Notes of the London Regional Transport/Borough Liasion
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Appendix to A15 NOTES OF THE LONDON REGIONAL TRANSPORT/BOROUGH LIAISON GROUP MEETING HELD AT THE TOWN HALL, HORNTON STREET, KENSINGTON, W8 7NX ON WEDNESDAY 11 TH OCTOBER 2000 AT 4:30 P.M. PRESENT: Councillor Mrs Frances Taylor (Chairman) Councillor Rima Horton Councillor Daniel Moylan (Chairman, Environmental Services Committee) Mr Mark Beauchamp (Better Government for Older People - RBKC) Mr Jim Brady (Business Manager - Centrewest) Mr Martyn Chaffer (Performance Delivery Support Manager - North ) Mr Daniel Collinge (Committee Services - RBKC) Mr Graham Cook (Manager Director - Travel London/Independent Way) Mr Martin Fisher (Operations Support Manager - Metroline) Ms Glynis Kelleher (Committee Services - RBKC) Mr David Knight (Service Quality Manager - London United) Mr Bill Mount (Group Leader Transportation - RBKC) Mr Tom Mansfield (Principal Transportation Officer - RBKC) Mr Richard Parry (London Underground Marketing Manager - Revenue) Mr David Richardson (Liaison and Special Projects Manager) Mr Mark Sexton (LUL Communication Manager for Closure of Routes) Mr Steve Travis (Director of Kensington & Chelsea Community Transport) Ms Gill Tynan (Road Manager - London General) 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE None 2. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 3. NOTES OF THE MEETING OF 5 th JULY 2000 The notes of the meeting held on 5 th July 2000 were confirmed as a correct record. 4. MATTERS ARISING FROM HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC COMMITTEE MEETING ON 12 TH SEPTEMBER 2000 Item 18 of the 12 th September Highways and Traffic Committee concerning infrastructure works was circulated. 2 The meeting noted that any matters arising from the Highways and Traffic Committee meeting would be covered during the course of the agenda. 5. BUS MATTERS Performance Indicators 5.1 Routes 10 and 52 The Chairman reported that these routes provided unreliable services to the public. Mr Fisher explained that both of these routes were very long with heavy traffic and were affected by road works. Mr Fisher believed that there had been an improvement on the No.10 route since the introduction of a route manager who spent his time looking after this route. Mr Fisher was of the opinion that it would be better to curtail the No 52 route at Hyde Park Corner until road works were completed. Mr Fisher also suggested that poor staffing levels had been a problem which was endemic throughout London. He believed that the problem was not necessarily with recruitment but with retaining staff, who were affected by poor pay, unsociable hours and problems with customers. It was agreed that there was a need for the bus companies and the Borough to liaise to identify the needs of the Borough and establish a more realistic schedule. Action by: Bus Companies/RBKC 5.2 Route 14 Survey The Chairman expressed concern that buses were seen leaving Putney Heath in convoy. Ms Tynan reported that ongoing road works in Putney and the introduction of a traffic island at Putney Hill had created problems for the route, with 30-50 minutes being lost between Putney Heath and Putney Bridge Station. The Chairman stated that the westbound service was unreliable prior to reaching the road works. Ms Tynan asked for the information provided by the survey and said she would get back to the Chairman on this issue. She informed the Group that a meeting would take place with the London Borough of Wandsworth to see what could be done about the route. She asked to be informed of the results of the next borough survey as soon as it was completed to give her the opportunity to look into the issues raised. Mr Chaffer suggested that London Buses undertake the next survey. Action by: Ms Tynan/RBKC 5.3 Driving Standards The Chairman stated that most complaints by the public concerned the quality of the driving, and that there was a particular problem with the “stop start” style of driving. The Chairman reported on the high level of orthopaedic 3 accidents that occurred inside London's buses. Mr Beauchamp added that driving standards were a major concern for the elderly, and felt that poor driving negated other improvements that had been made by bus companies, such as improvements with disabled access. Mr Mount expressed concern over the number of accidents that occurred on Route Master buses and said that driver training needed to be improved. Councillor Horton asked if there was some way of identifying drivers, because presently this was difficult and prevented people from reporting good or bad driving. Councillor Moylan suggested that passengers should be able to identify the bus internally by the registration number of the bus or some other obvious mark. Mr Brady said he would take this up with the bus company's engineers. Councillor Moylan asked to be given