Western Isles Transport Review

Our Customer

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar

What we were asked

We were asked to suggest ways in which significant savings could be achieved in the tendered bus network, looking at a range of service delivery options including the way contracts were grouped; alternative scenarios for providing non-statutory journeys and raising fares.

What we did

The provision of ETM data enabled us to analyse ticket sales and passenger numbers. This allowed a comparison between income from ticket sales and concessionary reimbursement and the cost of providing the services.

Stakeholder consultation with contract holders gave insight into their views on current practices and proposed options, while a passenger survey provided a number of clear pointers for the direction of the review.

Outcomes

Our analysis suggested three alternative service delivery options which allowed the client to offer operators a range of possible bidding options. We recommended a move towards contactless and mobile ticketing to increase ticket sales, together with several specific changes to the existing suite of tickets. Improved communication during the tender process and the provision of passenger statistics were also recommended, together with a series of suggestions for improvements in marketing.

Savings from the retender exercise exceeded £1m.

Linked Pages

Tendered Bus Services
ETM Analysis
Fares & Ticketing
Market Analysis
Non Statutory Transport Provision
Procurement & Commissioning