Taxi services

Tender description

Lancashire County Council (the Authority) plan and procure Authority commissioned accessible passenger transport services for service users to and from various establishments within and outside of Lancashire. The Authority's current wheelchair and non-wheelchair accessible vehicle frameworks for the provision of passenger transport services are due to expire 30.6.2019. It is the Authority's intention to operate a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the future provision of these services. Lancashire County Council (the Authority) plan and procure Authority commissioned accessible passenger transport services for service users to and from various establishments within and outside of Lancashire. Service users are from some of the most vulnerable groups in Lancashire and may have learning difficulties, visual impairment, and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Categorisations of service user include but are not limited to Special Education Needs (SEN), adult Ssrvices, mainstream home to school taxi services, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and some discretionary transport. Some service users require passenger assistants, parents, school staff, or nurses to accompany them on journeys. Accessible transport services may be required to run on a daily, weekly, or fortnightly basis depending on service user requirements, to transport service users from within and outside of Lancashire to various sites including but not limited to: SEN schools, mainstream schools, colleges, respite care, day care, and short stay establishments. There are approximately 1 100 contracts that are competed annually. These contracts have differing requirements relating to the type of vehicle required to fulfil the contract which may include wheelchair accessible vehicles, vehicles between 4 and 8 passenger seats, vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats, and ambulances. The Authority's current wheelchair and non-wheelchair accessible vehicle frameworks for the provision of passenger transport services are due to expire 30.6.2019. It is the Authority's intention to operate a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the future provision of these services. The DPS will be split into the following categories: — Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV), — vehicles with between 4 and 8 passenger seats, — vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats (PSV buses), — ambulance. These categories will be further split by geographical area (North, South and Central, East, and Out of County). The DPS is anticipated to be open for applications to participate towards the end of May 2019 and will be open for a period of up to 10 years. Further information can be found on: www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/tenders-and-procurement/tenders/