| Transport Restructuring |
Framework Agreement between the Basque Government, the Biscay Provincial
Government, the Bilbao City Council and the Biscay Transport Consortium
on measures to restructure in public transport.
Manifest
Starting up the Bilbao metropolitan railway has meant a change for public passenger transport service in Biscay, posing an opportunity to integrate and find a framework for transport services. On the other hand, the present offer of carrying passengers by road via Bilbobus and Bizkaibus has attained levels of high-quality service that have come to be a reference point for further expansion of the service. Lastly, the strategic plan in which EuskoTren (Basque Railways) finds itself immersed should be taken into account and will be the determining factor in ongoing negotiations. This new framework poses an opportunity to undertake a series of immediate actions that will allow for the maintenance of efficiency levels desired for the overall system so that the resources committed in the financing of the operation will guarantee the necessary investment levels in new infrastructures.
The strengthening of public transport calls for prior comprehensive rasionalisation or what is currently on offer in order to avoid duplication that may currently exist.
To that end, and in order to reach the goals of effectiveness and efficiency in service and financial resources which have been committed, and as a step which will lead up to future coordinated action, the undersigned Governments and Administrations
Hereby agree to the following:
FIRST.- RESTRUCTURING OF THE OFFER
1.- The signing institutions will be those charged with accommodating the offer within the limits of their scope of responsibility.
2.- The restructuring will take place with a view to serve by looking for those lines that overlap in the system and by considering the social impact arising from the process.
The restructuring will be conducted in accordance with the Plan established within each one of the Institutions.
SECOND.- NEGOTIATING WITH OPERATORS AND SOCIETY LEADERS
With the signing of the present accord, the Commission For Restructuring the Offer is hereby authorized and is constituted by: Council delegate for Transport and Circulation of the Bilbao City Council, the Director of Transport of the Biscay Provincial Government, the Director of Transport of the Basque Government, the managing Director of the Biscay Transport Consortium and those persons that they nominate. The Commission is authorized to elaborate, present and negotiate the restructuring of services with unions and with transport operators
After the adoption of this accord unions and transport operators will be notified of the content thereof within a week's time.
THIRD.- OUTLOOK FOR FUTURE RESTRUCTURING
Beyond the temporal scope initially stipulated to implement the restructuring of the offer, and, in order to facilitate the setting into motion of important projects for public transport in Biscay, the signing government administrations are committed to cover (as far as resources permit) the needs of personnel that arise from personnel already working in the sector; i.e., the different operators working in the system prior to their corresponding recruitment in keeping with the professional profile for the job.
FOURth.- FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PERIOD WHEN ACTIVITIES ARE TO BE DONE
1. -During the period of defining and working on the activities described above, the financing of the operating deficits and the investment will continued to be covered within the limits of their responsibilities and in accordance with existing contract-programmes by each of the government Administrations affected.
2.- Likewise, the costs associated with the process of restructuring will be borne in the following manner: the costs for the TCSA BILBOBUS, by the Bilbao City Council, the costs for the operators of BIZKAIBUS, by the Biscay Provincial Government; the costs for EuskoTren, by the Basque Government and the costs for the Bilbao Metro, by the Biscay Transport Consortium in accordance with the financing percentages currently applied: 50% by the Basque Government and 50% by the Biscay Provincial Government.
We, the undersigned, hereby express our agreement with the Framework Agreement, signed on this day, eleventh June, nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, in Bilbao.MR. JOSE ANTONIO MATURANA
Minister for Transportation and Public Works of the Basque Government
MR. JOSU BERGARA
Head of the Biscay Provincial Government and President of the Biscay Transport Consortium
MR. JOSU ORTUONDO
Mayor of Bilbao
MR. CARLOS GARCIA CAÑIBANO
Vice-minister for Transportation and Public Works of the Basque Government
MR. MARTIN MARTINEZ
Provincial Minister of Transportation for Biscay
MR. PEDRO BARREIRO
Bilbao City Councilman
MR. EUKENI LARRONDO
Managing Director of the Biscay Transport Consortium
