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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon CR0 1NX. View directions

Contact: Thomas Downs
02087266000 x86166  Email: Thomas.Downs@croydon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

10/19

Appointment of Chair and Vice-Chair

To appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair for the Public Transport Liaison Panel for the 2019/20 municipal year.

Minutes:

Councillor Degrads nominated and Mark Davis (TfL) seconded the motion to appoint Councillor Muhammad Ali as Chair for the remainder of the 2019/20 municipal year.

 

Councillor Ali nominated and Michelle Wildish (TfL) seconded Councillor Nina Degrads to be Vice-Chair for the remainder of the 2019/20 municipal year.

11/19

Introductions

To invite all attendees to introduce themselves.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed participants to the meeting and those present introduced themselves.

12/19

Disclosures of interests

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to register disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and gifts and hospitality to the value of which exceeds £50 or multiple gifts and/or instances of hospitality with a cumulative value of £50 or more when received from a single donor within a rolling twelve month period. In addition, Members and co-opted Members are reminded that unless their disclosable pecuniary interest is registered on the register of interests or is the subject of a pending notification to the Monitoring Officer, they are required to disclose those disclosable pecuniary interests at the meeting. This should be done by completing the Disclosure of Interest form and handing it to the Democratic Services representative at the start of the meeting. The Chair will then invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3. Completed disclosure forms will be provided to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion on the Register of Members’ Interests.

 

Minutes:

There were none.

13/19

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 145 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2019 as an accurate record.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2019 were agreed as an accurate record.

14/19

Croydon Dementia Action - Action Plan Update pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Rachel Carse (Dementia Action Alliance and Social Inclusion Co-ordinator)

Minutes:

The Dementia Action Alliance and Social Inclusion Co-ordinator introduced the item and went through the attached slides. The Panel heard that the Alliance’s role was to support Croydon in being dementia friendly, an aspect of which was to examine all areas of public transport in the borough.

 

13.1% of Croydon residents were over 65, with an estimated number of 3,611 living with dementia, and only 2,322 having been diagnosed (as of 2017). Around a third of dementia sufferers lived in the community, with many of these in the south of the borough, but a not insignificant number living in the north.

 

Croydon had been awarded the Dementia Friendly certification for 2018-19, but additional evidence would need to be submitted later in 2019 to keep this.

 

The Alliance was made up of a number of large and small organisations who were working to make themselves dementia friendly, and together to make Croydon dementia friendly. The Dementia Action Alliance and Social Inclusion Co-ordinator explained the Herbert Protocol which had been developed by the police, which involved carers submitting a form with a photo of individuals when they planned to go on a solo excursion. This meant that if the individual went missing whilst out, information about them could quickly be disseminated throughout the police network. It had been named after George Herbert who had been a World War II veteran, who regularly left his care home to travel to Normandy. The Panel heard that lost individuals with dementia could be difficult to spot, as they often travelled with purpose.

 

The Alliance worked through three main strands, and these were ‘People, Place and Process’. ‘People’ involved educating people on dementia and raising awareness and understanding to create ‘Dementia Friends’. Training could be delivered to drivers, revenue and station staff for free.

 

‘Place’ involved working with businesses and public spaces to make these more accessible to people with dementia. Examples given of this were a Sainsbury’s store where ‘Way Out’ signs had been installed in toilets to help stop people becoming confused, and dementia friendly screenings of films were regularly shown at the David Lean Cinema.

 

‘Process’ involved supporting people through implementing procedures to assist people with dementia. Some shops had designated workers who had been given training to support people with dementia, and banks had been given training to help identify possible instances of fraud and withdrawals under duress. Having both visual and audible announcements about the next stop or station were valuable to those using public transport as they could be reassuring. The Dementia Action Alliance and Social Inclusion Co-ordinator informed the Panel of plans to provide training to First Group’s revenue team.

