Agenda and minutes

To note apologies for absence and confirm the quorum of 11 members is met.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Donald Firth, Robert Finnigan, Yusra Hussain and Luke Majkowski.

The meeting was confirmed as quorate, with 11 members present out of 11 needed for quorum, after a 10-minute delay.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

There were no items requiring the exclusion of the press and public.

Resolved:  That the notes of the inquorate meeting held on 23 September 2021 be noted and entered as public record of what was discussed.

The Committee considered a report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer outlining membership changes since the last meeting and amendments to Scrutiny Standing Orders section on substitute rules to be proposed to the Combined Authority on 9 December.

The Chair welcomed new member Cllr Jackie Ferguson, representing Wakefield Council, to the committee.

Resolved: That the report be noted.  

The Committee received a verbal update from the Chair on her activity since the last meeting and a number of matters, including:

• The three Scrutiny Chairs have written a joint letter with Mayor Tracy Brabin to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Local Government, Michael Gove, asking him to consider lowering statutory quorum requirements for combined authority scrutiny and allowing remote or hybrid meetings.
• Following up on queries raised by members at the previous meeting, or afterwards via email, with the Mayor and directors – including safety on buses, shortage of bus drivers and its effects on service reliability, disabled peoples’ passes, experience of neurodiverse and refugees inability to access public transport.
• Meeting with Mayor Brabin 1-1 to discuss the transport scrutiny workplan and the committee’s plans for the year. The Mayor expressed support for scrutiny’s critical friend role and is very keen for scrutiny to have early sight of developments in transport for maximum transparency and accountability.

Resolved:  That the Chair’s verbal update be noted.

The Committee considered a report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer outlining the 2021/22 Work Programme which was based on the discussion held at the previous inquorate meeting and subsequent conversations with directors and heads of service.

The Chair also reminded members that the next meeting scheduled for 20 January 2022 would primarily feature a Mayor’s Question Time session during which members will be able to question the Mayor on her transport pledges, policies and performance. A virtual workshop will be held a few weeks before the meeting for members to agree topics and questions.

Resolved: That the appended 2021/22 Work Programme be approved.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Director of Transport & Property Services and Director of Policy & Development providing an overview of the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which was submitted to the government in October 2021 and a general update on bus related matters including bus franchising, a bus network update, and Metro branded services and activity.

The Chair noted the Government’s announcements regarding the future of high speed and integrated rail projects in the region and asked that officers provide a note to scrutiny members on the impact when they complete their analysis. 

It was also agreed that scrutiny members would receive:

• the regular transport network updates submitted to Transport
• more information on a recent Wakefield Council pilot scheme which promoted pupils travelling to school on foot or by bus.
• more information on work being undertaken at City of York Council on behaviour change as part of their own BSIP.

Discussion took place around the following topics:

1. Implementation date and numerical targets: The 2027 implementation goal is a long way away for many of the older generation that currently rely on buses the most. The numerical targets for the BSIP were ambitious and the key behavioural drivers for getting passengers back onto public transport would need to be explored in more detail and prioritised alongside other drivers such as price and liability.

2. HGV and bus driver shortage: The delay in licensing and testing is an issue at the moment with some driver reporting not being able to find work – on certain routes – at the moment. Bus companies reported no shortage in people applying to become bus drivers, but there has been a delay in getting drivers on the road.

3. Digital accessibility and information: The increasing reliance on QR codes and digital methods for bus services and information risks disenfranchising older transport users. Paper distribution and printing was largely reduced and discontinued in the past for efficiency reasons (can’t be updated as regularly), cost reasons as well as due to challenges from the pandemic. There are plans to reintroduce them more often for accessibility reasons. In other areas such as the AccessBus it is bookable by phone only – recognising the need for access.

4. Audio-visual accessibility on buses: Accessibility for people with audio and visual needs requires improvement. The systems need to be developed and used further to improve. All new buses were equipped with audio-visual technology as standard, similar to most trains, and some older buses are being retrofitted where possible.

5. Demand led transport services: A demand-led pilot called FlexiBus is ongoing in East Leeds, a bookable system service using 7 fully accessible electric vehicles. Demand led services could solve a lot of problems being faced by older and rural based passengers or areas which are near employment zones but lack strong connectivity. If left to the market, people would commonly use demand-led modes like taxis for shorter ‘sideways’ journeys to a GP or hospital, but buses towards city centre or  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.