Issue - meetings

Re-establishment of Maidstone Borough Transport User Group

Meeting: 08/03/2016 - Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee (Item 17)

17 Report of the Head of Planning and Development - Re-establishment of Maidstone Borough Transport User Group pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Decision:

Issue for Decision

 

To consider the re-establishment of the Maidstone Transport Users Group.

 

Decision Made

 

1.  That a Maidstone Transport Operators Group be established.

 

2.  That at the first meeting of the Maidstone Transport Operators Group the Terms of Reference be established to include the appointment of a Maidstone Borough Councillor as Chairman of the Group.

 

3.  That in the initial year of the Maidstone Transport Operators Group quarterly meetings be held with a review of the Group’s effectiveness carried out at the end of the first year and reported back to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee.

 

4.  That invitations to establish the membership of the Maidstone Transport Operators Group be extended to the following:

 

·  Maidstone Borough Council Officers

·  Kent County Council Officers

·  Arriva

·  NuVenture

·  Rail Services Providers for the Borough

·  Highways England

·  1 representative from the Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC)

 

5.  That quarterly reports to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee from the Maidstone Transport Operators Group be provided.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the re-establishment of the Maidstone Transport Users Group.  The Committee were reminded the recommendation for the group came from a Scrutiny Review of Transport in Maidstone during 2014/15.  The recommendation came as a result of a suggestion from service providers during the review.

 

During discussions the following concerns were raised:

 

·  Clear Terms of Reference would be needed for the Group.

·  The group should not discuss specific service issues and should focus on strategic public transport issues.

·  The suggested membership of the group was potentially weighted in favour of parish councils.

·  Bus service operators should be included as members.

·  Clear lines of communication for the group should be established.

·  Duplication of work carried out by other groups should be avoided.

·  The group should be a Transport Operators Group as opposed to a transport users group.  Service users could be represented by parish councils via the membership of the Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC).

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That a Maidstone Transport Operators Group be established.

 

2.  That at the first meeting of the Maidstone Transport Operators Group the Terms of Reference be established to include the appointment of a Maidstone Borough Councillor as Chairman of the Group.

 

3.  That in the initial year of the Maidstone Transport Operators Group quarterly meetings be held with a review of the Group’s effectiveness carried out at the end of the first year and reported back to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee.

 

4.  That invitations to establish the membership of the Maidstone Transport Operators Group be extended to the following:

 

·  Maidstone Borough Council Officers

·  Kent County Council Officers

·  Arriva

·  NuVenture

·  Rail Services Providers for the Borough

·  Highways England

·  1 representative from the Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC)

·  South Maidstone Action for Roads and Transport

 

5.  That quarterly reports to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee from the Maidstone Transport Operators Group be provided.