CONTRACT NOTICE – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which documentation may be obtained

1.3

Completed documents must be returned to:

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

operation of a shuttle bus service between Harlech Beach Car Park, Train Station and Bron Y Graig Ca

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

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.

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=81917.

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

2.4

Total quantity or scope of tender

A sum of £12,000 including VAT is given as a guiding amount.

The tender will be evaluated as follows:

Experience 40%

Price of service 30%

Methedology 30%

3 Conditions for Participation

3.1

Minimum standards and qualification required

Menter Môn

Harlech Shuttle Bus Service

Contract Schedules – MMLDR011

May 2018

SCHEDULE 1: SERVICE SPECIFICATION

Service Title: Harlech Shuttle Bus Service

Start Date: Saturday 21 July 2018

Finish Date: Sunday 2 September 2018

Days of Operation: Daily, from 10:00 to 17:50, running at half-hourly intervals, including August Bank Holiday, Monday 27th August.

Vehicle Type and Minimum Seating Capacity

Low Floor Minibus or midibus minimum capacity 16 seats or 14 seats plus 1 wheelchair

Destination Display: Harlech Hoppa

Type of contract

Shuttle bus service (operating as a registered local bus service)

Route

From Harlech Beach Car Park via unclassified road: Ffordd Glan Mor, A496 Ffordd Morfa, A496 Ffordd Newydd, B4573 Ffordd Isaf, B4573 Stryd Fawr, Bron y Graig,

From Bron y Graig: B4573 Stryd Fawr, B4573 Ffordd Isaf, A496 Ffordd Newydd, A496 Ffordd Morfa, Ffordd Glan Mor and unclassified road to Harlech Beach Car Park.

Stopping Places

The following recognised pick up and set down points shall be observed:

Harlech Beach Car Park

Harlech, A496 Ffordd Morfa, Harlech Railway Station (to Castle)

Harlech, A496 Ffordd Morfa, opposite Harlech Railway Station (from Castle)

Harlech, Bron y Graig Car Park

In addition, the service may pick up / drop off from outside the entrance of Min-y-Don Holiday park on Fford Glan Mor on request, subject to agreement from holiday park owners and risk assessment from the contractor. (There is no formal bus stop / flag at this location).

Timetable

The service will operate daily at half hourly intervals from 10:00 to 17:50. A break in the schedule can be accommodated at 13:30 for driver rest, if required.

From Harlech Beach Car Park:

Harlech Beach Car Park 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00

Railway Station 10:02 10:32 11:02 11:32 12:02 12:32 13:02

Upper Harlech 10:05 10:35 11:05 11:35 12:05 12:35 13:05

Harlech Beach Car Park 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30

Railway Station 14:02 14:32 15:02 15:32 16:02 16:32 17:02 17:32

Upper Harlech 14:05 14:35 15:05 15:35 16:05 16:35 17:05 17:35

From Bron y Graig Car Park:

Bron y Graig Car Park 10:15 10:45 11:15 11:45 12:15 12:45 13:15

Railway Station 10:18 10:48 11:18 11:48 12:18 12:48 13:18

Harlech Beach Car Park 10:20 10:50 11:20 11:50 12:20 12:50 13:20

Bron y Graig Car Park 14:15 14:45 15:15 15:45 16:15 16:45 17:15 17:45

Railway Station 14:18 14:48 15:18 15:48 16:18 16:48 17:18 17:48

Harlech Beach Car Park 14:20 14:50 15:20 15:50 16:20 16:50 17:20 17:50

Fares

Menter Môn will decide on fares to be charged for the service. It is anticipated that a fare of £1 per trip will be charged to adults and £0.50 to children (5-15). Under 5’s and passengers with a valid concessionary pass will travel for free. The contractor will provide a suitable ticket machine to issue tickets and record usage.

Registering the service

The Contractor will be responsible for registering the bus service with the Traffic Commissioner.

SCHEDULE 2: SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE OPERATIONS

1. Operator

1.1. The Contractor will ensure the safe and legal operation of the service, ensuring all current requirements and regulations are met in respect of vehicle operation (licensing, maintenance) and driver licensing and drivers’ hours.

1.2. The Contractor will have appropriate insurance in place covering the operation of local bus services and the carriage of passengers.

2. Operations

2.1. Engines shall be turned off while waiting at all termini.

2.2. It shall be the driver's responsibility to ensure that the legal carrying capacity of vehicles is not exceeded. Instances of inadequate capacity shall be reported to the Client’s Representative immediately.

