Friday 20 December 2013
Media enquiry from Luke Richardson, Guernsey Press
In September the minister said Environment had until December to decide whether to renew the contract with CT Plus.
Has this decision been made? If so what was it and why?
If not when will it be made?
Environment Department's response:
The Environment Department has exercised its right to extend the bus services contract with CT Plus for a further year from April 2014 through to the end of March 2015.
The determinants behind this decision are numerous:
- CT Plus delivered the recovery package and met the requirements of the notices served by the Department in early summer.
- Since the delivery of the recovery package and the introduction of the Winter timetable the number of complaints received by the Department concerning the bus service have dropped dramatically. This along with the Departments own monitoring is indicative of a much improved service.
- The duration of the original contract was intentionally short (2 years) in order to enable the Transport Strategy to be debated before any long term commitment was made. However, it was also recognised that delivering the Transport strategy within the initial 2 year contract would be a big ask and hence the States option to extend the contract was included. The wisdom of this course of action has been demonstrated. It proved impossible to complete and debate the Transport Strategy early enough to allow for the tendering of a new contract before expiry of the initial 2 year contract period.
- Tendering another short term contract (1 or 2 years), to allow for the Transport Strategy to be properly considered, with the potential introduction of another short term bus services operator presented no benefits to the island over the current contracts and service. The resources involved in changing services between operators are significant and do not sit comfortably alongside such short term contracts. Resources would be diverted away from delivering a long term transport and bus strategy for Guernsey and instead used to deliver short term solutions with no demonstrable benefits. Bouncing between operators using short term contractors does not present the island as an attractive customer to the industry. Best value for Guernsey would, therefore, not be delivered by such an approach.
The Department has however commenced the process for the tendering of a new contract. An assessment of tendering options has been carried out and a PIN (prior information notice) has been issued. Companies have been invited to register their preliminary interest via the PIN. A background document is being prepared and will be issued in the new year prior to the formal invitation for Expressions of Interest which will be issued after the Transport Strategy debate.
ENDS
