Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Hassan Khan, Councillor Rebecca Poulsen and Patricia Joseph-Gray.

Copy attached.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2017 be approved.

This will be a presentation provided by a representative from the West Yorkshire

Combined Authority.

The committee was presented with an overview of how the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is funded and the transport functions and services it provides. Members were also provided with an overview of how the District Consultation Sub-Committees (DCSCS) fit into WYCA’s governance structure.

To consider the attached report.

Bus Services Act

The committee was informed that the Bus Services Act received Royal Assent in April 2017. Draft regulations and secondary legislation have now been issued by the government for consultation.

Transport for the North Integrated and Smart Travel

The committee was informed that most major bus operators are aiming to enable their ticket machines to accept payments using contactless bank cards during 2018.

David Hill raised a concern regarding the number of different ticketing products currently on the market and that it is causing confusion for the public.

Neale Wallace informed the committee that Transport for the North are currently working on a scheme that will make it easier for passengers to travel seamlessly using their preferred payment method.

Bus Service Changes

The committee was informed that a number of service changes were implemented on the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd October. The changes involved the withdrawal of journeys which carried small numbers of passengers and fell below the subsidy per passenger criteria set by WYCA.

Gareth Logan asked what measures had been implemented to communicate the withdrawal of school bus services to those who use the services.

Neale Wallace informed the Committee that a letter and an email explaining changes was sent to Bradford Councillors and affected schools. (please note a letter was sent to school Heads prior to schools breaking up in July outlining the changes specific to each school) It was noted that a vast majority of children who used the services can use alternative services.

Andrew Noble asked what the current budget for supported bus services in 2017/18 is, and what the reduction was from the previous financial year.

Neale Wallace informed the Committee that the budget for supported services in the current financial year is 18.35m, a reduction of £650,000 from the previous financial year.

New CCTV contracts

The committee was informed that a new contract has been let to manage and replace all CCTV installations currently active in bus stations across West Yorkshire. The new system will be digital, rather than analogue, and will provide higher quality live camera feeds and improved evidence gathering facilities.

Bradford Interchange Access Improvements

The committee was informed that a programme is currently being developed in order to improve access, for both pedestrians and vehicles, at Bradford Interchange. Work is likely to commence during February 2018 and is planned to be completed by late March 2018.

Short term improvements to be implemented include the relocation of the drop off and pick up area and the creation of a dedicated taxi rank within the central area with its own access and waiting area.

Longer term improvements, including new layouts and redevelopment proposals, will published in the Bradford Stations Master Plan, which will be presented at a future meeting. 

Nasreen Khan raised concerns about the condition and cleanliness of the main pathway leading in to Bradford Interchange and asked if measures could be put in place to improve the situation.

Neale Wallace informed the Committee that work is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

This will provide the opportunity for questions to be raised from the floor with a

focus on matters of wider interest.

Menston Railway Station

Councillor Jackie Whiteley raised a number of concerns regarding the accessibility at Menston Railway Station, with the main issues being level access to the station and the ability for a person with limited mobility to access both platforms via the footbridge via the stairs.

It was reported that a number of works were identified to take place at Menston Railway Station in order to improve the accessibility but no further progress had been made.

Pete Myers informed the committee that the improvement works would have taken place if it would have received funding from the Access for All programme, which is implemented by the Department for Transport. Unfortunately, Menston was not one of the stations chosen for the funding.

Councillor Whiteley asked if there was plans to install a ticket machine on both platforms as the ticket machine is currently only located at one side of the platform and as a result, passengers wishing to purchase a ticket need to go over the footbridge in order to do so. This can be an issue for people with limited mobility.

Pete Myers suggested the installation of a second ticket machine could be possible under the Northern Stations Improvement Fund and that he would consult with colleagues at Northern to discuss the issue further.

Councillor Whiteley also stated that a number of her constituents have reported that they have had issues with travel assistance when travelling with Northern, citing particular problems with conflicting information on leaflets and advice from staff.

Pete Myers stated that the preferred method is to book assistance in advance by contacting Northern directly before travelling.

Further discussion will take place between Councillor Whiteley and Northern and the outcome will be reported at a future meeting.

Bradford Interchange

Colin Booth raised concerns regarding the condition of the road surface in Bradford interchange bus station.

Neale Wallace informed the committee that work will start in the coming weeks in order to resolve the issues that bus drivers have been experiencing with the road surface at Bradford Interchange.

Real time Information

Peter Ketley asked for clarification on how the real time information system calculates the times shown on the information screens in bus shelters. Buses are regularly shown as due for several minutes before the bus shows up at the stop.

Neale Wallace informed the committee that the system calculates the estimated time of arrival from the data of the last three services that used the bus stop.

Mohammed Raja asked what the criteria a bus stop would have to meet before a real time information screen could be installed.

Neale Wallace informed the committee that a bus stop would first need to meet the criteria for a bus shelter to be installed, and then for funding to be available in order to purchase and install the system.