Interviews with Councillor John  A Wilson, Chair of the Safer Maidstone Partnership; David Joyner, Transport and Safety Policy Manager, Kent County Council Highways & Transportation; Stephen Horton, Chair of the Safer Maidstone Partnership Road Safety Sub-Group; John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services; and Sarah Robson, Community Partnerships Manager.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting:

·  Councillor John Wilson, Chair of the Safer Maidstone Partnership

·  John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services

·  Sarah Robson, Community Partnerships Manager.

It was noted the Community, Leisure Services and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee had a statutory role to act as the Crime and Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committee in line with Maidstone’s protocols for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Overview and Scrutiny.

It was explained the SMP’s priorities include Road Safety.  It was in this capacity the Committee considered a joint response to Kent County Council’s Draft Road Safety Casualty Reduction Strategy 2014-2020.

In the absence of David Joyner (KCC), Sarah Robson provided the Committee with an overview of the strategy explaining the strategy uses the latest data available to improve how all the districts and partners work together to reduce deaths on Kent’s roads.  The strategy uses a Public Health approach to road casualty reduction by focussing on four key approaches to the prevention of road accidents:

·  Education

·  Enforcement

·  Engineering

·  Engagement and partnership working

Maidstone Borough Council’s view would be to support these four priorities through the Safer Maidstone Partnership and the sub group focussing on killed or seriously injured (KSI).  The strategy supports a national framework to produce an action plan to extend education and training for motorist.  The package of measures would focus on the worst offenders based on tightening up enforcement and might include:

·  Increased penalty fines from £60 to £100

·  The introduction of a new drug driving offence

·  Portable roadside testing to aid and speed up enforcement

·  Increased road safety messages in the driver theory test

·  Revised guidance for local authority in setting speed limits

·  New post driver qualifying web site

·  Increasing the national driver diversionary scheme education offering

During discussions and questioning the Committee raised the following concerns and comments:

·  No smaller groups were mentioned in the report.  The Committee agreed it was important for key local groups to have a voice and be involved in what is happening regarding road safety in Kent

·  The figures for the number of people killed on Kent’s roads had no detail of the number of road deaths by local district, and;

·  There was no mention in the strategy of enforcement or penalty measures for cyclists who cycled on Kent’s roads without lights at night, without a helmet etc.

RESOLVED:  That:

The statistics on accidents involving cyclists presented to the Crime and Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committee by Inspector Bumpas of Kent Police in January 2013 be circulated to members of the Committee.

The Chairman and Vice Chairman meet separately with David Joyner and/or Stephen Horton from Kent County Council to discuss the points raised by the Committee before submitting the Committee’s response to the consultation, and;

Based on the outcomes of the meeting with David Joyner and/or Stephen Horton, the Chairman and Vice Chairman, or if it is not possible to arrange the meeting, submit the following responses on behalf of the Committee into the consultation before the deadline of 24 February 2014:

a.  The Committee requested the borough view be taken into account through the consultation process and the Committee are kept informed of any changes to the strategy through the Safer Maidstone Partnership and the sub group for road safety;

b.  The Committee requested the data on the number of deaths on Kent’s road reflect the numbers separately for all 12 districts

c.  The Committee asked what enforcement measures for cyclist would be included in the strategy

Councillor Blackmore took over as Chairman of the meeting.