Content

(i)       to endorse the
Aberdeen Rapid Transit Strategic Business Case as provided in
Appendix A;
(ii)       to endorse the
progression of Aberdeen Rapid Transit to a Programme Level Outline
Business Case, funded through the City Region Deal, which would
further develop the overarching business case and phasing under
which individual elements of the scheme could develop;
(iii)      to endorse the progression
of options 5 and 5A (as set out in Table 2 below) for further
development and appraisal through the proposed Outline Business
Case;
(iv)      to endorse the progression
of ‘approach 3’ in relation to active travel, as
outlined in Table 3 of this report, for further development and
appraisal through the proposed Outline Business Case;
(v)      to endorse the continued
consideration of both Bus Services Improvement Partnership
agreements and bus franchising as options for delivery of ART
through the proposed Outline Business Case;
(vi)      to note that a BSIP
agreement provided a delivery mechanism that could support a phased
approach to delivery in the shorter term (when compared to bus
franchising) and that this would enable partners to capitalise on
external funding opportunities and bring in private sector
investment;
(vii)     to instruct the Chief Officer
– Strategic Place Planning to work with the partners of the
North East Bus Alliance on a joint network review as a first and
critical step in understanding to what extent Aberdeen Rapid
Transit could be delivered through a Bus Services Improvement
Partnership agreement, and use the outcome of this exercise to
inform the proposed Outline Business Case;
(viii)    to instruct the Chief Officer –
Strategic Place Planning to continue to undertake engagement, as
appropriate, with the public and stakeholders on the development of
Aberdeen Rapid Transit to inform the proposed Outline Business
Case;
(ix)      to note funding to
progress from the Strategic Business Case to the Programme Level
Outline Business Case had been secured by the Aberdeen City Region
Deal, therefore agree the report recommendations (i) to (viii) (as listed above), and instruct the
Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to work with the
Director of Nestrans to bring all
further reports on Aberdeen Rapid Transit to the City Region Deal
Joint Committee, in line with the existing delegations granted to
the Joint Committee; and
(x)      to instruct the Chief
Officer – Capital to deliver the infrastructure improvements
as detailed at 3.55, if the funding bid to Transport
Scotland’s Bus Infrastructure Fund for 2025/26 was
successful, following consultation with the Convener of the Finance
and Resources Committee and the Convener of the Net Zero,
Environment and Transport Committee around final design, and
provide a service update (instead of 
reporting back as per 3.56 of the report) detailing programme of
works only if any funding bid was successful.