A) TfL Bus review 2018 (Muhammed Mashud, TfL)
B) Minimising noise at Thornton Heath bus garage
(update from Councillor B Khan)
C) Bus issues in Norbury (Muhammed Mashud, TfL)
D) Capacity of Bus Route 166 (Muhammed Mashud, TfL)
E) Capacity of Bus Routes 434, 463 & 633 (Muhammed Mashud, TfL)
F) Diversion of Bus Route 130 – New Addington
(Muhammed Mashud, TfL)
G) Bus Access to Heathrow (Muhammed Mashud, TfL)
Minutes:
A) TfL Bus Review, 2018
Muhammed Mashud (Transport for London) informed the Panel that the 2018 Bus Review was looking to integrate with the planned changes to the town centre alongside the arrival of Westfield, but that it also examined routes on a Borough wide basis.
The Chair inquired as to if a timeline had been agreed for the review, and as to whether any specific capacity increases had been decided. The representative for TfL stated that while no specifics had yet been announced, the review aimed to increase capacity where there was demand for it in order to serve the whole of the town centre.
The representative went on to discuss specific work that had been carried out on overcrowding on the 463 route, collaborating with a Ward Member and two local Schools. The Panel was told that through work with School Ambassadors and projects to encourage cycling, this had been resolved without necessitating changes to the 463 service.
Charles King (East Surrey Transport Committee) stated that papers had been agreed at the Mobility Forum with recommendations such as improving access to Croydon University Hospital and the High Street and resolving the lack of Bus routes from the East of the Borough stopping at Fairfield Halls. The Officer assured the Panel that these papers had been fed back to TfL, and that it had been agreed that there would be at least one bus route servicing Fairfield Halls from the East.
It was also expressed to the Panel that there were long waiting times for the 109 bus on London Road. A panel member suggested that if some buses from Croydon University Hospital stopped at the Streatham Bus Garage before stopping at Streatham Station on their routes, it would increase ease of access to Central London. The Chair noted that both of these would be included within the Bus Review. The Officer also noted that all previously raised and unaddressed concerns would be collated and sent to TfL to feed into the review.
There was also a query as to whether the TfL Bus Review would address accidents on buses and the frequently large gap between the curb and the bus entrance. The Chair asked whether any driver training was planned or had already taken place around these issues. The Arriva London representative informed the Panel that there was ongoing training on both issues.
Action Point – for TfL to update the Panel with new information on the Bus Review when it becomes available.
B) Minimising Noise at Thornton Heath Bus Garage
The Chair noted that there had been noise complaints at Thornton Heath Bus Garage which had been discussed in past PTLP meetings and asked what had been done to address these issues.
The representative of Arriva London explained to the Panel that he had met with Councillor Khan and Lindsay Williams (Resident) and that this discussion had led to the implementation of marshals at the Garage, and that this had since been applied to all bus shelters as good practice.
The Panel also heard that covert surveillance on the Garage had been done by both Arriva and the Council to verify if the issues were still ongoing, and both had found there to be significant improvements.
As previously stated in the last PTLP meeting, drivers had been spoken to about the issues around pollution, but unfortunately noise made from ramp testing was unavoidable. It was necessary for buses to be idle during these tests and for rebuilding pressure in air brakes.
The Chair enquired as to what plans Arriva had for moving to Hybrid buses, which would be quieter and cause less pollution. The representative from Arriva stated that there were no plans for this, however Arriva would bid on this at the indication that it was what TfL required. It was also stated that all buses in Thornton Heath Garage were above the standard detailed in the Mayor’s Strategy.
Lindsay Williams (Resident) was given the opportunity by the Chair to inform the Panel that despite the meeting with Arriva she had not seen any marshals. It was also said that the covert surveillance had failed to note diary sheets that had been submitted detailing the times of day with the most issues.
The Arriva representative expressed again that marshals had been implemented, and that, although there were not exact numbers to hand, that the volume of traffic through the Garage had not increased.
Action Point – for Arriva to work directly with local residents to address outstanding issues with the Bus Garage.
C) Bus Issues in Norbury
The representative of the East Surrey Transport Committee informed the Panel that a proposal for an additional Bus Stop near Norbury Library on the London Road had been made.
The representative for TfL relayed that he had not seen this proposal, but would be happy to review it. The TfL representative noted that the capacity for this would depend on the predicted demand and available resources.
Action Point – for Charles King to forward the proposal to Muhammed Mashud.
D) Capacity of Bus Route 166
The representative of the East Surrey Transport Committee informed panel members that seasonal tourism to the Lavender Fields on the 166 route caused significant overcrowding between the months of June and September.
The Arriva representative informed the Panel that despite a new timetable for the route coming into place in September, it did not increase the overall number of buses on the route.
The Chair suggested for there to be increased service on this route during the months presenting an issue.
Action Point – for Muhammed Mashud to report back on the request for capacity increase on the 166 route.
E) Capacity of Bus Routes 434, 463 & 633
The representative of the East Surrey Transport Committee informed the Panel that the issues surrounding these Bus Routes was primarily related to their use by Woodcote High School students, and that buses were regularly having to leave 20 to 30 children at the Bus Stop as the bus had reached capacity.
The TfL representative told the Panel that the issue was known and explained that a major reason for the problem was that some buses were not stopping by the School due to the behaviour of students, and this was causing the proceeding buses to fill up to quickly. The Panel also heard that a road next to the School which had been used for drop-off and collections had been changed into a no access road, exasperating the problem by further congesting the main road.
Muhammed stated that significant work had been done with the School and with Councillor O’Connell to minimise this issue, and that they would be meeting again on 12 July 2018. The meetings had resulted in the implementation of School Ambassador training and students had been encouraged to cycle to reduce the number students using the bus. TfL had encouraged the school to stagger the release of students at the end of the day, but the School had been unwilling to do this.
Action Point – for TfL to continue to work with Woodcote School and the Ward Member on the issue.
F) Diversion of Bus Route 130 – New Addington
To be discussed at a later meeting following the completion of a report by John Osbourne.
G) Bus Access to Heathrow
The representative of the East Surrey Transport Committee suggested to the Panel that an extra X26 stop on the Purley Way near to Fiveways would improve access to Heathrow. It was also stated that work was being done by Hounslow Council to improve access to Heathrow from Clapham Junction, which would significantly improve access for Croydon residents.
Furthermore, the panel noted that the lack of night time services to Heathrow and the lack of suitable drop off areas for people with luggage in the town centre. The Chair suggested the possibility of expanding the existing drop off zone by East Croydon Station to accommodate a greater number of users, and the officer noted there were some existing drop off bays in Dingwall Road.
Action Point – for Muhammed Mashud to take the suggestion to expand the East Croydon drop off area back to TfL.