Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Note: The objectors have been invited to attend the meeting for consideration of this item

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), concerning objections received to the Whittle Arch Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). The objectors were invited to attend the meeting and both attended and one spoke on the proposal.

The report indicated that in 2002, as part of the Phoenix Initiative Regeneration Project the junction of Trinity Street and Fairfax Street was closed off to all traffic, and pedestrianised. Following the closure, bus usage of the Pool Meadow Bus Station was significantly reduced making the bus station facility unsustainable in the long-term.

To address these concerns, in 2005, the City Council ‘opened up’ the Trinity Street/Fairfax Street junction (Whittle Arch) to buses and cycles to enable improved bus access to the bus station. Since 2005 there had been further changes which had resulted in the creation of the bus gate and additional vehicles being able to travel through the bus gate at certain times. 

In 2018 further changes were proposed. The bus gate had been operating for several years and during this time alterations had been made to the road layout as part of the ongoing public realm works. In addition, issues had been raised by Adjudicators from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal regarding the clarity of the signage when hearing appeals.

The proposed changes simplified the operation of the bus gate, allowing buses, cycles and taxis to travel through the bus gate at all times and also simplified the associated signage. To monitor the impact of these changes the TRO was implemented as an Experimental TRO and came into operation on 10th September 2018. The closing date for objections was 10th March 2019 and Two objections were received. 

In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with objections to TROs, they were reported to the Cabinet Member for City Services for a decision on how to proceed.

The costs relating to making permanent or amending the ETRO was funded from the Highways Maintenance and Investment Capital Programme budget through the Local Transport Plan.

Issues raised in the objections included:

·  As a motorist, they considered the bus gate a licence to print money,

·  Taxis should not be allowed through the gate as they were just a form of privileged transport for those who could afford to pay and it undermined the concept of more pedestrian only areas.

·  The changes had ‘absolutely nothing to do with promoting the economy but were simply trying to give black cabs an unfair commercial advantage they neither needed nor deserved’.

·  Both objectors referred to Hales Street (west) and that changes should be made to assist cyclists, such as the re-instatement of the contra-flow cycle lane.

An objector spoke about supporting climate change and the consider environmentally friendly options and resolutions where possible. He requested that the Authority support more pedestrianisation and cycling options in the City where appropriate and outlined his concerns regarding the lack of a quality impact assessment for this proposal. He confirmed that he was a regular bus user and was confident that when busses used the Whittle Arch Bus gate they made their intentions to turn at the junction with Fairfax Street clear by indicating left or right. However, he expressed his concerns regarding other vehicles that were permitted to use the Bus Gate who often saw the route from Hales Street through the Bus Gate and onto Fairfax Street as a ‘straight run’ and offered no indication as to their intentions, which he felt was confusing and dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians. The Objector suggested that there was a crash risk at this location and that it would benefit from a collision survey.

Having considered the report and the comments made by the objectors and the Traffic Management Officer who presented the report, the Cabinet Member referred to a project that was now underway in which the City Centre was being looked at as a whole with a view to making improvements where appropriate and to consider more pedestrianisation. She agreed that the current Experimental Traffic Order should not be made permanent. On the Order’s expiry in March 2020, an alternative Experimental Traffic Order should come into operation, which allows buses, cycles, taxis and private hire vehicles to travel through the bus gate at all times. She further agreed that monitoring be undertaken on the operation of the revised bus gate.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Considered the objections to the City of Coventry (Whittle Arch) (Bus Gate) Experimental Order 2018.

2)  Subject to recommendation 1) above, approves the current Experimental Traffic Order is not made permanent, and on its expiry an alternative Experimental Traffic Order comes in to operation, which allows buses, cycles, taxis and private hire vehicles to travel through the bus gate at all times.

3)  Subject to recommendations 1) & 2) above, approves that monitoring is undertaken on the operation of the revised bus gate.