Cabinet Members have received an update on the ongoing review of transport services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and adults with social care needs in Knowsley.
Over the past year, the Council has carried out a comprehensive review of its transport offer. This has included introducing key policy changes, strengthening staffing and contract management arrangements, and investing in new route‑optimisation technology designed to improve efficiency and journey planning.
The next major milestone is to establish new transport contracts from September 2026.
To support this work, Knowsley has been collaborating closely with five other STAR Procurement partner councils whose existing transport contracts also come to an end in August 2026. Working together allows the councils to share expertise, create consistency across services and increase opportunities for transport providers.
In line with national procurement rules, the Council is developing an Open Framework Agreement for future transport provision. Early engagement has already attracted strong interest from the market, offering greater competition and improved capacity to deliver reliable, sustainable services.
Once the Open Framework is finalised, the Council will award contracts covering Home-to-School and Post-16 Transport for children and young people and Transport for Adults with Social Care Needs.
The new model aims to provide better value for money, more flexible routes and improved service quality for residents.
You can read the full report on the council’s website.