Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about public bus services in Mr X’s area. This is because the issues Mr X complains about have not caused him significant enough injustice and we cannot achieve the outcome he wants.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about inequality in bus services in his area. He says there is an existing bus service which has been in place for many years but it is infrequent, takes to long and does not operate every day. He contrasts this with recent changes to another bus service which operates around the clock every day and was re-routed to serve a new housing estate. He has suggested changes to the services to provide more consistent public transport for all residents but is unhappy the Council has declined to follow his suggestions.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. We do not investigate all the complaints we receive. In deciding whether to investigate we need to consider various tests. These include the alleged injustice to the person complaining. We only investigate the most serious complaints.
6. The Council is under no obligation to make changes to bus services just because Mr X thinks it should. The existing bus service continues to operate as it has done for many years and the Council’s decision not to make changes to improve it does not cause Mr X significant injustice. We will not therefore investigate its decision.
7. Changes to the route operated by the other bus service also does not cause Mr X significant injustice. Mr X suggests it is unfair that this service is more frequent and now goes through the new housing estate but any benefits to local residents from these changes is not an injustice to Mr X. His feeling of unfairness alone is not significant enough to warrant investigation.
8. The Council has also explained to Mr X that the improved service is operated by a private bus company which plans the routes and timetables itself. The Council has no role in these decisions and we cannot therefore direct it, or the bus company itself, to make the change Mr X wants.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because the issues Mr X complains about have not caused him significant enough injustice to warrant investigation, and even if we did investigate it is unlikely we could achieve any worthwhile outcome for Mr X.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman