Telford & Wrekin Council commits to future of its bus routes despite budget ‘risk’

The introduction of seven bus routes that the council paid for across the borough in 2022 has been hailed a success, with hundreds of thousands of residents using them.

While Telford & Wrekin Council cannot completely take over the running of public transport services in the same way as authorities in Manchester have, the council says it will do what it can to provide links between communities.

Council bus routes will be going out to tender soon, before new two-year extendable contracts begin in July 2025.

The council has various pots of money at its disposal for buses, including £1.54 million revenue funding for tenders, what remains of £3.5 million from the Government, and contributions from developers in the form of section 106 payments.

A report to the council’s cabinet on Monday told councillors that “there is a risk that the new tenders could be more expensive than the budget available".

The council is also using money from the Government on bus shelters and the Citymapper app, which can alert users when services are delayed.

But the report author added that should this occur, the council will “explore options to maximise service provision within the budget available while seeking opportunity to secure external funding where possible".

The report also points out that the council will "consider efficient use of vehicles on services but is not anticipating a reduction in service levels overall".

There is also a lack of competition in the bus provider market, the report added.

The council says it is committed to ensuring that a partner is secured to “ensure high-quality services are provided with a commitment to continuous improvement".

Councillor Ollie Vickers, the council’s cabinet member for the economy, told Monday’s meeting of the cabinet that they are committed to capping fares at £2 across the services they provide.

At key times, single fares have been cut to 50p to encourage people to leave the car at home.

Councillor Vickers said: “Thanks to the funding from the new Labour Government I am proud to be able to announce today that we will continue operating our council-run bus routes across Telford and Wrekin, improving connectivity for our residents.”

More than 420,000 trips have been taken on seven new routes since their introduction in December 2022.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the council to clarify what the level of risk is.

A spokesperson for the council said it can set the contract specifications to fit the available budget. But they do not expect it to be a ‘significant issue.”

The total amount of money available for the contracting of the service is still being worked out.

A spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council said on Wednesday, after the meeting: “As with any tender, we would not know the final price until we have gone through the process, but specifications will be designed within the available budget.

“The report highlights that should costs be higher than expected, normal procedures would be followed to ensure an affordable result.

“This is a standard risk on any contract, and not expected to be a significant issue.

“The report doesn’t reference the budget details for 24/25 as the approvals being sought are about tendering for services going forward.”