2.3. The Contractor shall be responsible for risk assessing the shuttle bus service operations generically and the route and stopping points specifically and shall provide the Client’s Representative with a copy of their Safe System of Work and route risk assessment at least seven days before the start of the contract.

2.4. It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to assess the need for reversing during the operation of the shuttle bus service and to ensure that appropriate measures to control the risks arising from reversing manoeuvres are included in the route risk assessment and adhered to by drivers.

2.5. The Contractor shall risk assess all subsequent contract variations including changes to the route, timetable or vehicle capacity and provide the Client’s Representative with an amended route risk assessment and any variation to the Safe System of Work, within seven days of being notified of such a variation.

2.6. The use of mobile phones or similar communications equipment e.g. two-way radios whether hand held or hands free shall not be permitted during the operation of the service. Drivers are permitted to stop safely periodically to use such equipment for essential operational messages.

3. Drivers

3.1. The Contractor and the drivers to be employed by the Contractor on the shuttle bus service shall attend a briefing meeting with the Client’s Representative in Harlech prior to the start of the contract.

3.2. Drivers shall be fully familiar with the shuttle bus service route, timetable and all stopping points.

3.3. Drivers shall be professional and courteous in manner and competent to provide a high standard of customer care and appropriate assistance to customers with impaired mobility.

3.4. Drivers shall be of smart appearance and wear a recognised company uniform.

3.5. The Contractor shall supply drivers with name badges and drivers shall wear a name badge at all times when working on the shuttle bus service.

3.6. Drivers shall check the vehicle immediately after every trip and any property found shall be handed in to the Contractor’s office at the end of their working day.

4. Ticket issuance

4.1. The Contractor shall issue tickets to passengers. The Client will specify the fare schedule, though it is currently assumed a fare of £1 per adult and 50p per child will be charged per trip (under 5’s and concessionary pass holders carried free).

5. Publicity

5.1. The Client shall be responsible for publicity for the shuttle bus service. Arrangements for the production and distribution of publicity will be discussed with the Contractor and confirmed by the Client’s Representative prior to the start of the contract.

5.2. The Contractor shall ensure that copies of the publicity for the shuttle bus service supplied by the Client are available to the public on the vehicle(s) used to operate the services under this contract.

5.3. Specifically, it is our intention to provide a ‘Harlech Voucher’ for passengers on the bus that the driver should give to each passenger or group of passengers on boarding the bus.

6. Data provision

6.1. The Contractor shall maintain a log of the number of passengers on each journey. The Contractor shall provide a record of the number of tickets sold (adult, child) and the number of under 5’s and concessionary pass holders carried per day and the total farebox revenue per day. The above data will be transmitted electronically to the client on a weekly basis.

6.2. Drivers will also record any comments received from customers and any incidents during the day’s operation to the Client’s Representative at the end of each day.

7. Incident Reporting Procedure

7.1. Any incident/accident shall be reported by the Contractor to the Client’s Representative.

7.2. Incidents/accidents shall be reported by telephone at the earliest opportunity and confirmed in writing to the Client’s Representative within 24 hours.

7.3. Incidents to be reported shall include any incident/accident that occurs whilst passengers are in the process of boarding, being carried on or alighting from the Contract Vehicle and shall include Passenger behavioural problems or any incident/accident involving the vehicle itself whilst it is being used during the operation of the Contract.

7.4. Failure to comply with the above procedure may result in the Client’s Representative invoking the provisions of Condition 11 of the General Conditions of Contract.

8. Complaints

8.1. The Contractor shall have adopted a system of handling complaints. This must be capable of inspection by the Client at any reasonable time.

8.2. All complaints must be investigated. Written complaints are to receive a written response within 7 working days and must be copied to the Client’s Representative together with the original letter of complaint. The written responses must refer to the Client in order to give the complainant the opportunity to take the matter up with the Client in case of not being satisfied with the Contractor’s response. Where the Client instigates a complaint, the Contractor must respond in writing within 7 working days.

SCHEDULE 3: VEHICLE SPECIFICATION

1. Mandatory Requirements

1.1. No public service vehicle shall be used on the Contract unless it has a power operated passenger entrance/exit and is suitable for one person operation.

1.2. The Contractor shall at his expense display prominently at the front of the vehicle a destination board showing the information specified in Schedule 1.

1.3. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Client’s Representative the text on the destination board shall be in white or yellow on a black background and at least 100mm in height.

