We provided quick responses to any issues raised by the legal team, senior management, procurement, and operations
Our Transport Economics team in Scotland had previously undertaken the initial assessment of the franchising options for Nexus. So, when Nexus wanted to complete a quality contract scheme (QCS) application—an application to have control of their bus services—they brought us in to support them through the procurement process. Several streams of work were commissioned on a call-off basis: responses to QCS evidence and responses to economic appraisal provided by bus operators, the development of a performance management system, the review of ticketing options, and depot site selection and design.
Because of the opposition of local bus operators, Nexus had to develop a shadow bus operator organisation to fulfil their statutory duties, especially if a key supplier should opt out of the franchise competition. We recognised early on that while the major structural changes were dominating the activities of the Nexus project team, several practical transitional matters presented significant risks—despite being signed off from a strategic and legal position. This included ticketing and concessionary travel differences between existing operators and district schemes, the calculation of “dead” miles on contract specifications, and the acquisition of new depot facilities in the optimal locations.
The result? We were able to give timely advice and offer potential solutions to be included in the draft QCS contract documentation.
At a Glance
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Dougie McDonald, Director of Growth and Integration
Our approach to transportation planning and design has rapid change in people’s mobility needs and addressing the climate emergency at its heart.
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