COMHAIRLE NAN EILEAN SIAR

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

Minute of Meeting held in the Council Offices, Stornoway, on Wednesday 21 February 2001 at 10.30am

PRESENT	Mr Norman A Macdonald (Chairman)
	Mr Donald Manford (Vice-Chairman)
	Mr Roderick Morrison
	Mr Malcolm J Graham
	Mr Ronald J Mackinnon
APOLOGIES	Mr Donald Maclean

		ROAD TRANSPORT
Award of Bus Contracts, Rural Transport Funding T05.01	31	With reference to item 23 of the Minute of Meeting of 31 January 2001 the Director of Technical Services submitted a Report in respect of the additional bus services provided through the Rural Transport Funding Initiatives. The Scottish Executive had yet to make a formal announcement on the level of future Rural Transport Funding. The current contracts for additional services were due to expire on 12 April 2001 and, in order to comply with procedures such as Service Registration which was required forty two days before the commencement of any new service, tendering for a new round of the additional services had been undertaken. The Report detailed the tenders which had been received. It was agreed that the Director of Corporate Services be authorised to; (1) issue letters of intent to the tenderers detailed in the Appendix to the Minute authorising them to commence the necessary administrative procedures and indicating that they would be awarded contracts for the period indicated provided that; (i) the tenderers agreed that the contract may be terminated at the end of the Summer 2001 timetable period at the sole option of the Comhairle, on the Comhairle giving at least six weeks notice in writing to the tenderer and in the event the Comhairle exercises the said option, the price payable shall be the annual price allocated on a pro-rata basis for the period actually operated; and (ii) the Comhairle was allocated sufficient funds by the Scottish Executive to enable it, in its sole judgement, to fund the contracts to follow thereon. (2) award contracts to the tenderers detailed in the Appendix to the Minute following purification of the conditions detailed in (1) above.

STAGE BUS SERVICES	LOWEST TENDER	RECOMMENDATIONS
WS8 - Carloway to Barvas (Monday - Friday)	D Macdonald	Accept - Review passenger usage in six months and advise local communities of threat to service if passenger usage does not increase.
NS8 - Ness to Stornoway (Monday - Friday). NS7 - Ness to Stornoway (Friday and Saturday), WS9 Carloway to Barvas (Monday - Friday), WS10 Carloway to Barvas (Monday - Saturday)	Galson Motors	Negotiate price with lowest tenderer (otherwise re-tender).
UB6 - Bernera/Breasclete to Stornoway (Friday and Saturday)	J Macdonald	Do not accept - review service and obtain accurate passenger numbers. The Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Director of Technical Services and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, be authorised to award any tender for this service.
SY5- Newmarket/Newvalley (Monday to Saturday)	Lochs Motor Transport	Accept - review passenger usage in six months.
NL5 - Ranish to Stornoway (Monday - Friday), SL8 - Airidhabhruach to Cameron Terrace (Monday - Friday) SL9 Gravir to Cameron Terrace (Friday and Saturday)	P Maclennan	Accept - review passenger usage in six months.
HA12 Tarbert to Scalpay Taxi Bus Service	Harris Car Services	Accept - review passenger usage in six months.
NU12 Balivanich to Creagorry (Monday - Saturday) - including mid-evening request service to North Uist SU16 Ardvachar to Lionacleit (Monday - Saturday) - includes mid-evening request service to South Uist.	W McVicar	Accept - review passenger usage in six months - discuss joint funding with Health Board for improving the evening service to both Lionacleit School and new Hospital.
BA5/9 - Barra Evening Service (for Youth Club) (winter only).		Not tendered - Youth Club to be advised to make a bid for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Community Transport Budget.

ESSENTIAL SHOPPING JOURNEYS AND SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS Shopping Services - Continue services to Mangersta, Berneray, Petersport, Uiskevagh, East Gerinish, Loch Carnan. Service Enhancements - Continue improved services to Lochmaddy, Sollas and South End. Disabled Shopping Services - Introduce trial service - North Lochs to Stornoway Shopping Service to be continued for further six months trial - Linshader to Garynahine feeder service, Lochportain to Sollas/Lochmaddy; and Weekly Shopping Services to be withdrawn through lack of use - Maaruig (from Tarbert), Bays (from Leverburgh), Harris West (from Leverburgh)