Decision details

Sheffield Connect - City Centre Bus

Decision Maker: Executive Director, City Futures, Director of Finance and Commercial Services

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Purpose:

Following the decision taken by the Leader of the Council on 22 March 2022 to develop a business case for a City Centre Shuttle Bus (delivered via funding from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA / MCA) and in agreement therewith), this report aims to outline the further work undertaken to date to develop the Sheffield Connect service. This report therefore identifies the development and introduction of new electric buses to the service identifying routing options, service operations and tendering arrangements.

Decision:

That the Executive Director of City Futures and the Director of Finance and Commercial Services:

 

1.      Approve the remaining spend. This consists of:

 

·       £1,426,709 for the operation of the Sheffield Connect city centre bus commissioned through SYMCA.  This includes:

 

Ø  Option 2b of the city centre bus proposals consisting of the current SC1 route plus enhanced service frequency (7/8 mins) (Appendix 1).

Ø  Option 4b of the city centre bus proposals consisting of an additional route (SC2 - serving Bridge Street) at a frequency of three buses per hour (20 mins) (Appendix 2).

Ø  Accepting the operation length of the service being 156 weeks (three years) until 3rd April 2027. (This is subject to SYMCA contractual arrangements – SYMCA are committed by DfT as part of the ZEBRA bid, to use all four electric vehicles in a city centre shuttle bus service for a minimum of five years. An option exists to extend the contract by up to two years).

 

·       £146,329 ringfenced funding to extend the contract by 16-weeks to make a total of five-years (April to August 2027) from the start of the diesel service (SCC commitment to SYMCA in May 2022).

·       Approximately £220,000 for the cost of Electricity. This assumes an average of £0.26 per kwh at 5,411kwh per week.

Reasons for the decision:

The Sheffield Connect service continues to form a fundamental component of the redevelopment of Sheffield City Centre. The service therefore provides improvements in connectivity that supports active travel and public transport to enable sustainable and inclusive employment and residential growth over the next few decades.

 

With forecast growth in both employment and housing in the city centre, without a major improvement in walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure, congestion experienced on the local and strategic road network will increase, with worsening delays for all road users. This will continue to impact negatively on local people in terms of their ability to access employment, training, and education, and will limit investor confidence.

 

Businesses in the city frequently highlight the need for good levels of accessibility and connectivity to public transport. This is seen as crucial to their successful operation and development. This has been highlighted through feedback on the service as well as through the recent Sheffield Chamber of Commerce’s Quarterly business survey. Not providing these step change improvements will therefore jeopardise the ability to continue to develop the city centre to its full potential. 

Alternative options considered:

The primary aim of this decision report is to decide on the best option(s) for the operation of the new electric buses on the Sheffield Connect route. The choice of the option(s) is based upon the potential opportunity provided based upon:

 

• The remaining revenue budget.

• The best value for money provided by the option in support of the services sustainability.

• The greatest utilisation of the electric vehicles.

Publication date: 04/04/2024

Date of decision: 15/03/2024

Accompanying Documents: