Cabinet considered the report regarding the approval to submit the first BSIP to Department for Transport by 31st October 2021.

The Lead Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Digital Connectivity informed Cabinet that In March 2021, the Government announced a new national bus strategy ‘Bus Back Better. This was followed by guidance on Bus Service Improvement Plans in May 2021. The strategy and guidance require Local Transport Authorities across

the country to produce a Bus Service Improvement Plan by October 2021.

The proposed plan for approval by Cabinet had been developed using existing data and new research undertaken with existing bus users and borough residents who currently do not use buses. It set out an outline of measures for which Government funding will be sought. This included a full bus network review as well as a series of trials to test new measures across the borough with a view to roll out those which are successful across the rest of the borough as appropriate. It set out ambitious targets to grow the number of users, improve satisfaction and reliability.  This would be a living document and reviewed each year.

Cabinet were informed that bus usage was too low and some services too expensive, however punctuality was good as was satisfaction.  Some of the challenges ahead were continues increasing satisfaction levels, increasing passenger numbers, optimise services, more bus priority measures, increased responsive demand services, integrated transport model, infrastructure for accessible routes, meet developing passenger charter, improved bus information and a feasibility study for a bus station.  Meeting these challenges will be dependent of Government funding supported by local funding from CIL and S106.

The Lead Member for Climate Change, Sustainability, Parks and Countryside supported the report but mentioned that there was not as much sustainability mentioned within the report, she asked if this would come once passenger numbers had increased.  The Lead Member said that this was correct but also we could not bid for greener buses as this would be the role of the operator, although we would support this. 

The Lead Member for Public Protection and Parking said he was pleased to second the report and subject to a successful funding bid was looking to see better links to our rural communities and decreased car journeys. 

Cabinet were addressed by Mr E Wilson who said this was an excellent plan and he hoped the funding would be secured.  He asked the Lead Member if it was known when the funding awards would be announces, would there be an updated plan and if a copy could be made available within RBWM libraries.  The Lead Member replied that funding awards were in the hand of the DFT, that there would be regular updates to the plan and that he was happy to ask officers to make a hard copy available in RBWM libraries.

Cllr Baldwin said this was a good report seeking funding that you do not always get but he wished the bid good luck.  He raised concern about the condition of bus stops and that he had been informed that residents were being put off using busses due to this.  The report said that the responsibility for cleaning and maintaining the bus stops was the council and its contractors.  By looking at the bus stops in his ward he concluded that current level of performance needed to be improved and the contracts reviewed. 

The Chairman agreed that there was an issue with ASB around some bus stops and a zero tolerance approach would be adapted.  The Lead Member also mentioned that he had not been aware of issues regarding the condition of bus stops and would encourage residents to report any problems so they could be dealt with. 

Cllr Baldwin said that for users they would usually report issues to the driver and thus there was a disconnect between the bus company and the council’s report it system.  For residents who were put of using the service due to ASB and the condition of stops he said that issues had been reported and he gave an example of a stop at St Marks that had been hit by a car and after months had still not been repaired.  The Lead Member said he would ask officers to look at the aforementioned bus stop and encouraged people to report any issues. 

Cllr Davey said he commended the approach to bid for £30million.  He recommended that instead of looking into a bus station we should look at the feasibility of having a transport hub connecting Windsor and Maidenhead.  He also mentioned caution of using electric buses that used batteries from certain countries abroad that caused a high death rate during production, he asked Cllr Stimpson to push for those built in the UK.  The Lead Member said that with regards to a transport hub this was the purpose of the consultation to bring out new ideas, he said the plan was an evolving one.  

Cllr Singh said that with regards to ASB he had contacted the Chairman in September but had not received a response.  The Chairman replied that as response had been provided and he had asked for Cllr Singh support against ASB but ho reply had been forthcoming. 

Cllr Singh mentioned failures regarding a recent bus gate scheme that had cost the council money.  He also mentioned the there was a planning condition to have a bus running to the Braywick but he could not see this in the report.  The Chairman replied that with regards to the bus gate this was not taken forward following a public consultation.  The Lead Member reiterated this and also said that there had been no loss of money as if it had progressed it would have been funded by the Government but it was a scheme residents did not want.

Resolved unanimously: that Cabinet notes the report and:

i)               Approves the first Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

ii)             ii) Delegates authority to the Head of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Economic Growth in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Digital Connectivity, to make the final submission to the Department for Transport and to engage with operators, communities and other key stakeholders on the delivery of measures within the outline plan.

(Item not subject to call in as if called in we would miss the submission date and thus cause possible harm to the authority).