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West Lothian Council Tenders 2022

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overthewater

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In a complete Twist West Lothian council has decided to retender 7 local bus contracts for a "12 month" period - in its words "to allow the market to recover prior to longer term contracts being created. The plan was to have the full review of the contracts right now, but the council must think there going to be issues coming. Of course one of them being the Free travel for under 22s.

The seven routes in Question are:

* No5: Bathgate Town service: 1 bus
* N06: Whitburn & Armadale Town Service: 2 buses
* No7: Livingston - South Queensferry Early morning and evenings ( it's complete madness why this is put back out. )
* No9: Livingston - Murieston
* No31: Livingston - Linlithgow - Bathgate
* No31S: Livingston - Linlithgow - Bathgate Sunday Service.
* No40/X40: Hospital link

**** NO CHANGE TO any of the services listed. ******

Strangely L1, No2 Broxburn Town Service, No16 Livingston - Western General Hospital, aren't included in this, its unclear why that is the case. Either way we wont see a proper review of the west Lothian council services until May 2023. Now Because the contracts are just for one year it might allow a certain company to test the waters for the X40 route.

Link to source is here:

View Notice - Public Contracts Scotland

www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
 
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Flange Squeal

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Do these routes collectively make up E&M Horsburgh's full portfolio of daytime stage carriage bus services (so excluding their registered school services)?
 
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mb88

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Interesting. Seems a strange decision to do it for 12 months. Why not just keep the contracts with their existing companies for a further 12 months?
Just looking at the timetable for the number 7 on bustimes.org is it correct that there are 3 journeys in the evening to Queensferry but none in the other direction?
 
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LiviCrazy

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mb88 said:
Interesting. Seems a strange decision to do it for 12 months. Why not just keep the contracts with their existing companies for a further 12 months?
Just looking at the timetable for the number 7 on bustimes.org is it correct that there are 3 journeys in the evening to Queensferry but none in the other direction?
Click to expand...
At the beginning of the pandemic, under emergency laws in Scotland public contracts could be extended or direct awarded if it could be argued that due to lack of time to prepare or sector wouldn’t be prepared (ie if most of sector was on furlough on those early months) due to the sudden change.

After two years, there’s no way that could be argued and SG or tendering companies would likely challenge. It’s quite common for us to put in place shorter term contracts to allow transitions or combine contracts.

(I work in Procurement but a different part of the public sector in Scotland, the bus and coach operators locally are well geared up for tendering at the moment).
 
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Siemens Trains

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mb88 said:
Interesting. Seems a strange decision to do it for 12 months. Why not just keep the contracts with their existing companies for a further 12 months?
Just looking at the timetable for the number 7 on bustimes.org is it correct that there are 3 journeys in the evening to Queensferry but none in the other direction?
Click to expand...
Yes, for various reasons the evening 7 runs light after terminating at Echline Avenue. There have been various commercial and tendered attempts at running this route. Generally they've been an unsuccessful patchwork despite a potentially strong passenger demand. Present offerings include the X51 and 600.
 
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overthewater

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There a new twist in this:

E&M Horsburgh has now gone back to the council and agreed to extend the contracts for No9 and No40 until May 2023, I have to wonder why they have now changed their minds. I wonder if they were worried they could lose them. IF these can now be extend, what to stop the others getting extended?

So only the following Tenders are up for grabs:
* No5: Bathgate Town service: 1 bus
* N06: Whitburn & Armadale Town Service: 2 buses
* No7: Livingston - South Queensferry Early morning and evenings ( it's complete madness why this is put back out. )
* No31: Livingston - Linlithgow - Bathgate
* No31S: Livingston - Linlithgow - Bathgate Sunday Service.
 
