Agenda item

The Committee considered a joint report of the Director of Transport Services and Director of Policy, Strategy and Communications providing an overview of strategic transport priorities. The following were in attendance for this item:

·         Councillor Kim Groves, Chair of Transport Committee

·         Dave Pearson, Director of Transport Services

·         Alan Reiss, Director of Policy, Strategy and Communications

Members expressed concern about reports that planned changes to Combined Authority guidelines for the provision of school bus services would lead to a reduction in services that many students and communities rely on. Some Members informed the Committee that they and many of their constituents had not been aware of the plans or the consultation until hearing about it on the news. The Committee was informed and assured that:

·         The reduction in the transport levy paid by the West Yorkshire councils had created a challenge for the Transport Committee to find efficiency savings without affecting progress towards strategic aims.

·         The draft guidelines were approved by Transport Committee in May 2018 pending consultation. The consultation was still underway and is expected that the Transport Committee will review the feedback in May 2019 prior to setting new guidelines.

·         The Combined Authority would take a pragmatic approach and consider all options, as an increase in car use and road traffic was contrary to strategic transport aims.

·         The consultation on Combined Authority school bus service guidelines would not affect existing criteria set by district councils, who currently determine eligibility criteria for some support schemes.

The Committee discussed the challenge of connecting communities, ensuring that services are customer focused and linking housing, employment and transport policy more effectively. It was reported that:

·         The Combined Authority supported the establishment of the Bus Alliance which would provide the Transport Committee with a forum to tackle issues of mutual concern, such as connectivity, and foster greater cooperation between stakeholders in this area.

·         It is understood by all partners that current connectivity links could be improved and that there was a lot of work to do.

·         The Bus Alliance’s number one priority is to consider different, possible models to redesign bus operations to better deliver services to, and connect, all communities.

·         There is a challenge in bringing bus operators together in the context of existing legislation on bus deregulation and the absence of devolved powers with regards to bus franchising and services which limits the possible models that can be considered.

·         The efficiency savings required by the reduction in the transport levy paid by the West Yorkshire councils had created an additional challenge as this necessitates a reduction in services funded by the Combined Authority.

·         The Transport Committee is currently considering reviewing the format of its District Consultation Sub-Committees (one for each district) in order to improve the interface it provides between public transport users and transport operators.

In other strategic transport work, the Committee learned that:

·         The Rail Forum and Bus Alliance – both overseen by the Transport Committee – aim to share information to ensure that disruptions to service use arising from infrastructure projects can be managed, such as any rail works that might disrupt a rail service and lead to an increase in use of particular bus services.

·         Although ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ is a Transport for the North (TfN) / Department for Transport project, the Combined Authority has been involved in the strategic conversations and supported TfN to develop the strategic business case.

·         The Combined Authority has allocated a resource to lead work on developing a West Yorkshire air quality strategy and coordinate with district councils to ensure strategic alignment.

·         Although the Transport Strategy 2040 acknowledges that road freight and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) will continue to be a presence on roads, the Combined Authority and TfN are working to improve rail freight to help alleviate road traffic issues and reduce the disproportionate amount of pollution HGVs emit.

Following questions and discussion, the Committee concluded that:

·         A possible topic for scrutiny to consider further and investigate is how different regional partners approach, coordinate and market consultations to the public. Although it appeared that there were many consultations being conducted by many different partners, many people are still not aware of them while they are ongoing and do not get a chance to put forth their views.

·         Any planned revision of guidelines to the provision of school bus services should take care not to lead to a reduction in services that many students in poorly connected communities rely on or an increase in car usage which would be contrary to strategic ambitions relating to inclusivity, connectivity, clean growth and air quality.

·         Too many people are not sufficiently connected to economic and educational opportunities and, although the Combined Authority is not a planning authority and does not build and manage housing stock, it could possibly play a strategic, enabling role in ensuring there is sufficient intersection between housing, transport and skills policy and to ensure that stakeholders are taking into account all possibilities.

·         Some examples of issues arising out of a possible lack of coordination between housing, transport and employment policy areas include:

o   One some routes, the issue of wheelchair versus pushchair priority and limited space on buses is a bigger issue due to the demographic profile of the housing developments they service. Some are communities with many young families and disproportionately higher pushchair use or older communities with higher use of mobility aids.

o   In some areas bus services stop running after a certain time, often as early as 6.00 pm, despite those areas having large number of shift workers who often work on employment sites which are already relatively inaccessible via public transport.

o   Population growth and projections seemingly not influencing  bus / rail timetables and services during revision, leaving some services at some stations to be perpetually overcrowded.

·         The absence of devolution sees the region continue to miss out on vital funding and powers. New devolved powers with regards to the bus network and franchising would likely allow for a different approach to coordinating bus services to fulfil strategic aims and community needs. Half of the total funds committed by the government in the Transforming Cities Fund to improve transport connectivity was reserved for certain mayoral authorities such as Greater Manchester and West Midlands, leaving the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to have to competitively bid for part of the remaining half of funds.

The Committee also requested that:

·         A possible item on how regional partners approach, coordinate and promote consultations to the public be added to the scrutiny work programme.

·         Scrutiny members are briefed on the Transport Committee’s emerging work on cycling & walking when suitably progressed.

·         The ‘Your Voice’ web link for the current consultation on the Connectivity strategy / plan be shared with scrutiny members so they can input their views. 

·         Further information on the consultations on the provision of school bus services and the connectivity strategy be provided when available.

·         Scrutiny’s Transport Working Group continue to consider the issues of mobility and digital inclusion in transport and report back to a future meeting.

Resolved: 

i)     That the report be noted and the Committee's feedback and conclusions be considered further. 

ii)    That the additional information requested by the Committee be circulated to Members following the meeting.