York Council index reveals taxi fares should be reduced.

The York Council has revealed that – according to a well established agreement – taxis fares should be reduced from April.

Petrol graph

Fuel price trends

The Council has – in response to a Freedom of Information request – published the latest index which is used to assess fare level increases.

The formulae was agree in the last decade as a way of stopping the horse trading which took place each year when the taxi trade sought a fares increase.

The table takes into account increases (and reductions) in several costs that taxi proprietors face. These are:

  • Vehicle Maintenance costs (+2.23%)
  • Petrol and Oil (-8.76%)
  • Vehicle Tax and Insurance (+0.51%)
  • Labour costs (+1.62%)

The bracketed figures show the percentage changes in the period from December 2013 to December 2014

The factors are then given weightings.

The formulae for the fare review now due, indicates a reduction of -0.77% in fare levels is required.

Taxi fare formulae. click to enlarge

Taxi fare formulae. click to enlarge

The reduction will be the first since 1998 and is almost entirely down to falling fuel prices.

Passengers expecting a bigger reduction will be disappointed as most of the drop in fuel costs has occurred since the beginning of January (and would impact on next years calculation).

A copy of the calculation can be downloaded by clicking here

Passengers will now be turning their attention to local bus companies who have also enjoyed the benefits of lower fuel prices.

It only seems fair that public transport users should share in the benefits of lower inflation.

Labour in York to impose 20 mph speed limits on all roads in York?

In the wake of decisions in London Labour Councillors in York are now advocating, on social media, the introduction of a default 20 mph speed limit across the whole of York.

Crash map York

Labour were accused of sneaking through their proposed “wide area”  20 mph limits when voters last went to the polls in 2011. Their plan was in the small print of a manifesto with most residents never saw.

Evening standard headline

The scheme in London is apparently aimed at “reducing cycling casualties”. Ironically a previous study in the capital revealed that the introduction of 20 mph limits there had resulted in an increase in average speeds.

 In York, most cycling accidents in result in slight injuries, occur on roads where vehicle speeds are already low and often at road junctions (click for map). Accident levels have reduced in recent years to a total of 144 in 2013 (the last full year for which figures are available) following the introduction of more “off road” cycle tracks. There were no fatalities.

Cycling was 61% safer in 2012 than it was in 2002 (per mile travelled) according to the CTC.

Labour has spent £600,000 on implementing “wide area” 20 mph limits since 2012.

Out of the 535km of roads within York’s Outer Ring Road / A64.

  • 333km (62%) of road are subject to a 20mph limit.
  • 202km (38%) have a speed limit of 30mph or more.

Of the 333km of roads with a 20mph limit, 275km (51% of the total) have been created as 20mph ‘signed only’ limits during the last 3 years.

Prior to this the majority of 20mph limits were traffic calmed 20mph Zones.

The council has refused FOI requests to provide information on “before and after” accident rates on the “signed only” streets in west York or to provide information on the actual effect – if any – that the signs have had on driver speeds.

It is to be hoped that all candidates contesting the Council elections on May 7th will make their policies clear on how cycling can be encouraged and made safer.

 In addition electors need to know which Party’s will extend 20 mph limits and which would focus resources at accident black-spots.

York Council to spend £5.8 million on transport improvements over next 12 months

No ring road improvements scheduled. Little being spent on reducing congestion

The Councils transport investment programme has been published. As usual the devil will be in the detail and the programme could be scrapped if there are major changes in the make-up of the Council at the May 7th polls.

Bus Services

Around £775,000 is to be spent on improvements to bus services.  £250,000 of this will go on the delays Rougier Street bus shelter while £200,000 will address “pinch point improvements”. Once again sub-urban areas fare badly in the allocations (separately on the agenda for the same meeting a £20,000 plan to improve facilities in Rawcliffe is recommended for rejection)

Traffic congestion

Proposed extra lane for A19 pinch point

Proposed extra lane for A19 pinch point

£2 million is being spent easing the “pinch point” on the A19 near the Designer Outlet. Much less is being spent elsewhere in the £2.4 million budget although the modernisation of variable message boards – which have been increasingly unreliable – is welcome.

Cycling/Pedestrian schemes

£468,000 is being spent on a range of small schemes. The biggest is the provision of a cycle link at Scarborough Bridge. This is mostly being covered by central government grant.

Road Safety

Wetherby Road VAS

Wetherby Road VAS

This is only being allocated £450,000 in the programme which is still driven by Labour priorities.  School safety schemes, school crossing warning signs, “speed management” and the renewal of the vehicle activated signs (VAS), like those on Wetherby Road and Green Lane, will all get a boost.

Money is also asset aside to develop future improvements and to continue maintenance of the City Walls. The alleygating programme will also continue.

No expenditure on improvements to the northern by pass is expected over the next 12 months despite promises from the Labour Council leadership that this was now one of their priorities.

