Part 1 – North Lincolnshire Enhanced Bus Partnership Plan
Part 2 – North Lincolnshire Council Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme
On 23rd June 2021 North Lincolnshire Council issued its formal statement of intent to proceed with an Enhanced Bus Partnership under the 2017 Bus Services Act. The Enhanced Bus Partnership is intended to deliver the vision and ambition set out in the North Lincolnshire Council Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) 2022 – 2027.
This Enhanced Bus Partnership Plan and Scheme should be read in conjunction with the North Lincolnshire BSIP.
We have updated our Bus Service Improvement Plan which has been published and the second version of the EP Plan and Scheme has been developed accordingly.
The North Lincolnshire Enhanced Bus Partnership Plan is made by North Lincolnshire Council in accordance with Section 138G(1) of the Transport Act 2000. It is directly and solely derived from the North Lincolnshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), as first published in October 2021, and is the key enabler of that Plan.
The North Lincolnshire Council Enhanced Bus Partnership Plan and Scheme will not, or is unlikely to, have a significantly adverse effect on competition, for the purposes of Part 1 of Schedule 10 of the Transport Act 2000 and therefore meets the requirements as set out in the Department for Transport (DfT) guidance.
As required by section 138F of the Transport Act 2000 (‘the 2000 Act’), the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will be consulted on the proposals to ensure that the competition test at Part 1 of Schedule 10 of the 2000 Act has been met.
The Enhanced Partnership (EP) covers the whole of the administrative area of North Lincolnshire Council, for which there will be a single Enhanced Partnership.
The EP Plan and EP Scheme are made on 15 November 2023, for implementation on 20 November 2023. The Plan is for a four-year period between 2023 – 2027.
Concessionary Fare Info
For holders of English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passes issued by other authorities who may board buses in North Lincolnshire, the scheme applies between 9.30am and 11.00pm Monday to Friday and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.
For holders of passes issued by North Lincolnshire Council, the scheme provides free travel as above, but may offer additional discretionary entitlement journeys beginning within the boundary of North Lincolnshire.
There are currently 25,087 North Lincolnshire passes in circulation. The breakdown of the passes is:
| Location | Stops with shelters | Stops without shelters | Unmarked bus stops | Total stops | % with shelters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scunthorpe | 69 | 287 | 30 | 287 | 30 |
| Other towns and rural areas within North Lincolnshire | 136 | 269 | 148 | 553 | 25% |
| Total | 205 | 556 | 178 | 939 | 22% |
There is a good level of service around Scunthorpe, which links to other towns within North Lincolnshire. This already includes a degree of integration between the two largest operators Stagecoach and Hornsbys. In the rural areas of North Lincolnshire, services are less dense with the modern DRT operations (JustGo services) providing extra coverage. The contrast between the two gives us a solid base from which to start our service enhancements, guided by the more detailed analysis of key aspects of the bus service which follows, and enlightened by the results of our survey of users and potential bus users.
It is recognised that to increase bus use, buses must become an attractive alternative to the car for far more people. The key to doing this is to make them faster and more reliable. In order to encourage modal shift, reduce journey times and increase reliability, we aim to:
We will ensure passengers can walk or wheel to and from a bus stop safely and comfortably, and cross the road easily and safely.
We will ensure that bus stops provide a safe location both from a road safety and personal safety perspective with adequate space available for passengers to wait. Passengers should be protected from the elements with seating and have access to up-to-date bus service information. Raised kerbs will enable the bus to safely stop adjacent to the kerb with minimal step height or gap between the vehicle and the kerb, with sufficient space for a wheelchair ramp or lift to be deployed. The bus should be able to re-enter the traffic stream with minimal delay. Bus stops will be clearly marked.
Reducing the time and number of delays caused by interactions with other vehicles or features along the bus route will provide free flow movement. The bus traffic working group will identify and address obstacles which could delay buses.
An Enhanced Partnership sub-group, the bus traffic working group, has been set up made up of NLC transport and highways staff and local bus operator staff. The group discuss bus priority, any new road improvement schemes and priorities for improving interchanges, focusing on the objectives sought and the types of measures and changes that will achieve them, whilst also considering the impacts on other road users and local businesses. Objectives will generally include:
The aim is to reduce journey times and improve reliability of buses which will improve confidence in passengers and therefore increase bus usage. This will be achieved by reducing boarding times through building on successful contactless payments, improvement to raised kerb provision and increased road markings to clearly show bus stopping areas.
We will identify “quick win” schemes through engagement with the route bus drivers to determine route challenges that can be improved or adapted to reduce delays across the bus network e.g. refining kerb lines and bus stop placement and passenger egress. In addition, feasibilities will be undertaken to extend existing bus lane, implement traffic light priority schemes and re-alignment of junctions.
We will signpost bus users to audible and visual route information as well as real time service information, using mobile apps to provide ticket and fare information and payment methods which are all important elements of encouraging greater bus use.
Cashless ticketing
We encourage contactless payments for customers when boarding the bus which offers the passenger choice and helps to reduce boarding times.
North Lincolnshire Council take part in a national bus survey. The survey collects the public’s views on various aspects of transport in local authority areas and includes specific questions regarding local bus services. The performance measures used in the surveys have been used to create surveys which are used to collect the views of bus users across North Lincolnshire. Results of surveys are discussed at the Enhanced Partnership Board.
We will hold Bus Passenger consultation events at key locations across North Lincolnshire giving the public an opportunity to complete bus surveys and pass on views about the bus network in North Lincolnshire.
Continued improvements to bus services across North Lincolnshire
It remains challenging to predict the future for local bus services as recovery from the COVID19 pandemic. The COVID19 pandemic has clearly had an adverse and continuing impact on bus patronage, as well as reducing overall levels of use.
It is highly likely that the changes to working patterns and other travel behaviours will have long-lasting fundamental impacts on the market for bus travel in North Lincolnshire.
Whilst the council and all stakeholders want to see a recovery in the market, it is unlikely that this will occur simply by funding a return to pre-COVID service patterns and ways of delivering services. We must carefully target the funding we receive through this EP Plan to measures which will make a real difference by attracting more users to our bus services and reacting flexibly and proactively to the requirements of bus users. Engaging regularly with users will be a key part of delivering our EP Plan outcomes.
The largest industry sectors for employment in North Lincolnshire, employing 23% of employees (17,000), are the Public Administration, Education and Health and Manufacturing Sectors.
Having such a large proportion of our residents working in manufacturing means that many people work shift patterns which do not align with the operational hours of our bus services meaning workers have no choice but to rely on other means of transport. New routes or extension to routes would be welcomed.
Our goal is to get bus use back to what it was before the pandemic and beyond by growing bus patronage.
The full list of desired interventions as identified in the 2024 BSIP are listed below:
The North Lincolnshire Enhanced Partnership will be governed by two primary bodies:
In addition, bus users and non-bus users will be engaged via roadshows taking place throughout summer in North Lincolnshire. Bus operators have committed to work together and provide staff to deliver the roadshows.
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board will be the main decision-making body of the North Lincolnshire Enhanced Partnership. However, where those decisions impact or change North Lincolnshire Council policy or strategy significantly then decisions will need to have been pre-approved by Cabinet as appropriate before North Lincolnshire Council representatives on the Board can vote in favour of the proposals.
Membership of Board will comprise the representatives listed below.
Large operators will be defined as operators who carried at least 50% of North Lincolnshire’s bus patronage in the previous year.
Small and medium operators will be defined as operators who carried less than 50% of North Lincolnshire’s patronage the previous year. For the avoidance of doubt, a list of small, medium and large operators will be published each year at Appendix B.
Operator representatives will be acting on behalf of all operators in that category, not on behalf of their own company alone. Representatives will be responsible for ensuring attendance at all Board meetings and ensuring that they have:
Panel members have an obligation to act in the best interests of their community and in accordance with the Enhanced Bus Partnership Terms of Reference. All panel members should declare any interests that may have a bearing on their role on the Board. The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board will formally review Declarations of Interests annually.
The ambition is that the Board is working on a consensus basis for decision making. However, in the event of disagreement, the Council’s cabinet member will make a formal decision.
The Chair of the Bus Traffic Working Group will report to the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board and provide an opportunity to discuss issues affecting bus services throughout the area, discuss performance against the Plan and allow a wider variety of stakeholders to take part in discussions.
Many of our early interventions took the form of working with our partners to identify the root causes of problems associated with buses in North Lincolnshire and the optimum solutions.
NLC has recently undertaken a network review and identified gaps in the bus network and services that require further investment. The Council and bus operators will continue to review progress against targets set out in the BSIP.
Since receiving the BSIP+ funding, a range of measures have been developed and approved for full implementation by the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board.
The BSIP, the Bus Passenger Charter, EP Plan and any EP Schemes will be reviewed by the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board on an annual basis, to assess progress against targets and identify any remedial actions required where measures are falling short of their anticipated impact or to set more ambitious targets where progress has proved better than expected.
The North Lincolnshire Council enhanced partnership scheme for buses is made in accordance with section 138G(1) of the Transport Act 2000.
This document should be considered alongside the associated EP Plan.
This EP Scheme has been jointly developed by North Lincolnshire Council and those bus operators that provide qualifying local bus services in the EP scheme area. It sets out obligations and requirements on the local authority and operators of local bus services in order to achieve the intended improvements, with the aim of delivering the objectives of the associated EP Plan.
This EP Scheme includes a series of interventions to improve the quality of public transport provision across North Lincolnshire. The Enhanced Bus Partnership will work through the detail of each of the proposed measures, including detailed targets and implementation dates, to be included in the Scheme through the bespoke variation process set out in Section 5.
The EP Scheme covers the same geographical area as the EP Plan and will support the improvement of all qualifying local bus services operating in North Lincolnshire, as defined by the administrative boundary of North Lincolnshire Council.
North Lincolnshire Council have recently updated their BSIP. This second version of the Scheme has been developed accordingly.
The Scheme will be reviewed by the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board annually or when a variation to the scheme is required.
The following services are exempt from the requirements of the EP Scheme:
A list of exempted services will be regularly reviewed by the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board and any changes are made through the variation process set out in Section 5.
Delivery of the interventions will place obligations on both the Authority and the bus operators as summarised in the sections below:
North Lincolnshire Council will provide the following facilities:
North Lincolnshire Council will provide and maintain the existing bus stops and existing bus lane described in Appendix A. Real-time information (RTI) boards are to be installed showing up-to-date and accurate timetable information.
In addition, the Council has installed a further 49 bus stops within North Lincolnshire with RTI boards, including stops in Scunthorpe, Brigg, Crowle, Barton, Winterton and Epworth. These stops were chosen due to their level of passenger numbers, frequency of services and strategic locations.
A Bus Traffic Working Group made up of bus operator staff and North Lincolnshire council staff has been set up. The working group will work with the Partnership to develop an evidence-based assessment process to determine the need for any bus priority measures / enforcement and if required will work with the Partnership to develop a strategy for the delivery of additional infrastructure.
The assessment process and any resulting measures / enforcement will be adopted into the EP Scheme using the Enhanced Partnership Variation arrangements at Section 5.
Feasibility studies on installing bus lanes have been completed on Ashby Road and Doncaster Road, with the objective of improving bus service punctuality. The authority is considering the recommendations.
NLC is also investigating Traffic Light Priority measures as part of this. This would mean certain traffic signals giving priority to buses at junctions where buses are prone to accumulating delays. One such method could be extending the green phase when a bus is detected in the vicinity of the signal. In addition, part time signals could be implemented at peak times, helping to hold traffic back and disperse queuing traffic from key traffic build up areas.
North Lincolnshire have integrated school services with fixed routes. This will help younger residents to have independent travel to their place of education.
Timetable changes
Within the North Lincolnshire Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme area, bus operators will limit significant timetable changes and only when routes change or there are unforeseen circumstances.
A schedule of dates will be agreed and adopted into the EP Scheme using the Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme bespoke variation arrangements at Section 5.
All operators of qualifying bus services have participated in the establishment of a Bus Passenger. The updated charter, published in December 2024, will be reviewed annually. The Charter will be bespoke to the needs and priorities of the Plan & Scheme area and sets out what passengers can expect from bus operators delivering local bus services across the area. Aspects upon which commitments will be expected are outlined in the BSIP.
We will monitor the Bus Charter annually against the following performance measures:
| 1 | Frequency of bus services | 11 | Personal safety at bus stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Number of bus stops | 12 | Raised kerbs at bus stops |
| 3 | The state of bus stops | 13 | The amount of information |
| 4 | Whether buses arrive on time | 14 | The clarity of information |
| 5 | How easy buses are to get on/off | 15 | The accuracy of information |
| 6 | The local bus service overall | 16 | Ease of finding the right information |
| 7 | Bus fares | 17 | Information about accessible buses |
| 8 | Quality and cleanliness of buses | 18 | Info to help people plan journeys |
| 9 | Helpfulness of drivers | 19 | Provision of public transport info |
| 10 | Personal safety on the bus | 20 | Provision of bus stops |
Almost all social, economic and environmental objectives for the role of the bus in the local transport system can be boiled down to the simple, practical and measurable objectives to grow bus patronage.
Operators will commit to working in partnership with the Authority, other Stakeholders and with neighbouring Enhanced Partnerships, to ensure that BSIP+ funding is used equitably to deliver an enhanced bus service network.
The bespoke variation agreements at Section 5 will allow for modifications to the EP Scheme arising from changes in the network, the operating environment or the available funding, as the Partnership evolves and matures.
The North Lincolnshire Enhanced Partnership will be governed by two primary bodies:
In addition, bus users and non-bus users have been engaged via roadshows taking place throughout North Lincolnshire in summer 2025. Operators worked together with the Council to provide staff to deliver the roadshows. Enhanced Partnership took on board the views of the public at these events, and will consider this feedback when planning services and ticketing in the future. We will identify “quick win” schemes through engagement with the route bus drivers to determine route challenges that can be improved or adapted to reduce delays across the bus network.
Feedback from the working group will be reported to the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board and will provide an opportunity to discuss issues affecting bus services throughout the area, discuss performance against the Plan and allow a wider variety of stakeholders to take part in discussions.
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board will be the decision-making body of the North Lincolnshire Enhanced Partnership.
Membership of the board will comprise the representatives listed below. The number of votes allocated to each representative is also listed below:
In addition, from time to time, other representatives from the Council or external organisations may be invited to join the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board to provide specialist expertise or disseminate relevant information for fixed periods of time.
Two senior North Lincolnshire Council officers shall represent all members of the Council’s Leadership Team and ensure a response is obtained in relation to any issues raised by the EP Board.
Work Programme and Annual Report
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board will agree an annual work programme setting out its key priorities and areas for action and improvement. A report on the activities of the EP will be presented to members of the Council’s Leadership Team.
Frequency of meetings
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board will meet at least 4 times per year and as required if a variation is proposed.
Meeting Procedure
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board meetings will be held in person or virtually by video/teleconference. Meeting dates and times will be planned annually in advance.
Agendas and minutes will be produced by North Lincolnshire Council. Minutes will be circulated within 2 weeks of the meeting.
Review of the EP Scheme
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Board will conduct an annual review of the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme, to assess whether any modifications are necessary.
Once the review has been completed, the EP Board will identify any necessary remedial action to be taken to deliver the targets set out in the BSIP or set more ambitious targets where progress has proved better than expected.
Bespoke Arrangements for Varying or Revoking the Enhanced Partnership Scheme
Variations to the EP Scheme can be made, provided that it will contribute to the implementation of the policies set out in the EP Plan.
The EP legislation allows flexibility to introduce new scheme content, amend existing content or revoke parts (or all) of a scheme, without the need to follow the full statutory variation procedure.
Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme Voting Mechanism
Consideration will be given to a potential EP Scheme variation, partial or full revocation, proposed by any member of the Enhanced Bus Partnership Board. All requests for consideration of a variation or revocation should be made in writing and submitted, by email, to North Lincolnshire Council at public.transport@northlincs.gov.uk .
