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LRT tenders
Page 20
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LONDON Regional Transport is putting 13 suburban routes out to competitive tender. Twelve are operated by London Buses, LRT's own bus business, and one by National Bus Company subsidiary London Country. Green Line routes might be up for grabs in the future.
Under the tendering process, LRT will maintain control over the quality of service operated and tenderers will have to comply with all safety, maintenance and financial arrangements relevant to psv operation.
LRT expects to award detailed contracts for each route. The duration of the contracts has yet to be finalised and will probably be two or three years with annual "inflation" reviews.
The contracts will detail schedules and quality of operation. Operators will charge LRT fares and accept Travelcards and other similar and concessionary passes normally valid on LRT services.
All farebox revenue will go to LRT leaving the operator with his set contract payments. The operator will be responsible for aspects of operation including the employment of regulatory staff.
Contractors will be required to identify their vehicles to the public as operating a service on behalf of LRT, although it is not expected that they will be required to have vehicles in LT red livery.
Any routes transferred to other operators will continue to be marketed as an integral part of the LRT network and while the tenders will detail frequency and type of operation required, LRT is keen to talk to operators proposing different types of service such as high frequency minibus operations.
The 13 routes represent 1.2 per cent of the London bus network and require 52 buses for their operation. They are: • Hounslow Bus StationSlough Station (81), • Turnpike Lane Station—Barnet (84a), • Bromley North StationDowne (146), • Mitcham-Surbiton (152), • Romford-Hornchurch (193), • Kingston-Esher (215), • Eltham Well Hall StationChislehurst (228), • Watford Junction-South Harrow (258), • Potters Bar-Chingford (313), • Golders Green Station-Hampstead Garden Suburb (H2), • Brixton-Lewisham (P4), • Enfield-Muswell Hill Broadway (W9), • Orpington Station to Ramsden Estate (London Country 493).
Operators wishing to tender must register their interest by the end of November and submit preliminary bids by mid-December. The first contracted service is expected to run early next summer.
London buses, which is to become an autonomous LRT subsidiary company in spring next year, will submit tenders for all of the routes including that currently operated by London Country. It is expected that further routes will be put out to tender in due course and these could include limited stop and unconventional bus services.