Depot options appraisal
Licence to one Operator, a depot shared by several Operators, or Depot as a Service, tested depot by depot.
Depot as a Service
You own the depot. Now decide who runs it and looks after the buses.
Depot as a Service separates running the buses from caring for them. One specialist provider runs the site, supplies the energy and prepares every bus. Operators drive the service.
01
The Authority's challenge
The Department for Transport's Bus Franchising Manual finds that Authority-provided depots give the greatest competition, because they remove a major barrier to entry. Owning a depot answers one question and leaves another open: who runs the site, supplies the energy and maintains the fleet?
Today that work sits with the Operator. So at every re-tender the depot, its records and often its engineering staff change hands. Zero-emission fleets raise the stakes. Chargers, grid connections and hydrogen supply outlast any single Operator contract.
02
We can support you
Service design
What the Depot Service Provider must deliver, who does each part and the options open to the Authority.
Commercial model
Fleet ownership, energy plant funding, depot lease rent, contract length and whether to appoint one provider or several.
Contract and procurement
The Depot as a Service contract, the rate card and a standard Fleet Services Agreement every Operator signs.
Lifecycle planning
Where each step sits in the franchising process, from pre-assessment to the first Operator tender and beyond.
Risk planning
Step-in and exit, backup energy supply, the pull-out interface, staff transfer advice and subsidy control.
03
What to expect
- A recommended depot option for each site, with the reasons
- A scope of service and responsibilities matrix for the Depot Service Provider
- A rate card and Fleet Services Agreement ready for the Operator tender pack
- A list of the decisions to take early, and when
04
Build your skills and knowledge
Right of Way training builds skills and knowledge for your teams.
Strategy, Shaping Public Transport
Set a passenger-centred ambition, make the strategic choices and agree the level of risk the Authority will accept.
View the Right of Way courseContractual and Procurement Strategy
Set contract boundaries, plan the procurement sequence and define commercial requirements.
View the Right of Way course05
Related insights
White paper
Depot as a Service
Depot as a Service: Separating the Running of Buses from Their Care
Depot as a Service separates running the buses from caring for them. One specialist provider runs the site, supplies the energy and prepares every bus.