Stagecoach East saddened with LA’s withdrawal claims
Stagecoach East has stepped in to refute claims made by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) that it has withdrawn from a tendering process.
The local authority said a bus operator, who it said cannot be named for legal reasons, has withdrawn all of its winning bids to run the final seven of its area’s Tiger-branded precept-funded bus services. It went on to say Mayor Dr Nik Johnson has ‘moved quickly to reassure residents that their new routes would be up and running by the spring’.
The CPCA appeared to set the blame for the delay on the ‘unnamed operator’, with Mayor Dr Nik Johnson saying: “On these last seven routes, I know the delay is frustrating, but we’ve dealt with operator setbacks before and are working to get them going as soon as possible.”
Stagecoach East has revealed itself as the mystery operator mentioned in the Combined Authority’s press release. It said it was saddened to be made aware of the local authority’s messaging over the Tiger bus routes, saying it is ‘proud of its consistent track record in working in partnership with CPCA, to help deliver the Mayor’s vision for bus services’.
Stagecoach East says it has not withdrawn from the tender process, claiming the decision to retender the routes was taken by the CPCA.
The operator said inconsistencies in the award letter caused several delays in the conclusion of the contract, reporting it ‘worked at pace with the CPCA to try and resolve these’. These delays and then the subsequent Government announcement on the National Insurance (NI) increase (which pushed up significantly the cost of provision) meant it asked for an increase in the tender prices to be considered. It also identified concerns over the legality of operating a tendered service where a commercial one exists.
Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, said, “We remain committed to working with CPCA to deliver more bus services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough but need the time and clarity in the procurement process to do this.”
The services are not expected to launch until May.