The proposer of a variation should demonstrate how this might contribute to achieving the objectives set out in the BSIP, Enhanced Bus Partnership Plan and current local transport policies. Any variation will need to be consistent with any original Council approvals. Should the variation make a significant change, a report may need to be considered by Cabinet.
Council decisions are subject to call-ins and so decisions are not implementable until the call-in period has expired with no call-ins, or the call-in has been dealt with under the relevant Council process.
Following Council approvals, the Chair will convene the Enhanced Partnership Board, giving at least 14 days notice for the meeting, to consider the proposed variation or revocation proposal.
Any Board members that are absent, not expressing a view (either in person or in writing) or have not selected an alternative representative will be deemed to be abstaining from the decision.
Voting can also be conducted virtually, via email. Members will be sent out the proposal via email, and are granted 14 days’ notice to submit their vote.
Decision making
Any Enhanced Partnership variation or revocation will require a simple majority vote of the Board in favour of the same. However, in the event of disagreement, the Councils cabinet member will make a formal decision.
The Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme variation will be made within seven working days and will be published on the Council website or a statement will be issued confirming that the scheme has been varied.
When the board have approved a proposal, the Officer Decision Record will be taken to the Director of Communities, in consultation with the Leader of the Council. In terms of procurement, an individual letter will be delivered to the Director, detailing individual schemes such as an exception report.
A letter will then be sent to the operator confirming the funding agreement, before the operator then gives the Traffic Commissioner 42 days’ notice of the route being implemented. The operator will return a signed agreement acknowledging the funding offer, which effectively enshrines the confirmation of the service. This allows NLC to begin publicising the new service, through social media, newsletters and information boards across the county. NLC officers will draft the press releases and arrange photo opportunities with the relevant parties. When all of this has been completed, the new service can be commenced.
North Lincolnshire Council have been allocated the following BSIP+ funding to date:
Total BSIP+ Funding= £4,968,006
NLC’s investment in the bus network includes expenditure on supported bus services, provision of passenger waiting facilities, at-stop information, bus priority and reduced fares. It is the intention that the Council will continue this existing support subject to the usual budgetary review procedures. BSIP+ funding will be additional to previously planned bus funding levels, ie base funding for buses is not reduced.
The bus operators’ investment in the bus network consists of service provisions and vehicles. It is the intention that the operators will maintain their ongoing investment by committing to standards of service that reflect future investments in vehicles and technology.
Subject to anonymised and non-disclosure agreements, operators should make every effort to comply with the requirements of the Enhanced Partnership including patronage and ticket sales data, participation in ticketing schemes and meeting punctuality and reliability standards.
Review of ongoing maintenance, repair and servicing of Bus Infrastructure
North Lincolnshire Council currently maintains 761 bus stops and 205 bus shelters across the authority. NLC will continue to monitor bus shelters, bus stop poles and flags, bus timetable cases, bus timetables to establish the level of ongoing repairs and maintenance and establish the best method of ensuring all bus facilities are maintained to the highest standard, provide the required levels of information for bus users and become places of pride in the community.
Section 22 Community Transport in North Lincolnshire
NLC will continue to provide Section 22 Community Transport on two registered bus routes in North Lincolnshire which operate Monday-Friday. This will require the continued hire of two 16-seater minibuses to provide the current bus services and the maintenance of two ticket machines in order to take payments.
Bus Disruption Survey
The Enhanced Partnership Sub-Group, made up of NLC transport and highways staff and local bus operators, will discuss bus priority, any new road improvement schemes and priorities for improving interchanges, focusing on the objectives sought and the types of measures and changes that will achieve them, whilst also considering the impacts on other road users and local businesses.
Extension to Existing Services
New evening and weekend services across North Lincolnshire will improve connections and enable residents to attend health appointments, access retail centres and increase independence.
Reduced Fares for Young People
Enhancing the provision of reduced fares for the youth market will encourage independent travel from a young age enabling trips to leisure, education, job interviews and shopping facilities. It would also reduce isolation to those living in rural areas.
