Public road transport services

Tender description

The Council is seeking service providers to supply home to school transport requirements in Zone 3 serving schools/colleges in Eynsham,Witney, Burford and Faringdon.. In addition to these routes, there are also mid-term requirements for schools in other parts of Oxfordshire areas. Lot 1, 6 year contracts — zone 3 All contracts in the zone 3 area that encompasses the areas of Eynsham, Witney, Burford and Faringdon expire in Spring 2017. Most of the routes in this tender are in this area and will be let for 6 years until Easter 2023. Start 25.4.2017 The end day before the Easter Holidays 2023 Extension option until 31/08/2023 Lot 2, 2 year, one term contracts Due to the impact the ‘nearest school’ policy change, the requirement for transport from home to school has been diminishing each year in certain areas. This is because the policy is being phased in. LOT 2 contracts are effected by this can change and will therefore be let until the summer of 2019 at which point the policy change will have been fully applied. Start of Contract 25/04/2017 ends 31/08/2019 No option to extend Lot 3, 1 year contracts — price per seat pilot Contracts let in LOT 3 are also let in areas as opposed to specific routes. Operators should be aware that the price per seat quoted would be the same regardless of whether school transport is required in a large vehicle or a taxi and regardless of fluctuations in demand during the contract period which may result in changes in the type of vehicle used, the route taken or the relevant pick up points. This will managed by the winning operator using their own fleet of vehicles, and supplemented if necessary with subcontracting arrangements with local taxi firms and other transport providers. The council also wishes to test its ‘total transport’ ambitions of encouraging transport solutions that cater for community needs as a whole, rather than simply those entitled to free school transport. By letting contracts on a ‘per seat’ basis, it is hoped that operators will wish to ‘over supply’ the seats required on a private bus to cater for school children not entitled to free school transport, and\or the wider community by laying on a public service bus. Contract starts 25/04/2017 and ends the day before the Easter Holidays 2018. Options to extend until 31.8.2019 Lot 4, 5 year contracts — zone 2 Contracts in zone 2 that is the area between Woodstock, Bicester, Wheatley and Oxford were let in March 2016 and due to end in March 2022. Therefore 5 year contracts will be let for school transport routes in this area. Start of Contract 25.4.2017 and ends the day before the Easter Holidays 2022 with options to extend until 31.8.2022 Lot 5, 4 year contracts — zone 1 Contracts in the north, and north west of the county were let in March 2015 and due to end in March 2021. Therefore 4 year contracts will be let for school transport routes in this area. Contract to start 25/04/2017 and end the day before the Easter Holidays 2021. Options to extend until 31.8.2021 Lot 6, 1 year contracts — taxi The requirements for vehicles transporting small numbers of scholars tend to change from year to year. In these instances therefore, contracts are let for one year, Easter to Easter. Often, these contracts are extended to the summer holidays. Contracts start 25/04/2017 and ends the day before the Easter Holidays 2018. Options to extend until 31.8.2018 For more information about the route details and specifications, please refer to the ITT and the Route Specifications & Pricing Spreadsheet. Tenderers may bid for 1 or more Lots. Tenderers are invited to bid for all routes they wish to be considered for. Tenderers do not have to submit a price for all routes within a Lot. Tenderers may select which routes within a Lot they wish to be considered for. Contracts will be awarded by Lot. A Tenderer may be awarded more than one route within a Lot, For example, a Tenderer may successfully be awarded 6 routes in Lot 1, 2 routes in Lot 3 and 1 route in Lot 5. 3 contracts would be issued, 1 contract for Lot 1 containing 6 routes, 1 contract for lot 3 containing 2 routes and 1 contract for Lot 5 containing 1 route.