Outcomes and Lessons Learned

Outcomes

All DPS/Framework bus, coach, taxi and minibus operators are members of the Eco Stars Scheme with star ratings between 2 and 5 (range is 0 to 5) and all contracted buses are EURO V compliant.

Moving from EURO III/IV to EURO V buses has reduced nitrous oxides by 9% and carbon dioxide by 3%, annually, from the previous contracts. Moving to EURO VI in 2028 will show reductions of 92% and 3% respectively.

The Council also won Procurement Team of the Year at the GO Awards Scotland 2024 as recognition for the efforts made to collaborate with the market whilst achieving progress in environmental initiatives through passenger transport contracts.

Lessons Learned

Accounting for market conditions through flexibility and resilience.

There were significant delays in orders and deliveries of new vehicles across the country. A focus on new orders of electric buses - fuelled by Government grants - has meant bus manufacturers were struggling to meet commitments for new EURO VI diesels. This, in turn, meant operators retaining vehicles that would otherwise have been sold and so the second-hand marketplace decreased, and the price of second-hand vehicles increased. As a result, expected cascades of vehicles within large groups were delayed. This meant the EURO V August 2024 deadline was missed for a small number of vehicles but engagement with operators evidenced their efforts and demonstrated their commitments to meeting the standard. Once this period had passed, the Council decided not to extend the deadline any further to ensure compliance with the minimum standard and organisational commitments to environmental outcomes.

Listening to and working closely with suppliers.

Fife Council wanted to ensure that the Council and the market understood respective commercial priorities. This included educating suppliers about the Council’s climate priorities and how these may impact the tendering process. It also meant understanding the impact of constraints in the marketplace. A manageable transition was essential in terms of vehicle availability (both new and second hand), purchase costs, depreciation, contract length and likely phaseout of new diesel buses/coaches expected 2032-2035.

Aspirations for ‘going electric’ were tempered by the fact that most electric buses and infrastructure require significant Government funding and long manufacturing/installation times. For the Fife supply base, it was too early to mandate or score zero emission vehicles on contracts as there are so few in operation and little supporting infrastructure.