Nearly 150 buses across the country to be fitted with pollution-reducing technology. York awarded £475k to make cleaner buses for the city

Sightseeing bus converted to battery power

More cleaner buses will be on the streets of towns and cities across England following the announcement of over £3 million funding today (11 March 2015).

York first pioneered the development of battery powered buses in 2010. 

Seven towns and cities have been awarded government grants to fit green technology to existing buses to help improve air quality and create a better environment for residents and visitors.

Electric buses pioneered by York in 2010

Baroness Kramer said:

The £3 million funding announced today will help improve town centre air across England, benefitting residents and businesses. These grants continue this government’s commitment to lowering emissions from public transport and support the growth of green transport in the UK.

The funding is the latest tranche of support from the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund, which has retrofitted more than 1650 vehicles with green technology.

This round of awards will see technology suitable for the stop-start nature of bus travel fitted, including exhaust gas treatment and flywheel hybrid technology, developed originally for Formula 1.

The successful projects will monitor the effectiveness of the technologies to provide vital information on the working life of green vehicle upgrades.

York saw the launch of the world’s first double decker conversion of a City Sightseeing tour bus in York to fully electric drive last year. 

The DfT’s Clean Vehicle Technology fund will now enable the conversation of an additional five buses into ‘zero emission motion’ – meaning electric motors.

The electric retrofitted vehicles will eliminate the emission of 2000kg of poisonous Nitrogen Dioxide (NOx) per year and reduce the carbon footprint by 95 tons CO2. Operating costs of the electric buses will save over £75k per year. 

The converted buses are quieter and emit no pollution from the tailpipe as they run entirely on electric motors and battery packs.

The electric range is more than enough to complete a full day of touring and the buses will trickle charge overnight at their depot, using low carbon off peak electricity.

Some children’s bus fares to double in York

Behind closed doors decision hits number 20 bus service.

Behind closed doors logo

Two decisions were taken last week which affect bus services contracted by the Council with Arriva/Transdev in York.

There was no prior consultation with local Councillors or residents before the decisions were published.

The first change will see child fares on the 627/637/647 services increased so that they are “in line with those charged on other local bus services”. The services provide links to Fulford, Archbishop Holgate and Manor schools (from Acomb).

Currently children using these routes pay £1 return. This would be doubled to £2 (saving the Council  £19,711)

 The increase will be implemented from 1st September 2015.

The Council has promised to “ work with the contracting bus operator (Arriva) to explore opportunities for term pass discounts”

The number 20 bus service which links Tesco, Gale Lane and  Front Street with Poppleton, Wigginton and the University will run less frequently.

“Instead of an hourly ‘clock-face’ timetable, additional running time will be built in to the timetable meaning certain departures will be 70 or 75 minutes apart.

Most buses will run from Heslington Hall via University Road and Melrosegate (currently buses run from Heslington Hall via Field Lane, Osbaldwick village, Alcuin Avenue and Melrosegate). School-time journeys will still be routed via Osbaldwick as they carry a number of children from the village to and from Huntington and Joseph Rowntree schools“.

All buses will divert to call at Vangarde Shopping Park (John Lewis etc), providing a new transport link for staff and shoppers. “Providing this link may allow CYC to use some of the Vangarde Section 106 developer funding to offset a proportion of the contract price”.

The proposal will remove the section of route through Heslington East and Osbaldwick except for at school times. The Councils says that, “whilst some Osbaldwick resident are using the service (around 15 passengers per day on average), alternative bus links are available”.

Call for bus fares to be reduced

Liberal Democrats are calling for public transport users to enjoy the benefits of lower fuels prices.

Bus fares have risen steadily over the last 4 years with park and ride charges which were increased by 5% in January.

The No 12 bus to Foxwood Lane, York - one of a number of bus routes which could be cut

First buses last increased their single fares in September 2013. Some other fares were restructured in the light of falling customer numbers at the same time.

Since then fuel prices have dropped by 21%.

Taxi fares were last reviewed in April 2014. Another review is due next month. The Council has been asked under Freedom of Information legislation to release details of the cost assumptions made when approving fare increases.

Fuel costs have reduced by 17% since last April.

Public transport providers do, of course, face other costs. These include labour and depreciation costs while maintenance and licensing charges also take a toll. But most of these costs have been stable recently so passengers will be expecting to benefit.

Lower fares may mean a “win win” for operators with increased passenger numbers making up any reduction in income.

“Free station bus service is aimed at visitors”

Yesterday’s announcement that car parking charges would increase in order to fund a fares free bus service form the station to the hospital is attracting a growing level of criticism.

Bus users have pointed out that they will have already purchased a “through” ticket when boarding the bus on the first leg of their journeys. The majority of bus journeys are made by elderly concessionary pass holders anyway, who get “free” travel anyway (the bill is picked up by the government).

It seems that the only real beneficiaries of the new service will be visitors/tourists arriving by rail at the station.

Bus User Group seeking new recruits

Bus users are being invited to have their say on how bus services in York are planned and delivered.

