The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) setting out the potential operating models for the delivery of passenger transport services and sought approval to progress the preferred option to procurement stage to identify a preferred partner.

Resolved:

1. That the following key elements to enable procurement activities to commence around this passenger transport review, in parallel with completing the policy consultation with users, be approved:

(a) Procure a partner to develop a ‘For Profit’ JV partnership as the recommended operating model for providing all its passenger transport services;

(b) Use a full procurement procedure (either competitive dialogue or open procedure) to procure a partner to develop a ‘For Profit’ JV partnership as opposed to contracting directly with a local authority owned company under Regulation 12 (the old teckal arrangements);

(c) Implement the new service from 1^st August 2019 based on the time table set out in paragraph 6.2 of the submitted report;

(d) Grant a tender exemption to extend existing contracts, based on the understanding that market conditions and potential legislative changes have hindered the Council’s ability to procure a partner to develop other types of JV partnership.

2. That a further report be presented to Cabinet in January 2018 that will provide details of the confirmed procurement procedure to procure a partner to develop the JV partnership.

Reasons for Decision:

It is critical that the Council has an agreed, robust and transparent position on each of the matters presented in the report in order to shape the procurement approach and ensure that the ambitions for passenger transport are delivered through the partnership.  Not reaching a decision on any of these matters risks delaying the procurement process.

Other Options:

None

Note: This is an Executive Function

Eligible for call in to Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee

Executive Councillor: Moring