Description of the contract
Brief for the operation of a shuttle bus service between Harlech Beach Car Park, Train Station and Bron Y Graig Car Park– MMLDR011
Menter Môn Background.
Menter Môn was established in 1995 to deliver EU rural development programmes. It is a third sector company with a board of directors made up of the private, voluntary and community sector.
Menter Môn is a social enterprise with 20 years’ experience of delivering rural development projects across North Wales, including:
• Lead Body for the joint Anglesey and Gwynedd FLAG Project (Fisheries Local Action Group)
• coordinated the Glastir Commons Project in Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy and Ceredigion between 2013 and 2015
• delivered a range of EU funded projects in partnership with Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbigh local authorities. These included Cyfenter and Shaping the Future (both ERDF funded)
In February 2015, it became the administrative body for the LEADER programme in both Anglesey and Gwynedd. The LEADER programme operates from their offices at the Town Hall in Llangefni (Anglesey), and the High Street in Porthmadog (Gwynedd) – Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig. .
A closer and fruitful relationship will be developed between the private sector and social enterprises, voluntary organizations and public and statutory bodies in order to ensure more efficient and effective investment in the region, to improve the lives of the residents.
Introduction
Menter Môn wishes to procure a shuttle bus service for visitors to Harlech during the summer holidays in 2018.
The town and castle of Harlech is a popular visitor destination, with just under 1,000 people visiting the castle each day during the summer holidays.
The upper town has limited parking and traffic capacity. There is concern amongst local residents about the traffic and parking problems caused by visitors during the summer holiday, as well as a concern by the castle and retailers that many visitors make a short visit to the castle and do not explore the town further, due to the difficulty of finding a parking spot or perhaps only finding a short-stay space, and a few visitors ‘move on’ without visiting because they cannot find somewhere to park.
There is a large car park with adequate capacity next to the beach in lower Harlech.
Therefore the intention is to run a shuttle bus service from this Beach car park to upper Harlech during the summer holiday season, encouraging visitors to leave their cars in lower Harlech and travel to upper Harlech and the castle by shuttle bus. Highway signage on the approaches to Harlech will encourage visitors to park at the beach and use the shuttle service. Users of the service will receive a discount off their entry to the castle and a ‘Harlech voucher’ is being negotiated with local retailers and attractions to offer to the bus users. It is hoped that this service will increase the number of visitors to Harlech and extend visitors’ stay in Harlech so that they further explore the town and amenities. The service provided during summer 2018 will be monitored to assess how much of its cost can be covered by farebox revenue and whether it demonstrates evidence that the service is increasing the number of visitors to Harlech and hence justifies support in the future by Harlech stakeholders.
The Service
Menter Môn invites quotations from appropriately licensed bus operators for the provision of a shuttle bus service between Harlech Beach Car Park and upper Harlech during the summer holiday season, from Saturday 21st July to Sunday 2nd September 2018.
The service will operate daily from 10am to 5.50pm at 30 minute intervals and will stop en route at Harlech Railway Station and terminate at the Bron y Graig Car Park.
The Client will be responsible for setting fares and will be credited with the revenue. The Contractor will provide a suitable ticket machine to issue tickets and record usage.
Please refer to the Contract Schedules for full details of the specification and standards of service required.
With its focus on visitors to Harlech, it is important that bus drivers provide a high standard of customer care and are able to answer basic enquiries from visitors about the castle and town as well as about the service itself.
Our preference is for the provision of Welsh speaking drivers for the service. Please indicate on the quotation form whether you are able to do so.
The operation of the service will be monitored by Menter Môn. Drivers will be required to record the number of passengers travelling on each journey and to report passenger numbers, any comments received from customers and any incidents during the day’s operation to Menter Môn. The operator will be required to provide data on ticket purchase and revenue.
As a minimum requirement, vehicles used on the service will be required to display a destination board at the front of the vehicle displaying “Harlech Hoppa”. We may request exterior branding of the vehicle during the summer period as well, which we will arrange and pay for outside this contract.
Instructions
Please ensure that you read the enclosed contract document which provides further information about the service. That document together with this brief and invitation to quote will form the contract.
Your quotation should be returned to the Sell2Wales website by 5pm on Wednesday 23rd May. The successful tenderer will be notified on Thursday 24th May and required to register the service with the Traffic Commissioner by Friday 25th May to enable the service to start operating on Friday 21st July.
Please submit a quotation for the total cost of providing the service. This must include costs for registering the service with the Traffic Commissioner. Note that fares revenue will be credited to the Client.
Alongside your quotation, please also submit:
• A copy of your Public Service Vehicle Operator’s Licence (or appropriate vehicle permit)
• A copy of your Motor Vehicle Insurance Certificate
• A copy of your Public Liability Insurance Certificate
• A copy of your Employer’s Liability Insurance Certificate
In addition, please confirm:
• Your agreement to operate the service as specified in the contract documentation (or identify any suggested amendments to the service specification or contract). Note that the contract incorporates the contract document, as well as this brief and invitation to quote;
• The age and type of vehicle that you propose to deploy on the service;
• Your ability to issue tickets as specified and to provide data on passenger numbers per journey and ticket sales and revenue per day;
• Your commitment to offering driver(s) with high levels of customer care, who are willing to engage with service users to offer information about Harlech;
• Whether you are able to supply driver(s) who can speak Welsh (this is a desired criterion, not essential);
• Any suggestions on ‘value added’ that you can provide – such as joint marketing of other bus services alongside the Harlech Hoppa or integrated ticketing;
• Your willingness to have exterior branding of the bus for the duration of the contract. (Do not include this in your price – we will arrange and pay for the materials and the fitting if this is developed);
If you have any queries regarding the documentation please contact Rachel Roberts, Menter Môn: [t] 01766 514 057; [e] rachel@mentermon.com.
Acceptance of Quotation
Menter Môn does not bind itself to accept any quotation.
Menter Môn expects to award the contract on Thursday 24th May so that the successful operator can register the service on Friday 25th May.
Acceptance of a quotation shall be signified by the issue of a purchase order by Menter Môn to the successful operator and that acceptance shall thereupon create a contract between Menter Môn (the Client) and the successful operator (the Contractor) from the date of such issue.
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