Decision details

This report sets out the options for Executive consideration and decision concerning the future of bus shelter provision within the Borough. Dependent upon the Executive’s decision there will be a need to secure capital and on-going revenue funding relevant to the chosen option.

The existing 15 year bus shelter maintenance contract (between the council and Primesight Ltd) will expire in June 2016 and will require the Council to carry out a re-tendering exercise.

The Council has an inventory of 156 bus shelters, of which 44 (town centre and main bus routes) are owned by Primesight Ltd under the current agreement and as such can / will be removed by Primesight should they not be successful in any retender. These Primesight shelters are largely at least 15 years old and due for upgrading. The remainder of bus shelters (112) are owned by the Council and are located across the Borough on more local bus routes, with some (13) now redundant due to changes in bus route franchises.

Under the current agreement Primesight Ltd retain 100% of the advertising revenue in exchange for providing the Council a free of charge service to clean and maintain all 156 bus shelters. These provides for normal wear and tear only, not for vandalism or traffic damage.

Officers have recently carried out a “soft market test” to determine the state of the UK bus shelter manufacture, provision, advertising and maintenance market place.  This exercise has identified the range of options now open to the Council to replace the existing contract from July 2016.

This report seeks a decision from the Executive on its preferred option and approval for the related capital and revenue funding.  This will enable officers to commence a procurement tendering exercise to select and recommend award of contract for the chosen option.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees:

(a)       that option C, as set out in paragraph 21 of the report be approved, for bus shelter provision and that this be implemented from July 2016 with the relevant capital and revenue funding budgets;

(b)       that officers proceed to carry out the necessary procurement programme to seek tenders from interested parties to implement option C and to report back to a future Executive meeting.