 

The Dementia Action Alliance and Social Inclusion Co-ordinator explained that public transport was a lifeline for those who could not, or chose not to, drive; it allowed for people to keep in touch with family and friends, and to access healthcare easily. Access to healthcare was especially important, as journeys to unfamiliar facilities could be stressful, and lack of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14/19

15/19

Trams

a)    Sutton Link

Michelle Wildish (TfL) & Mark Davis (TfL)

 

b)    Tram Strikes - Update

Ian Sutcliff (First Group), Michelle Wildish (TfL) & Mark Davis (TfL)

 

c)    Ticketing, Income and Enforcement

Ian Sutcliff (First Group) & Mark Davis (TfL)

Ø  Ticket readers on trams, number of reader machines at tram stops, confusion about tapping in at Wimbledon.

Ø  Tram reader double tapping (percent of travellers tapping in and out, resulting in double charging)

Ø  Income (the split between ticket sales and penalty fares)

 

d)    Tram stop accessibility and legibility (network maps, signage, general legibility of network, small access improvements to accommodate continued growth)

Michelle Wildish (TfL) & Mark Davis (TfL)

 

e)    Tram replacement programme

Ian Sutcliff (First Group) & Mark Davis (TfL)

 

f)      Faulty Tram Countdown Timers – Wellesley Road and East Croydon

Ian Sutcliff (First Group) & Mark Davis (TfL)

Minutes:

a)    Sutton Link

 

The London Trams representative informed the Panel that a public consultation had taken place between October 2018 and January 2019, setting out three possible options for the Sutton Link. There had been over 6,000 respondents which had showed broad support for the proposals. Some had raised concerns over the environment, funding and other road users.

 

A final decision on the plans and funding would be made in autumn 2019, and an update would be provided to the Panel following this. There were still decisions to be made over the exact route the link would follow.

 

The East Surrey Transport Committee representative queried whether the link would join up with the existing routes, and stressed the benefit this could provide for those with reduced mobility. The London Trams representative responded that they hoped it would, but if not that any changes would be as short as possible. Full accessibility of the network would be maintained.

 

b)    Tram Strikes – Update

 

The First Group representative informed the Panel that the strikes had been suspended following talks with the union, which had concluded in an offer being made. Ballots on the offer had been sent to union members, and the outcome of this vote would be known by early July 2019.

 

The Chair queried what had triggered the strike, and learned it was a pay dispute. The East Surrey Transport Committee representative asked if pensions had been a factor, and heard that while there had been changes to pensions, these were not a factor.

 

c)    Ticketing, Income and Enforcement

 

The London Trams representative stated that they hoped to get the correct number of Oyster readers for the network, and there had been some queries about installing card readers onboard trams. This was not something that could be done with the current tram fleet, but it would be looked at when future fleets were commissioned. The London Trams representative informed the Panel that some signage around readers needed to be improved, and that readers were centrally monitored for issues, so that engineers could be dispatched for repairs. The Chair queried if there were any tram networks in the country with onboard validators, and heard that with the exception of Sheffield who had conductors, there were none. The East Surrey Transport Committee representative stated that there were onboard validators in Germany, but that they could be unreliable and took up space that could have been used for seats. The Panel also heard that they had seen people on the new buses with readers at the back, not tap unless they saw an inspector get on. The Chair agreed that the visibility of inspectors helped to decrease fare evasion.

 

London Trams were looking to raise funding for areas that needed additional readers, and the example of East Croydon was given. There were known issues with the tram stop at Wimbledon, with this being the only stop where service users needed to tap their card to exit, and resolutions were being looked into; these  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15/19

16/19

Buses

a)    Updates from TfL Actions arising from last meeting

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

Ø  Outcome of the 468 Bus Review

Ø  Outcome of consultation concerning 404 and 434 Buses

Ø  Update on changes made to 466 and 60 Buses concerning Oasis School and Coulsdon Sixth Form

Ø  Update on any planned changes to the 166 route during summer

 

b)    Bus services in the Town Centre

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

 

c)    Performance of the 433 Bus Route

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

 

d)    130 Bus Route – Rerouting in New Addington

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

 

e)    Plans to reinstate the Central Hill Bus Stop

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

 

f)      Thornton Heath bus garage– (Update)

Richard Simmons (Arriva) & Linda Johnson (Pollution Team Manager)

 

Minutes:

a)    Updates from TfL Actions arising from last meeting

 

Ø  Outcome of the 468 Bus Review

 

The TfL representative stated that overcrowding had not been identified on this route to the extent that it had caused passengers to miss buses, or wait more than 10 minutes for another bus. The Panel were encouraged to report any instances that did occur.

