Issue - meetings

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 7 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 13 June, at page 85.  The report detailed alternative service provision for the Bus Information Service following the decision taken at Budget Council to close the office that operated from 20 George Hudson Street.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

• Notes that the report is only being considered after the closure of the service.
• Has grave concerns about this decision and set of proposals, and at the Executive’s overriding of officer advice by accelerating the closure by 3 months, leaving officers with inadequate time to properly examine ways of implementing the principle the Executive had agreed.
• Fails to see how the proposal meets the corporate objectives in paragraph 43 as it can only represent a deterioration in service against these objectives.
• Is concerned that no consultation has taken place with any of the affected groups, such as older people, young people, disabled people and bus users, and that the equalities assessment still has to be carried out.
• Is concerned regarding the loss of expertise to the Council and the impact on the staff that have been made redundant.
• Is also concerned that the proposals covering the Dial & Ride Service have clearly not been worked through, that consultation has not taken place with staff and other organisations involved, and that interim arrangements are poor with a consequent knock-on on usage and bringing further potential financial problems for the Council.
• Do not know what worth to put on paragraph 41 regarding information at bus stops, given the poor record to date and that the Council has problems getting timetables up for services it is paying for.
• Expresses the view that better publicity is needed for altered provision of services and that proposals from officers for the provision of timetables in reception points were inadequate and would lead to the provision of inaccurate and out of date information.
• Has outstanding questions on the financial assessments that officers were unable to answer at the meeting.
• Has concerns about the implications for the Transport Planning Unit’s workload in the light of the interim arrangements proposed for pass and token issue, etc.
• Commented that options ii) and iii) are unacceptable and that option i) was the least worst option.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

                        (ii)            That the item not be called in.