Old Pullman bus

City of York Council and local bus operators are encouraging commuters, residents and visitors to join the Bus User Group (BUSUG) on a voluntary basis to be involved in helping to improve bus travel in York.

The group has already helped to make influential decisions shaping a number of changes to the network, including:
• the design of the new all-operator bus timetables, now in use at all bus stops in York
• and, the installation of real time information screens
(more…)

Traffic “congestion commission” rethink

The York Council is to reconsider whether to set up a “Congestion Commission” before the Council elections take place on May 7th

The Cabinet proposal had been called in by opposition Councillors who pointed out that any decisions taken now could be overruled in little over 2 months time by what could be a completely different Council.

Concerns were also expressed about the cost of the “commission” and its membership.

The issue will be reconsidered by the “Cabinet” at a meeting taking place on 3rd March

More secrecy as road schemes and bus stop changes agreed

Behind closed doors logo

Following the decision not to allow Cabinet members to take decisions in “private” sessions, the gap has been filled by Council officials who are queuing up make the most use that they can of  their “delegated” powers.

Rougier Street

This week, the much delayed project to replace the (admittedly odious) bus shelter on Rougier Street next to Roman House was formally shelved.

Developers had been planning to convert Roman House into flats. There were concerns that a new shelter might be damaged during building works.

It now appears that the flats project has been abandoned and new owners are looking into providing a hotel on the site.

The scheme is being funded by the – time limited – “better bus fund” . This is the same fund that the Council misused to subsidise their ill fated Lendal Bridge  adventure.

With little prospect of the development on Rougier Street starting in the near future. it would have been sensible to divert the funds into sub-urban areas where bus stop and information facilities have had little improvement during the last 4 years.

Instead officials decided to mothball the project. (Their decision rather strangely refers to the shelter being located in the Skelton ward !!)

St Leonards

Separately – and not yet formally reported to the Council – we understand that improvements to the Theatre Royal bus stop have also been suspended. Apparently English Heritage were concerned that the works might endanger the adjacent listed buildings.

The improvements to the Theatre frontage include glazing the area between the columns.

It appears however that these glazing panels – rather  than filling in the gaps in between the masonry – will actually be recessed further back.

This raises concerns that a litter trap – or worse – is being constructed.

Clifton Moor

Clifton Moor link foot and cycle path click to access

Clifton Moor link foot and cycle path click to access

Plans to connect the two sides of the Clifton Moor retail park are being redesigned following the opening of the DFS store.

A new combined cycle/foot path has been approved. Te  costs will be born by developers and land owners.The design is reproduced right

Burdyke Avenue plan click to enlarge

Burdyke Avenue plan click to enlarge

Burdyke Avenue

Obstructions on Burdyke Avenue have been causing delays to local bus services. The Council plan to install a parking lay by with associated parking restrictions. Telecoms equipment in he verge means that the project will cost £55,000. 

The plan doesn’t provide any additional parking space and an alternative, which would have utilized gardens for parking, does not appear to have been fully explored.

Estate car parking is an increasing issue. Labour slowed the improvement programme when they took office in 2011. Until then most wards had allocated money for  dropped kerbs, laybys and off street parking near flats. The installation of matrix reinforcement on verges was also being developed as a way of protecting verges.

In a further leap back into the dark ages, it appears that the convention that the spokespeople for each Group represented on the Council (together with local ward members) are given the opportunity to comment, before delegated decisions are taken, has also now been abandoned.

 

Lendal Bridge fine refund letters being sent out now

Nearly 12 months after the unlawful Lendal Bridge trial closure resulted in over £1 million in fines being levied, motorists will now be told they can have their money back.

Lendal bridge without traffic

Lendal bridge without traffic

Anyone who received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCNs) in relation to Lendal Bridge and has not yet completed the online repayment process is being sent a letter to inform them of the refund.

The decision was forced on the Council when Labour lost their majority in the autumn. The Council is in the process of writing to 27,000 people who have not currently claimed their PCN repayment.

Letters have been sent to their last known address and are expected to be fully distributed in the coming weeks.
They include information on the refund process as well as notifying them that the deadline of the online process for Lendal Bridge repayments has been extended to 31 December 2015.

If the PCN was issued directly to the registered keeper of the vehicle then they will be able to complete the online refund process. If a company or hire company paid the penalty charge and then sought reimbursement from the person, or passed it to them for payment, they will need to speak to their employer or vehicle hire company as they will need to make complete the online refund process.

For more information about Lendal Bridge repayments, including full FAQs and background information visit:www.york.gov.uk/lendalbridge

The council will assist anyone in person in the council’s West Offices or over the phone (01904 551550) to help them through the process if they have no access to the internet.#

Coppergate

Coppergate

Coppergate

A final decision on the legality of the fines levied using cameras on Coppergate is expected within the next few weeks.

The Council has indicated that it intends to switch the ANPR cameras back on if their appeal against the unlawful ruling (which also applied to Coppergate) is upheld.

Labour have budgeted to receive £100,000 from new Coppergate fine income during the forthcoming financial year.