 

Ø  Outcome of consultation concerning 404 and 434 Buses

 

The TfL representative explained the intention of providing a bus service to the Cane Hill development and some areas of Lower Coulsdon; the consultation in January and February 2019 had received mixed responses, and so other options would be considered. There was a possibility of a consultation on rerouting the 404 to Cane Hill and Tollers Estate, with increased frequency.

 

The East Surrey Transport Committee stated that they had identified issues with school travel capacity on the 434 if frequency was not increased, and the TfL representative responded that this would be looked into to inform the final decision.

 

The Head of Transport informed the Panel that a consultation on parking restrictions on Tollers Estate had taken place to allow better access for buses. Additional parking bays and changes to corners were being implemented, but parking restrictions would not be implemented until there had been action tom TfL.

 

Ø  Update on changes made to 466 and 60 Buses concerning Oasis School and Coulsdon Sixth Form

 

There were two additional 466 buses serving Oasis School on weekday afternoons to alleviate safety concerns with Lacey Drive. The change had improved safety and allowed teachers to more easily monitor pupils. During summer 2019 the second bus would be replaced by a 60 bus, with the overall frequency of the 466 increasing. This would also help pick up additional pupils from Coloma School.

 

Ø  Update on any planned changes to the 166 route during summer

 

From the 22 June a shuttle bus would run between Purley and Banstead on Saturday and Sundays to cater for the extra demand to reach the lavender fields.

 

The Chair and Panel welcomed this.

 

b)    Bus Services in the Town Centre

 

The TfL representative explained that proposed changes were intended to make the network simpler and more efficient, and to alleviate the effects of town centre development. 1500 responses had been received to the consultation, and these were being analysed and fed into a report. The report would be reviewed internally and published in early July 2019, after discussions with the council. Feedback on the report would be given at the next meeting of the Panel in October 2019.

 

The East Surrey Transport Committee representative expressed concerns over the distances that passengers may have to travel to change between bus lines, with the effect of this falling primarily on service users with reduced mobility. It was stated that there were opportunities for more buses to serve East Croydon, to improve the network and not to cut it. In response to this the TfL representative stated that mitigations would be made  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/19

17/19

Trains pdf icon PDF 85 KB

a)    Updates from TfL Actions arising from last meeting

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

Ø  Update on Overground performance

 

b)    Extension of Oyster to Reigate

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

 

c)    GTR Passenger Benefit Fund

Yvonne Leslie (GTR)

 

d)    Croydon and Windmill Bridge Junction (Untangling the tracks)

Ian Plowright (Head of Transport, Planning and Strategic Transport)

 

e)    Update on Access for All bids – Selhurst, Coulsdon South, Reedham, Waddon, West Croydon and Norwood Junction Stations

Yvonne Leslie (GTR), Michelle Wildish (TfL) & Ian Plowright (Head of Transport, Planning and Strategic Transport)

 

f)      West Croydon Station Signage and Crossing

Michelle Wildish (TfL)

 

g)    Staff Training on Wheelchair Ramps Stations

Yvonne Leslie (GTR) & Michelle Wildish (TfL)

Minutes:

a)    Updates from TfL Actions arising from last meeting

 

Ø  Update on Overground performance

 

Performance had been steady with some variation not producing any identifiable trends. There had been better performance in April, but this had likely been due to decreased demand. Some trains had been struggling due to increased demand. Since the timetable had changed, the service had been better with less disruption from signals.

 

The Chair requested whether figures could be shared, as cancellations, congestion and some early terminations had been noticed. The TfL representative agreed to request these and share them with the Panel.

