Agenda item

·  Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee and NCS Scrutiny Panel meeting on 29^th October re A4 Bus Lane.

·  Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 4^th November re community safety.

References from the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee and NCS Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 29^th October regarding the A4 bus lane

  i.  That recommendations (a) to (g) be approved.

  ii.  That recommendations (h) to (k) be taken forward via the Quality Bus Partnership and that a progress report be provided to Cabinet by April 2021.

  iii.  That the actions Officers were undertaking in relation to recommendations (l) to (o), as set out in paragraph 6.3 of the report be noted and agreed.

  iv.  That Officers seek to enable the continuation of the A4 electronic bus trial throughout the experimental period to 4 June 2021.

  v.  That Officers work with operators to seek to re-introduce the public off peak access to the MRT services.

Reference from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 4^th November regarding community safety

That the recommendation be endorsed that the Council work with Thames Valley Police and others in the Safer Slough Partnership to develop a communications plan to improve residents’ perceptions of the safety of Slough – with particular focus on the town centre – and to share examples of the positive partnership work that has already been undertaken.

The Cabinet considered two references from scrutiny:

·  A series of recommendations from the joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Neighbourhoods & Community Services Scrutiny Panel held on 29^th October regarding the A4 bus lane.

·  A recommendation from the Neighbourhoods & Community Services Scrutiny Panel from its meeting held on 4^th November regarding community safety.

In relation to the A4 bus lane, the joint scrutiny meeting had been convened following the debate at Council on 24^th September on a petition requesting that the bus lane be abolished.  The joint scrutiny meeting reviewed the scheme in detail and made a number of recommendations as set out in paragraph 6.1 of the report.  The Cabinet reviewed each of the recommendations in turn:

(a)  “The continuing review of the existing A4 bus and cycle lane scheme.

(b)  The monitoring of data available since the implementation of the scheme.

(c)  That the following be introduced:

-  Hackney carriages;

-  E-Scooters;

-  Motorbikes;

-  Private Hire Vehicles, any other authorised vehicles; and

-  Monday to Friday, peak time bus lane between) 7:00hrs – 10:00hrs and 15:00hrs -19:00hrs as part of the experimental scheme.

(d)  The proposed amendment to the Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETRO) to reflect the changes above and reset the six months objection period, as set out by the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Local Authorities Traffic Order (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996.

(e)  The continued monitoring of the scheme following amendments to the Experimental Traffic Regulation orders.

(f)  The Council takes into account existing objections as part of the consultation process.

(g)  The financial commitment for the scheme.

(h)  That the frequency of the new free electric bus service be increased to operate every half an hour, the free bus trial offer be extended beyond the initial two-three month period and the electric bus service be extended into the Langley areas.

(i)  That officers be asked to consider means of encouraging more people onto public transport, including: bus subsidy funding, extending the times bus passes can be used, improved bus route provision.

(j)  That officers be asked to consider bus provision for young people and how they can be supported to use sustainable transport options, taking into account the cost of public transport, provision of youth bus passes.

(k)  To improve traffic flow, the bus lanes where possible be moved from the A4 into service roads. 

(l)  Allow Low Emission Vehicles to use the bus lanes in Slough.

(m) Officers be asked to consider allowing Private Hire Vehicles to use the old bus lanes, on the basis that private hire drivers undertake a crucial role and had essentially become ‘key workers’ during the Covid-19 pandemic.

(n)  Officers be asked to review current ‘pinch points’ along the A4 bus route, in particular along the three turns to High Street Railway Bridge and the Sainsbury’s roundabout.  In addition, consideration be given to removing the bus lane from this section of highway (along both sides) to allow better traffic flow.

(o)  That the design proposals for the cycle lanes take into consideration the space that could be used off the highway to improve cycle provision.”

The Cabinet noted the rationale for introducing the measures following the Government’s guidance during Covid-19 to improve provision for cycling and pedestrians and also agreed the importance of improving sustainable transport provision in the future as had been discussed earlier as part of the A4 cycle superhighway concept.  The nature of the experimental order provided an opportunity to make changes to the scheme to test and monitor the impacts before deciding on any permanent changes.

(Councillor Pantelic left the meeting)

After considering each of the recommendations in turn the Cabinet agreed to approve (a) to (g).  In relation to recommendations (h) to (k) the advice of Officers was that these would best be taken forward by the Quality Bus Partnership between the Council and operators.  This was agreed and the Cabinet asked for an update on the outcomes by April 2021.  Officers were already taking action with regards to a number of the other recommendations and these were noted.  The Cabinet also agreed that the electric bus trial on the A4 was an important part of the overall package of measures and asked Officers to seek to continue this trial for the duration of the experimental order and that the potential of restoring off peak access to residents of MRT services be explored.

The Cabinet then considered the following recommendation from the Neighbourhoods & Community Services Scrutiny Panel:

“That Slough Borough Council should work with Thames Valley Police and others in the Safer Slough Partnership to develop a communications plan to improve residents perceptions of the safety of Slough – with particular focus on the town centre – and to share examples of the positive partnership work that had already been undertaken.”

The Cabinet agreed that the perception of crime in Slough was generally higher than then evidence showed and therefore the recommendation was agreed.

Resolved –

References from the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee and NCS Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 29^th October regarding the A4 bus lane

  i.  That recommendations (a) to (g) be approved.

  ii.  That recommendations (h) to (k) be taken forward via the Quality Bus Partnership and that a progress report be provided to Cabinet by April 2021.

  iii.  That the actions Officers were undertaking in relation to recommendations (l) to (o), as set out in paragraph 6.3 of the report be noted and agreed.

  iv.  That Officers seek to enable the continuation of the A4 electric bus trial throughout the experimental period to 4 June 2021.

  v.  That Officers work with operators to seek to re-introduce the public off peak access to the MRT services.

Reference from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 4^th November regarding community safety

Resolved –  That the recommendation be endorsed that the Council work with Thames Valley Police and others in the Safer Slough Partnership to develop a communications plan to improve residents’ perceptions of the safety of Slough – with particular focus on the town centre – and to share examples of the positive partnership work that has already been undertaken.