On 15 March 2021, the Department for Transport published ‘Bus Back Better: The National Bus Strategy’. The strategy sets out the vision and opportunity to deliver better bus services for passengers across England, through ambitious and far-reaching reform of how services are planned and delivered. As a part of the strategy, Local Transport Authorities needed to develop a Bus Service Improvement Plan and implement an Enhanced Partnership or franchising.

Working with local bus operators, the 5 local authorities and other key stakeholders, Tees Valley Combined Authority gave Notice of Intent to Prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme on 30 June 2021.

Please click here to view the Tees Valley Notice of Intent to Prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme.

We then progressed to formally make the Plan and Scheme. Both documents were published on 10 October 2022 and will be reviewed every 6 months. The Plan and Scheme outline the actions that will deliver benefits to passengers using local bus services across the Tees Valley by improving the quality and efficiency of the public transport network. This will support the efficient use of the road network and the delivery of sustainable growth, limiting the impacts of additional traffic congestion and air pollution.

Please click here to view the Tees Valley Enhanced Partnership Plan.

Please click here to view the Tees Valley Enhanced Partnership Scheme.

Bus Service Improvement Plan

Also as a requirement of the National Bus Strategy, TVCA published a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) on 31 October 2021.

The BSIP outlines, in as much detail as practicable, the collective actions to transform buses across the Tees Valley over the five-year period from 2022/23 to 2026/27. The BSIP was developed following detailed work identifying the state of bus provision and areas for improvement.

Actions are structured around a five-point delivery plan:

• Sustainable network for the future
• Bus priority improvements
• Improved fares offer
• Enhanced customer experience
• Decarbonising the bus fleet

In November 2022, we undertook an annual review of the BSIP so we could show the progress made by the partnership over the past year. The annual review also gave us an opportunity to clarify our current position and help to steer the future ambition.

Please click here to view the Tees Valley BSIP Annual Review for 2022

Tees Valley Bus Passenger Charter

As part of the Enhanced Partnership, we have produced a Bus Passenger Charter that sets out what passengers can expect during any journey across the Tees Valley bus network. The document sets out a collective commitment to work as a partnership and for operators to provide bus services that meet passenger needs and expectations across the area.

Please click here to view the Tees Valley Bus Passenger Charter.

English National Concessionary Travel Scheme Statutory Notice

Please click here to see the Statutory Notice Pursuant to Section 95 of the Transport Act 1985 and Section 150 of the Transport Act 2000 relating to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme for 2023/24.