 

The Head of Transport shared that they had taken a train which skipped their station, going on to New Cross Gate. This had resulted in a higher fare and seemed to be a fairly common occurrence. The TfL representative stated that more in depth data would be shared at an upcoming Scrutiny meeting.

 

b)    Extension of Oyster to Reigate

 

There was a possibility of Oyster being extended to Reigate, and plans were already in place to expand to include Hertford North, Welwyn Garden City, Luton Airport Parkway and Epsom.

 

The East Surrey Transport Committee expressed frustration on behalf of Reigate College students commuting from Croydon who could not use their Oyster cards, and suggested money from the GTR Passenger Benefit Fund be used to implement the extension.

 

c)    GTR Passenger Benefit Fund

 

The Head of Transport stated that there would be a council response to this, and that the chosen method for distributing the funds seemed odd. The East Surrey Transport Committee representative agreed, and noted that it would be better to use the money on the network in general instead of individual stations. Some stations needed improvements, but would not be included as they were not GTR.

 

The Chair stated that the funding allocation had been submitted in a written response (appended to these minutes).

 

d)    Croydon and Windmill Bridge Junction (Untangling the tracks)

 

The Head of Transport updated the Panel regarding the Croydon and Windmill Bridge Junction and explained that a new Network Rail project named “Unblocking the Croydon Bottleneck” focused on the improvement of the Brighton mainline, tackling the congestion caused in the “Selhurst Triangle”, the junctions north of East Croydon, and through East Croydon station.

 

It was noted that a key element to the project was to improve the capacity constraints in Norwood Junction; the proposal was to rebuild platforms, introduce an additional track and ensure the station was fully accessible by introducing a bridge with a lift. The feedback from the first public consultation had been positive.

 

In response to the Panel, the Head of Transport explained that through engagement with Network Rail regarding the bridge, there would be ongoing forward planning for the traffic, pedestrian access, cycle routes and bus routes that may be affected by the work. He assured the Panel that it would be a large project, which had not yet received funding, and that the Panel would be informed of any updates.

 

e)    Update  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17/19

18/19

Any other business

To consider any other business at the Chair’s discretion.

Minutes:

Extension of 312 to Crystal Palace

 

The Extension of 312 to Crystal Palace was raised by the Vice Chair as opposed to the existing route which finished at South Norwood. The TfL representative responded that the whole route had been looked at, and that the suggestion seemed sensible.

 

Central Croydon Road Changes

 

The East Surrey Transport Committee representative stated that plans to close half of Katherine Street would negatively affect buses, and that these plans needed to be better coordinated. The Head of Transport explained that this had been part of the Mid Croydon Masterplan; TfL had worked with the council to feed this into the consultation on Central Croydon bus routes. There were plans to remove some routes from the Town Centre, and to move towards implementing a needs based service. The East Surrey Transport Committee representative explained that there needed to be routes to the town centre, and similar needs based schemes trialled in Sutton had been unsuccessful.

 

Road Closures to carry out Tram track works

 

The TfL representative informed the Panel that parts of the A232 and Chepstow road would be closed in August 2019 to carry out works.

 

Sandilands Tram Tunnel & Blackhorse Lane Bridge

 

The TfL representative informed the Panel that there would be information sessions in July 2019 in Croydon Clocktower to discuss the works planned.

19/19

Items for next meeting

To suggest items to be discussed at the next meeting of the panel.

Minutes:

The Chair invited the Panel to submit any items they would like discussed before the 5 September 2019 for the next meeting.

 

The Mobility Forum representative submitted the following:

 

Ø  Norwood Junction – Issues boarding buses at close of school times, with secondary and primary schools overcrowding buses. (South Norwood Clock Tower Bus Stops, Grovener Road 130 & 160 Bus Stop, Portland Road Northbound Bus Stop).

 

20/19

Dates of future meetings

Ø  1 October 2019

Ø  11 February 2020

Minutes:

·       1 October 2019

·       11 February 2020