Committee details

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