A summary of schemes which have been implemented so far using the BSIP+ funding can be found at Appendix C.
North Lincolnshire Council, Stagecoach East Midlands, Hornsby Travel and East Yorkshire Buses have committed to provide data as required to evidence the impact of the new schemes implemented. Through bus passenger surveys and ticket sales data we will be able to establish whether each service is meeting the needs of the public. Punctuality data will provide information on pinch points where improvements to infrastructure should be made. The operators have signed the bus passenger charter which also commits to provide routes to key communities, fair and transparent ticketing and to ensure passengers travel in comfort and safety on reliable services which are accessible to everyone.
LTAs and Bus operators have taken steps to advertise for bus drivers and other key staff shortages, by working with DWP and Job Centres to recruit and train staff. North Lincolnshire Council run an annual jobs fair which can be utilised by operators to support recruitment.
| Funding source and allocation by Year (£) | Phase 2 2023/2024 | Phase 2 2024/2025 | Phase 3 2024/2025 | Phase 4 2025/2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSIP+ Funding | £547,379 | £547,379 | £965,000 | £2,908,248 |
Further measures may be added to this EP over time, using the variation process set out in Section 5.
If any operator of qualifying bus services fails to abide by such standards, enforcement action can be taken by the registration authority – including the cancellation of individual local bus service registrations.
The facilities that are subject to this Enhanced Partnership are outlined below.
Existing facilities
Bus stops and shelters
All bus stops and shelters within the administrative boundary of North Lincolnshire Council including the following where they currently exist at each stop :
Bus priority facilities
Large operators currently operating within North Lincolnshire with over 50% of North Lincolnshire’s patronage in 2023 include:
Small and medium operators currently operating within North Lincolnshire with less than 50% of North Lincolnshire’s patronage in 2025 include:
Summary of schemes which have been implemented using the BSIP+ funding
| Service | Operator / NLC | Date Approved at EP Board |
|---|---|---|
| New service c4 | Hornsby Travel | 14/09/2023 |
| Extension of service 260 to Immingham |
Stagecoach | 14/09/2023 |
| Additional journey on 350 service on Sundays | Stagecoach | 14/09/2023 |
| Community Transport on 96/97 service | NLC | 14/09/2023 |
| Bus Disruption Survey | NLC | 14/09/2023 |
| Maintenance of infrastructure and real time displays | NLC | 14/09/2023 |
| Extension of service 4 on Sundays and Bank Holidays | Stagecoach | 23/11/2023 |
| Additional routes on Number 10 Monday to Friday | Stagecoach | 23/11/2023 |
| Additional evening routes on service 90 | Stagecoach | 23/11/2023 |
| Additional journeys on 350 service | Stagecoach | 17/01/2024 |
| Additional evening journeys on service 103 | Stagecoach | 17/01/2024 |
| Additional journey on service 357 | First | 17/01/2024 |
| Additional service 6 on Sundays | Stagecoach | 17/01/2024 |
| Additional service 260 on Saturdays | Stagecoach | 17/01/2024 |
| Extension of service 4 to Normanby Hall on Saturdays | Hornsby Travel | 17/01/2024 |
| Additional 7 and 8 Sunday service | Stagecoach | 17/01/2024 |
| Support for sustaining existing routes | NLC | 15/02/2024 |
| Reduced fares for the youth market | NLC/ operators | 14/09/2023 |
| X4 service | Hornsby Travel | 02/01/2025 |
| 398 service on Tuesdays and Thursdays | Stagecoach | 01/04/2025 |
| 359 evening service | First | 07/11/2024 |
| Additional evening journeys on 350 service | Stagecoach | 02/04/2025 |
| 399 service extensions | Hornsby Travel | 07/04/2025 |
| 350 extensions to Gallagher Retail Park and Scunthorpe Hospital | Stagecoach | 28/07/2025 |
| £1.50 fare cap for Under 19s during school holidays | NLC/ operators | 28/07/2025 |
| Service 10 has been transferred to Hornsbys from Stagecoach, with extensions to Skippingdale Retail Park | Hornsby Travel | 06/10/2025 |