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Bus Lightyear

Bus Lightyear

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Given the ongoing industry wide driver shortage you could struggle to see operators bidding for PTE/Council contracts unless they demand big bucks for them.
 
markymark2000

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Bus Lightyear said:
Given the ongoing industry wide driver shortage you could struggle to see operators bidding for PTE/Council contracts unless they demand big bucks for them.
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Nope, that is happening in Merseyside is operators are winning the tenders then saying 'oh we don't have the drivers to run this tender in full, can we please reduce the frequency' and Merseytravel says 'Yes, sure, not a problem'.
 
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Volvodart

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overthewater said:
So only the following Tenders are up for grabs:
* No5: Bathgate Town service: 1 bus
* N06: Whitburn & Armadale Town Service: 2 buses
* No7: Livingston - South Queensferry Early morning and evenings ( it's complete madness why this is put back out. )
* No31: Livingston - Linlithgow - Bathgate
* No31S: Livingston - Linlithgow - Bathgate Sunday Service.
Click to expand...

Horsburgh have cancelled the 5, 6 and 31S (see below) The only new ones I could find were SD Travel registrations for the 5 and 6.

PM0003023/169 Cancelled (Short notice)
E & M HORSBURGH LTD

Route: Birniehill Bathgate to Birniehill Bathgate

Service number: 5A (5B)

Service type: Normal Stopping

Effective date: 01 Apr 2022

PM0003023/168 Cancelled (Short notice)
E & M HORSBURGH LTD

Route: Livingston Bus Station to Birniehill Bathgate via St Johns Hospital, Uphall, Philipston, Linlithgow

Service number: 31S

Service type: Normal Stopping

Effective date: 01 Apr 2022

PM0003023/166 Cancelled (Short notice)
E & M HORSBURGH LTD

Route: Whitburn Cross to Whitburn Cross via Armadale Station, Armadale

Service number: 6

Service type: Normal Stopping

Effective date: 01 Apr 2022
Click to expand...
 
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mb88

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CN04NRJ said:
Have they revealed whose won the tenders?
Click to expand...
I can’t find an announcement anywhere on the council website. Just going off bustimes which has the 5 and 6 listed under SD Travel and starting on the 1st of April. Not sure about the other services that were listed as up for tender.
 
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Observer

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Volvodart said:
Horsburgh have cancelled the 5, 6 and 31S (see below) The only new ones I could find were SD Travel registrations for the 5 and 6.
Click to expand...
Not much of a surprise considering even they have had issues with driver shortages. Plus they haven't bothered much with replacing their service buses, unlike SD Travel which have done better with it from time to time.
 
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overthewater

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I had to wonder where did that No6 revised idea come from. There was nothing up for changing when the Docs, first come out. Have looking back, it seems 4 days later the council put out some revised documents, one being for the No6 to go to Avonbridge.

Of course this is cost neutral as the bus did sit in Whitburn for 30mins each hour. The council has been hoping to do something like for 2 years.

Here is the current Taxibus no29.
 
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Volvodart

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overthewater said:
Any ideas who has won No7 and the Sunday service on the 31?
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Here is part of your answer from First Scotland East:-

https://www.vehicle-operator-licens...registered-local-bus-services/details/592461/

Bus registration details
Registration numberPM0000923/357
Licence NumberPM0000923
Variation number0
StatusNew
Service number.31
Service typeNormal Stopping
Start pointLivingston The Centre
Finish pointBathgate Railway Station
ViaSt John's Hospital, Philipstoun, Linlithgow, Torphicen
Date received14 Mar 2022
Effective date03 Apr 2022
End date
Supported by subsidies?Yes
Local authorities covered by routeWest Lothian Council
TAOs covered by routeScotland
Click to expand...
 
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freddiem

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overthewater

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Volvodart said:
Here is part of your answer from First Scotland East:-

https://www.vehicle-operator-licens...registered-local-bus-services/details/592461/
Click to expand...

Cheers.

freddiem said:
How can first bus be winning extra contracts from the council when they can't even put together some semblance of a service on their current commercial routes? Are they going to be cancelling more journeys from all the other routes to operate the 31 also....
Click to expand...

It should be the Sunday service one, so hopefully they have enough drivers to run that.
 
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