Purpose

Proposed decisions:
 
(i)   
ACCEPT the National Highways
Designated Funds grant of £2.262 million towards the
MaaS Ebbsfleet pilot and associated
sustainable transport package
 
(ii) 
DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director
of Growth, Environment and Transport, after consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, and Corporate Director
of Finance, to review and agree the required terms and conditions
to enter into the necessary grant arrangements for
National Highways Designated
Funds
 
(iii) 
ACCEPT  that the grant is
paid monthly in arrears of spend by National highways as part of
the KCC/National Highways Lower Thames Crossing Designated
Fund.
 

(iv) APPROVE the procurement of
a MaaS partner
who will be responsible for the delivery of
MaaS Multimodal Transport Technology platform and operate
the MaaS scheme on KCC’s
behalf, subject to CPOB and agreed terms and
conditions
 
(v)  
DELEGATE authority to the
Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to
negotiate, finalise and enter into relevant contracts to implement
the required Contract Award including the award of any future contract
extension(s), subject to satisfactory performance
 

(vi)DELEGATE
authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and
Transport, to take other actions, including but not limited to
entering into associated MaaS contracts
including MaaS marketing and
behavioural change campaign elements. As well as National Highways
funded associated sustainable transport procurements and other
legal agreements, as required to implement the decision
 
Further
Information:
 
Under decision 23/00027 the
Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport agreed to accept the DfT
BSIP offer of £18,985,735, for delivery of agreed
initiatives, in the year 23/24. To ensure that the
MaaS project
as one of the 15
originalBSIP
initiatives, can progress to time, a further decision is required
for approval toprocure
services to spend the DFT BSIP funding.
 
MaaS has also secured National Highways Designated Funds. As the NH
grant agreement is over the £1 Million threshold, this
requires a key decision with a short timeline for
spending.
 
Background:
 
MaaS is one of the fifteen initiatives within
Kent’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) programme of
work.  MaaS and associated
projects are four of the nine projects as part of the LTC National
Highways Designated Funds Programme. 
 
The aim
of MaaS schemes is to create a platform
for sustainable travel to encourage modal shift away from private
car ownership to more use of public transport, shared transport and
active travel to tackle car dependency, reduce transport CO2
emissions and air pollution.  
 
MaaS is a new
type of service so KCC will need to conduct procurements for a
range of new services using a mix of external funding sources. (No
KCC funding).  The new service provided
to residents and visitors travelling in or out of the MaaS Ebbsfleet zone will enable delivery of
benefits aligned with KCC strategy for environment and social
outcomes.
 
This
will be achieved through the procurement of a MaaS Partner who will provide the MaaS multimodal transport technology platform and
will integrate real time data from transport operators into the
digital platform. The MasS partner will
also operate the MaaS scheme on a
day-to-day basis on KCC's behalf. The other required services also
market and promote the MaaS scheme to
game behavioural change for travel in or out of the initial
MaaS Ebbsfleet pilot area and integrate
additional travel modes into the mass technology to enhance
customer effectiveness offering a compelling new customer
offer
 

The pilot will focus on the geographical
area of MaaS Ebbsfleet zone including
Ebbsfleet

Garden City, Dartford and Gravesend town
centre areas which will operate from April 2025 to

end March 2028 .

Options (other options considered but
discarded):

 
Option 1 Do nothing :  Discarded as it perpetuates the
current state of transport CO2 emissions, air pollution and travel
congestion pollution in Ebbsfleet and therefore does not contribute
to KCC’s Environment Strategy.
 
Option 2 Service
Solution KCC to tender for MaaS
technology platform only, excluding the requirements of a
MaaS operator with KCC operating the
scheme This option is discarded as currently KCC have no experience
of doing this therefore expertise from a MaaS partner operating the scheme is
needed.
 
Option 3
KCC fully or part funding of MaaS. Discarded due to
KCC’s financial situation over the last year.   Various external funding grants have been
pursued instead to secure 100% funding for the MaaS Ebbsfleet pilot
 
Option 4
Do maximum and roll out of MaaS across
Kent. This option has been discarded
pending outcomes of the pilot scheme but the long term ambition
continues to be for the roll-out of MaaS across Kent
 
How the proposed decision supports Framing
Kent’s Future 2022-2026: (https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/strategies-and-policies/corporate-policies/our-council-strategy)
 
MaaS directly supports the commitment to work towards Kent being Net
Zero by 2050
We
will:
 

8. Turn the curve on transport emissions and road
pollution by developing approaches to road space, parking, public
transport and electric vehicle infrastructure with a presumption
towards more sustainable and low carbon travel modes.

7.  Support residents and
businesses to take action to reduce their carbon
footprint.

 
Additionally MaaS supports
commitment to provide Infrastructure for Communities
–
 
We
will:
 
6
Incentivise people to choose alternative travel options to the car
by prioritising the maintenance and creation of safe and accessible
walking routes and cycle lanes and providing bus priority where
appropriate.
 
8
Work with our partners through the Kent Enhanced Bus Partnership
and with Government to explore sustainable and commercially viable
options for providing bus transport to meet people’s needs,
making the best use of Bus Service Improvement Plan
funding.
 
The proposed decision
also supports the following strategies and plans in which
MaaS is a named initiative
in:
 

·  
Kent’s Bus Service Improvement Plan
(Kent’s Bus Strategy)

·  
Kent Environment Strategy (K&M ELES Action
Plan),

·  
H&T Divisional Operating Plan 23/24 and
24/25

·  
Emerging Kent’s LTP5
 
How
the proposed decision supports: Securing Kent’s
Future:democracy.kent.gov.uk/documents/s121235/Securing
Kents Future - Budget Recovery
Strategy.pdf
 
The project does not
place any additional financial burden on KCC as it is 100%
externally funded.Although some funding support will be needed for
cash flow until reimbursementsare made in
arrears by National Highways as part of the KCC/National Highways
LTC Designated Funds Programme.
 
 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member
for Highways and Transport, I agree to:
 
(i)       ACCEPT the National
Highways Designated Funds grant of £2.262 million towards the
Introduction of MaaS Ebbsfleet and
associated sustainable transport package.
 
(ii)       DELEGATE authority
to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport,
after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and
Transport, and Corporate Director of Finance, to review and agree
to the required terms and conditions to enter
into the necessary grant arrangements for National Highways
Designated Funds
 
(iii)      ACCEPT that the grant is
paid monthly in arrears of spend by National Highways as part of
the KCC/National Highways Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) Designated
Funds Programme
 
(iv)      APPROVE the start of the
procurement process of a MaaS partner
who will be responsible for the delivery of MaaS Multimodal Transport Technology system and to
operate and maintain the MaaS scheme
for and on KCC’s behalf
 
(v) DELEGATE
authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and
Transport to negotiate, finalise and enter
into relevant contracts to implement the required Contract
Award(s) including the award of any future contract extension(s),
subject to satisfactory performance
 
(vi)      DELEGATE authority to the
Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, to take
other actions, including but not limited to entering into associated MaaS contracts including MaaS marketing and behavioural change campaign
elements and National Highways funded associated sustainable
transport procurements and other legal agreements, as required to
implement the decision