Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Tender description

West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) invited bidders to take part in an exciting opportunity to run an eScooter Trial within the West Midlands (Trial). In a wider initiative to promote walking and cycling as part of a green and healthy recovery from Covid-19 the Secretary of State for Transport announced the acceleration of eScooter trials planned for 2021. This Trial represents an opportunity to understand the potential role of electric scooters in the mobility ecosystem of the West Midlands. The Department for Transport (DfT) issued further guidance for undertaking eScooter trials on the 8 June 2020 and this guidance and any subsequent national guidance and/or legislation will also directly inform the design, implementation and operation of the Trial. The opportunity is a concession arrangement to operate an eScooter trial in the West Midlands Combined Authority area. The concession arrangement is below the threshold for the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (CCR2016) and accordingly the WMCA and TfWM have elected to issue an OJEU notice voluntarily in order to facilitate cross border interest in the Trial. The procurement process adhered to the relevant principles of the CCR2016 and the procurement timetable and process itself was predicated on an equitable but flexible approach. The scope of the Trial is comprised of a Core Trial Area and Additional Trial Area. The Core Trial Area comprises the following three Zones: • Zone 1: Birmingham (1 trial area in Zone); • Zone 2: Coventry, Kenilworth and Solihull (two trial areas contained in the Zone); • Zone 3: Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell (three trial areas contained in the Zone). Each of the zones has designated trial areas. It is possible that further trial areas may be added to one or more of the zones during the course of the arrangement at the discretion of the WMCA and TfWM. The additional trial area comprises: • Dudley; • Warwick and Leamington; • West Birmingham extension also linking to Sandwell area; • Other as yet unspecified areas within the West Midlands Combined Authority constituent or non-constituent authority areas. To confirm, the number and scope of the possible trial areas within in the Additional Trial Area is at the sole discretion of WMCA/TfWM with relevant input from DfT.