CAERPHILLY council is considering working with a neighbouring local authority to manage passenger transport services.

Discussions are underway between Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils about the areas' two Integrated Transport Units (ITUs) and whether they might work together to provide public bus services, school transport, and transport for vulnerable adults and children.

A collaboration would see a “centre of excellence” created for delivering passenger transport services across both council areas.

A report says there have been growing pressures on staff resources, particularly at the managerial level, and across Wales the number of managers is falling due to retirements and increased competition from fellow councils, Transport for Wales, and transport consultancies.

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Both councils have been affected by such pressures, but the report says both already have well-run and adequately resourced ITUs providing services for public bus services, home-to-school transport, and social services transport for vulnerable adults and children.

The proposal is for a joint management structure and for the two councils to share resources under a memorandum of understanding.

A joint board/steering group would be set up with representation from each council covering audit, education, finance, human resources, social services and transport needs.

At this stage each ITU would remain independent and self-sufficient, and only after a year would they be able to judge how the collaboration is performing.

Policy decisions such as eligibility criteria for school transport would remain entirely a matter for the individual councils, with the joint transport unit focusing on managing transport services.

The combined service would have a budget of almost £35m, with Caerphilly accounting for £14.2m of this, and Rhondda Cynon Taf £20.5m.

For Caerphilly the public bus transport budget would be £5.5m, the home-to-school transport budget would be £7.1m, and the social services transport budget would be £1.5m.

The report, from Rhondda Cynon Taf council, says the proposal would make best use of the financial and staff resources for both councils and contribute to reducing their carbon footprints.