Decision on Quality Contract Delayed

ITA and Nexus delay decision

NEXUS grey would take over if a Quality Contract was imposed

The Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority and Nexus have delayed their decision on how to deliver improvements for Tyne and Wear’s buses until the ‘late spring/early summer 2013.’
In a report to the ITA to be tabled at their meeting on 24 January, Nexus claim that this is to allow “further engagement ... with adjacent local authorities, to ensure that any quality contract scheme proposals provide benefit to their areas.”
Tom Dodds, secretary of the North East Bus Operators’ Association, said: “This delay
gives NEBOA more time to work with Nexus to further improve the partnership agreement,
to which NEBOA remains firmly committed.
“Working in partnership offers terrific benefits for bus users and local authorities without
the tremendous risks posed by a contracts scheme. NEBOA believes that a contract
scheme will inevitably lead to service cuts as local authority budgets are squeezed.
“The partnership offering already contains savings for Nexus and savings for passengers
amounting to up to £1.7 million. The partnership proposal produces a stable network with
changes and improvements being presented to Local Partnership Boards.”
While work continues on improving the partnership agreement, you can still read the
summary of the proposals in the ‘Better by Far’ document here


The North East Bus Operators’ Association has been established at a time when buses in the region are facing some of the biggest changes for more than a quarter of a century. Nexus and the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) are proposing to take control of all buses that run in and into Tyne and Wear. This could have repercussions for every bus service in the North East of England. North East Bus brings together all bus operators in the region to ensure that all the issues surrounding these proposals are publicly debated.