The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about public transport. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
The complaint
Mrs Y complained the Council had failed to provide suitable public transport in her area. She says this causes her inconvenience and difficulty in socialising.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6)) We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in the decision making, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information Mrs Y and the Council provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mrs Y complained to the Council in April 2022. The Council considered Mrs Y’s request for an additional bus route but explained to Mrs Y in May and June this was not commercially viable due to a lack of demand in the area. It suggested alternative public transport options instead. It also asked that if Mrs Y had information about a suitable demand for a service it would consider this but declined to add a bus route at that time. Mrs Y then approached us in August.
Analysis The Council considered Mrs Y’s request for a new bus route, taking into account relevant factors, such as need, demand and cost within its decision-making process. It therefore properly considered the issue before reaching a conclusion on its next steps so there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating this complaint.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mrs Y’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman