This is the list of documents available for the submission Motion by Councillor Malcolm Mitchell:- "Council welcomes the recommendation from SPT's draft Regional Bus Strategy, approved by the SPT Board meeting of 15 March, that Local Bus Services Franchising 'would have the most beneficial effects for the delivery of enhanced service provision, more affordable fares and quality'. Council regrets the legacy of deregulation and privatisation of Glasgow's bus network, flowing from the Thatcherite Transport Act 1985, which has coincided with a steady erosion of bus patronage in recent decades. Council recalls its previously approved Bus Governance Route Map which sets out the Council's support for exploring bus franchising; further notes that exploring public control of transport was a manifesto commitment from the SNP's 2017 and 2022 Glasgow City Council elections manifestos; and notes that this commitment of working towards "local bus franchising to deliver a more comprehensive, accessible network for communities" is able to be delivered because of Scottish Government's Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. Council further notes that bringing bus services into greater public control could deliver opportunities to enhance the multi-modal integration of Glasgow's public transport network, including through alignment with a new Clyde Metro scheme. Council acknowledges the public campaigns over the years for an integrated, sustainable and publicly-controlled network, most notably recently by Better Buses for Strathclyde and Get Glasgow Moving; that ongoing public engagement is critical to any success; and the commencement of public consultation on the SPT recommendations should happen as soon as possible. Council further notes cross-party support for exploring franchising, with 83 out of 85 councillors at the Glasgow City Council elections in 2022 being elected on manifesto commitments to explore greater public control of Glasgow's bus network. Council recognises the importance of sound due diligence and legal process in advancing any exploration of bus governance reform in Greater Glasgow, and appreciates that a necessarily robust process of business case development will be required. Council notes that evidence from other UK cities which have embarked upon developing franchising schemes suggests that it may take 5-7 years before franchising could be introduced across the Greater Glasgow area, and considers that while such business case development work is ongoing it is important that local authorities and SPT continue to work in partnership with bus operators to secure improvements to Glasgow's bus network in the here and now. Council recognises the value of ongoing engagement with bus operators in pursuing opportunities aligned to the Bus Partnership Fund and recognises the potential role a time-limited Bus Service Improvement Partnership (BSIP) could play as a bridging mechanism towards an effective franchise regime, as acknowledged within the Bus Governance Route Map agreed by the City Administration Committee (CAC) in November 2022. Council further notes that exploring franchising is likely to require very significant public investment, with updated estimates that the cost of carrying the franchise process to implementation could be around £15million and that operating a regional franchising scheme itself could require an indicative additional £45million - £85million in public subsidy per annum. Council agrees to work with SPT and interested parties in making the case for this transformational investment in Glasgow's public transport network, and as such requests that the City Convenor for Climate, Glasgow Green Deal, Transport & City Centre Recovery write to both UK and Scottish Governments to outline the Council's support for exploring bus franchising in Greater Glasgow and to seek their financial support for the franchising exploration process.".

Click on the links to view the individual documents in PDF format.