notice of a timetable by which this measure could be implemented. The Chairman asked if the bus companies monitored drivers' performance. Mr Brady confirmed that if they received complaints then they would monitor that driver, and that bus companies employed plain clothes driving inspectors who monitored driving standards, with passenger safety high up on the list of checks. Mr Fisher explained that those drivers who were the subject of complaints tended to be the inexperienced ones. At present bus companies did employ a large number of new drivers. Mr Chaffer confirmed that the longer drivers stayed on, the more training they received, which was the key to improving driving standards. Action by: Mr Jones 5.4 Operational Improvements to Bus Services Mr Richardson stated that the London Buses Initiative (LBI) was a £65 million project for the whole of London. He said that numbers 12 and 18 were the two Kensington and Chelsea bus routes that benefited from the scheme. Councillor Moylan said that Kensington and Chelsea was a borough that would be adversely affected by congestion charging, but that the LBI held very little for the Borough. He asked Mr Richardson to communicate this point of view to the relevant people. It was pointed out that the number 18 bus route hardly operated in the Royal Borough, and that the number 12 was the cause of much dissatisfaction as it now terminates at Notting Hill Gate instead of Shepherd's Bush. With regards to Countdown, Mr Richardson informed the meeting that around six Countdown signs would be erected in the Borough by the end of the year. Mr Mansfield said that he and other officers in the Council would need to be consulted on this to ensure a logical programme of introduction. Action by: Mr Richardson/Mr Mansfield 4 5.5 Traffic Problems on Routes The meeting expressed concern with the road works in the Borough which had resulted in disruption to the roads for long periods of time. Councillor Moylan felt that bus companies were not doing enough about the problem. He suggested that they should take the initiative and put pressure on the utility companies to complete road works within a reasonable time. Mr Richardson and Mr Chaffer agreed to write to Councillor Moylan to inform him of the current structure of communication that existed between the bus and utility companies. Action by: All bus companies/Mr Richardson/Mr Chaffer 5.6 Changing Demands on Bus Services The Chairman said there were currently no bus routes connecting the North and South of the Borough on Sunday, and asked if something could be done about this. She asked what plans the bus companies had made in light of the proposed upgrade of St Mary's Hospital (which would incorporate the Harefield and Brompton hospitals from the Royal Borough) and the new office complex in Paddington. Mr Richardson reported that he was not aware of the proposed changes. Mr Mount said that he would meet with the network planners to discuss these matters. Action by: Mr Mount 5.7 Experimental Improvements to Bus Services Mr Mount informed the meeting that a report on experimental improvements to bus services would be going to the Highways and Traffic Committee on 24 th October and the Environmental Services Committee on 7 th November. 5.8 Service Changes: 27, 52, 295, N9, N18 and N22 The meeting agreed that these service changes were to be welcomed. Mr Brady agreed to contact Mr Mount and Mr Mansfield about getting an Inspectors box installed in the Westbourne Grove area. Action by: Mr Jones 5.9 Incident Involving a Bus on Pembridge Road Mr Mount agreed to pass the details of an incident he had witnessed to Mr Knight who would look into it. Action by: Mr Mount/Mr Knight 5 6. UNDERGROUND MATTERS 6.1 District Line Blockade (Earl’s Court - High Street Kensington) The Chairman emphasised that co-operation between London Underground and the bus operators would need to take place over the proposed District Line blockade, which would take place from between February and May 2001. Mr Sexton informed the meeting that London Underground were planning a major consultation initiative on the issue. He said lessons had been learnt from previous closures, and discussions had already taken place with some of the relevant groups. Mr Sexton said that London Underground were looking into running an Olympia replacement bus service to West Kensington but added that this was still in the planning stages. The Chairman urged that a replacement bus service between Earl's Court and Kensington High Street was vital. Mr Sexton said there were no plans for a replacement bus service between Earl's Court and Kensington High Street/Edgware Road because people would still be able to use the underground to reach these destinations. He said that a customer information campaign would be in place to advise passengers to take alternative routes and customer information assistants would be available to provide advice.