's impact assessment of the Bus Service Act (2017) highlighted that bus franchising (public control) would better address six out of seven local transport authority objectives compared to an enhanced partnership and was the only method likely to deliver a “significant increase in patronage.”;

 

(c)       understands that the South Yorkshire Combined Authority intends to establish an Enhanced Partnership with bus operators, leaving final say over the network in their hands, despite the evidence that, according to the Centre for Cities, partnerships are a “fudge which stops mayors from delivering the quality bus networks their electorate rightly expect” while a former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty called for them to be “phased out.”;

 

(d)      welcomes the recommendations of the “South Yorkshire Bus Review,” published in June 2020, that the “legal and financial investigation of franchising in South Yorkshire begin immediately” and that “a decision be made no later than 3 years after publication of this report.”;

 

(e)      notes that a legal and financial investigation, as outlined in the Bus Services Act 2017 and National Bus Strategy has not yet been launched and requires the release of a statutory “notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment.”;

 

(f)        welcomes the plans of the Combined Authority to bring forward “proposals for the January MCA meeting to consider starting the formal process of investigating bus franchising;”

 

(g)      acknowledges that the costs of franchising cannot be estimated accurately until a “notice of intent” has been released and the associated statutory powers to access bus operators' commercial data employed;

 

Therefore requests the Administration to request the Doncaster representative on the Combined Authority:-

 

(i)        request the Combined Authority hold a vote to release a “notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment” at its meeting on the 24th of January, or the earliest date thereafter;

 

(ii)     vote in favour of releasing a notice of intent;

 

(iii)    inform the Combined Authority of its support for taking a final decision within the timescales set out by the Bus Review.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1, a Motion was submitted by Councillor Andy Pickering and Seconded by Councillor Rob Reid:-

 

Better Buses

 

“That this Council:-

 

(a)      agrees with the former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Prof. Philip Alston, that “abandoning people to the private market” by deregulation of bus services “is incompatible with human rights requirements.”;

 

(b)      understands that the Government's impact assessment of the Bus Service Act (2017) highlighted that bus franchising (public control) would better address six out of seven local transport authority objectives compared to an enhanced partnership and was the only method likely to deliver a “significant increase in patronage.”;

 

(c)       understands that the South Yorkshire Combined Authority intends to establish an Enhanced Partnership with bus operators, leaving final say over the network in their hands, despite the evidence that, according to the Centre for Cities, partnerships are a “fudge which stops mayors from delivering the quality bus networks their electorate rightly expect” while a former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty called for them to be “phased out.”;

 

(d)      welcomes the recommendations of the “South Yorkshire Bus Review,” published in June 2020, that the “legal and financial investigation of franchising in South Yorkshire begin immediately” and that “a decision be made no later than 3 years after publication of this report.”;

 

(e)      notes that a legal and financial investigation, as outlined in the Bus Services Act 2017 and National Bus Strategy has not yet been launched and requires the release of a statutory “notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment.”;

 

(f)        welcomes the plans of the Combined Authority to bring forward “proposals for the January MCA meeting to consider starting the formal process of investigating bus franchising;”

 

(g)      acknowledges that the costs of franchising cannot be estimated accurately until a “notice of intent” has been released and the associated statutory powers to access bus operators' commercial data employed;

 

Therefore requests the Administration to request the Doncaster representative on the Combined Authority:-

 

(i)        request the Combined Authority hold a vote to release a “notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment” at its meeting on the 24th of January, or the earliest date thereafter;

 

(ii)     vote in favour of releasing a notice of intent;

 

(iii)    inform the Combined Authority of its support for taking a final decision within the timescales set out by the Bus Review.”

 

Following the Chair affording Members in the Chamber the opportunity to speak on the Motion, an amendment was MOVED by Councillor Joe Blackham and Seconded by Councillor John Mounsey, that  the Motion read as follows:-

 

That this Council:-

 

(a)      agrees with the former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Prof. Philip Alston, that “abandoning people to the private market” by deregulation of bus services “is incompatible with human rights requirements.”;

 

(b)      understands that the Government's impact assessment of the Bus Service Act (2017) highlighted that bus franchising (public control) would better address six out of seven local transport authority objectives compared to an enhanced partnership and was the only method likely to deliver a “significant increase in patronage.”;

 

(c)       understands that the South Yorkshire Combined Authority intends to establish an Enhanced Partnership with bus operators, leaving final say over the network in their hands, despite the evidence that, according to the Centre for Cities, partnerships are a “fudge which stops mayors from delivering the quality bus networks their electorate rightly expect” while a former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty called for them to be “phased out.”;

 

(d)      welcomes the recommendations of the “South Yorkshire Bus Review,” published in June 2020, that the “legal and financial investigation of franchising in South Yorkshire begin immediately” and that “a decision be made no later than 3 years after publication of this report.”;

 

(e)      notes that a legal and financial investigation, as outlined in the Bus Services Act 2017 and National Bus Strategy has not yet been launched and requires the release of a statutory “notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment.”;

 

(f)        recognises the plans of the Combined Authority to bring forward “proposals for the January MCA meeting to consider starting the formal process of investigating bus franchising;”

 

(g)      acknowledges that the costs of franchising cannot be estimated accurately until a “notice of intent” has been released and the associated statutory powers to access bus operators' commercial data employed;

 

Therefore requests the Administration to request the Doncaster representative on the Combined Authority:-

 

(i)    notes the report to the Combined Authority on 24th January entitled ‘Governance of Bus Services’;

 

(ii)  requests that details of this report be considered at a future Full Council meeting  in order that a formal response be provided to the Combined Authority, ensuring that the response:-

 

(a)      recognises and notes the work undertaken to progress an Enhanced Partnership and the proposed timeline for its implementation;

 

(b)      requests that the Combined Authority determines at a future meeting if a statutory assessment of franchising should be undertaken so that any associated costs can be more accurately estimated; and

 

(c)       that this assessment has no financial implications for Doncaster Council.

 

A vote was taken on the amendment to the Motion proposed by Councillor Joe Blackham, which was declared as follows:-

 

For - 47

 

Against - 0

 

Abstain - 0

 

On being put to the meeting, the amendment to the Motion was declared CARRIED.

 

Following the Chair affording Members of Council the opportunity to speak on the Substantive Motion, a vote was taken on the Substantive Motion which was declared as follows:-

 

For - 47

 

Against - 0

 

Abstain - 0

 

The Substantive Motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that this Council:-

 

(a)      agrees with the former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Prof. Philip Alston, that “abandoning people to the private market” by deregulation of bus services “is incompatible with human rights requirements.”;

 

(b)        understands that the Government's impact assessment of the Bus Service Act (2017) highlighted that bus franchising (public control) would better address six out of seven local transport authority objectives compared to an enhanced partnership and was the only method likely to deliver a “significant increase in patronage.”;

 

(c)          understands that the South Yorkshire Combined Authority intends to establish an Enhanced Partnership with bus operators, leaving final say over the network in their hands, despite the evidence that, according to the Centre for Cities, partnerships are a “fudge which stops mayors from delivering the quality bus networks their electorate rightly expect” while a former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty called for them to be “phased out.”;

 

(d)      welcomes the recommendations of the “South Yorkshire Bus Review,” published in June 2020, that the “legal and financial investigation of franchising in South Yorkshire begin immediately” and that “a decision be made no later than 3 years after publication of this report.”;

 

(e)      notes that a legal and financial investigation, as outlined in the Bus Services Act 2017 and National Bus Strategy has not yet been launched and requires the release of a statutory “notice of intent to prepare a franchising assessment.”;

 

(f)        recognises the plans of the Combined Authority to bring forward “proposals for the January MCA meeting to consider starting the formal process of investigating bus franchising;”

 

(g)      acknowledges that the costs of franchising cannot be estimated accurately until a “notice of intent” has been released and the associated statutory powers to access bus operators' commercial data employed;

 

Therefore requests the Administration to request the Doncaster representative on the Combined Authority:-

 

(i)        notes the report to the Combined Authority on 24th January entitled ‘Governance of Bus Services’;

 

(ii)       requests that details of this report be considered at a future full Council meeting in order that a formal response be provided to the Combined Authority, ensuring that the response;

 

(a)      recognises and notes the work undertaken to progress an Enhanced Partnership and the proposed timeline for its implementation;

 

(b)      requests that the Combined Authority determines at a future meeting if a statutory assessment of franchising should be undertaken so that any associated costs can be more accurately estimated; and

 

(c)      that this assessment has no financial implications for Doncaster Council.