1.4. Nothing contained in Clauses 1.4 and 1.5 shall contravene or conflict with the requirements of the Department for Transport to ensure satisfactory visibility through the front windscreen.

1.5. Smoking shall be prohibited on all vehicles. The Contractor shall ensure that appropriate signs are displayed to this effect on vehicles used on this Contract.

1.6. Where any service the subject of this Contract requires a reversing manoeuvre an audible alarm shall be sounded while the vehicle is reversing.

2. Vehicle Presentation

2.1. Any litter shall be cleared from the vehicle interior between trips.

2.2. Vehicles shall be washed and cleaned externally at daily intervals subject to the prevailing weather conditions.

2.3. The vehicle interior shall be swept out at daily intervals.

2.4. The floor of the vehicle shall be washed and other interior surfaces wiped clean at least once a week.

2.5. Any damage to seats or other interior fittings shall be repaired within 24 hours.

3. Provision of Facilities for Older and Disabled Passengers

3.1. The vehicle(s) used on this service should have step-free access and the ability to convey at least 1 wheelchair or baby buggy.

SCHEDULE 4: QUALITY OF SERVICE

1. Introduction

1.1. The Client may in its absolute discretion make deductions from a claim submitted by the Contractor in the event that an authorised Officer appointed by the Client’s Representative for the purpose of monitoring the operation of the shuttle bus service identifies a failure to comply with contractual requirements.

2. Details of Financial Deductions

2.1. Failure to operate a journey or journeys on time or as specified in the timetable will attract a pro-rata deduction from the payment, based on the average cost of each particular journey (i.e. daily price divided by number of journeys). This will apply to journeys beginning their journey more than 1 minute early or beginning / completing their journey more than 5 minutes late, unless for good reason beyond the control of the operator.

2.2. The following deductions will also apply:

Service Quality

Financial Deduction

(Pounds Sterling)

• Failure to display correct destination on vehicle £60 per vehicle per day

• Failure to display any prescribed logo as specified in Schedule 1 £30 per vehicle per day

• Failure to comply with any aspects of Schedule 3 part 1 Up to £60 per breach

• Any other breach of contract £60

• Failure to provide vehicle with minimum seating capacity specified in Schedule 1 leading to over-crowding £60

3. System of Operation of Financial Deductions

3.1. The Contractor will be required to send a certificate with each invoice indicating whether any journeys were not operated during the previous month and giving reasons for any failures to operate. Financial deductions as indicated in Schedule 4 will then apply accordingly.

3.2. The Client’s Representative is authorised to waive any deduction if he is satisfied that the failure to operate, or irregular operation arose as a result of difficult weather conditions, particular cases of traffic delay or other unforeseen circumstances. The onus is on the contractor to advise the Client’s Representative of any difficulties arising from any such cause. In event of no such advice being received, financial deductions indicated in Schedule 4 will apply.

3.3. For journeys which are operated by low floor bus where a substitution of a vehicle other than required in the Contract takes place the Contractor shall inform the Client’s Representative in writing by email immediately of the vehicle(s) to be used and reasons for the substitution. The Client may take this information into account when determining whether financial deductions should apply.

3.4. In the event of the Contractor being dissatisfied with the decision of the Client’s Representative in any instance he shall have the right to appeal in writing by stating the grounds of his appeal within seven days of the date of the deduction letter.

3.5. In the event of a temporary inability to provide the service, the Contractor will make appropriate alternative arrangements to ensure that any passengers are conveyed.

4. Invoicing

4.1. The Contractor will be paid on presentation of invoices. Given the running of the service over 44 days, we propose to pay two invoices, one after day 22 and one at the end of the service operation.

4.2. The Contractor will deduct the total farebox revenue from the invoice amount for each invoice period.

4 Administrative Information

4.1

Type of Procedure

Single stage

4.2

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

MMLDR011

4.3

Time Limits

4.5

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

Welsh

4.6

Tender Submission Postbox

5 Other Information

5.1

Additional Information

Registering the service

The Contractor will be responsible for registering the bus service with the Traffic Commissioner by Friday 25th May 2018.

Cost - Inc VAT

Please note the cost/Value is £12,000. Including VAT.

(WA Ref:81917)

Relates to the following project/programme financed by EU Community Funds: This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. It’s also part funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Gwynedd Council.

The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia bidding.

5.2

Additional Documentation

5.3

Publication date of this notice