The remit of the Board is as
follows:
·
Agree
its terms of reference
and review these
as necessary.
·
Review and advise the
Transport Authority on the implementation of
Somerset Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)
·
Oversee evolution of the
BSIP following feedback from DfT and confirmation of available
funds. Recommend annual updates of the BSIP to the Council as
Transport Authority for formal approval by the
Council.
·
Providea
formal structure for
discussions and engagement between Somerset Council
and local bus service operators on the content of an Enhanced
Partnership (EP), recommending
how the EP will be used to deliver specific BSIP
outcomes taking account of available funds. Agree any flexible bespoke
mechanism for objection between the parties to include in the
EP scheme.
·
Ensure that all
operators who may be affected by the BSIP and EP and are kept
informed of the progress of those discussions in terms of outcomes
and be allowed to contribute to the discussions at any
point.
·
Oversee the
implementation, management and monitoring of the Enhanced
Partnership and manage the introduction of new content, amendment of existing content or
revoking content over the lifetime of the EP scheme, noting that there will need to be
a legal partnership agreement for the EP which will set these
mechanisms out in more detail.
·
Enable dialogue between
bus and rail operators and the Transport
Authority (in its strategic capacity) on how to
improve integration between bus and rail services for passengers
living in or visiting Somerset.
·
Develop,
consult on and agree a passenger
charter giving bus users rights to certain standards of service,
including punctuality, vehicle cleanliness, proportion of services
operated, information and
redress.
·
Seek,
consider and report the views of passengers
and other stakeholders regarding the merits and demerits of bus services in
Somerset;providing a mechanism for passengers
to provide feedback on
how Somerset Council as Transport Authority and bus operators are
performing in meeting their commitments in the BSIP and how these
might be redressed to ensure passenger charter standards are
met.
·
Review the passenger
charter on a fixed basis and consult on any revised
versions.
In line with BSIP guidance, the Board is an
informal forum for collaborative discussion to formulate
recommendations to its constituent organisations. The supporting
body for the Board is the Bus User and Stakeholder (BUS) Group.
For further details, please see
the Constitution or
email Democratic Services on democraticservicesteam@somerset.gov.uk
