Oldham Lib Dems seek Better Bus Driving Standards in Government Consultation

analysis229_1_first_Temsa-busThe Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group Cllr Howard Sykes has made four suggestions to improve the conduct of bus drivers as part of a Department of Transport consultation.

Cllr Sykes, who serves on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said:

“The vast majority of bus drivers carry out their duties in a conscientious, courteous and professional manner, but unfortunately a few do not conduct themselves to these high standards. I have received many complaints from bus passengers about their misconduct.”

In response to the Consultation on the Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations, Cllr Sykes has proposed four new obligations be placed on bus drivers:

1) To stop where it is clear that a passenger is running for a bus stop and has indicated that they want the bus.

Cllr Sykes said: “Bus passengers complain bitterly that some drivers simply drive past the stop if the passenger is not actually physically stood at the stop.

“They can see a passenger running for the bus, often burdened with baggage and maybe not in the best of health, but rather than showing the courtesy of waiting a few more seconds choose to drive off.

“This is an especial annoyance and inconvenience to passengers where services are infrequent and the location isolated and without shelter.”

2) To prevent drivers driving away from a stop where a disabled or elderly person or someone burdened with luggage, shopping or a buggy has boarded, until such time as that passenger has taken their seat.

Cllr Sykes said: “This is both common sense and common courtesy, and the safety of bus passengers should always in my view be the overriding consideration in the mind of every bus driver.

“Unfortunately there have been instances where this has not happened and as a result some passengers have been injured, sometimes seriously, when the vehicle starts off.”

3) To ensure that the correct destination is shown on the vehicle.

Cllr Sykes said: “This is a real irritant to passengers. The display of incorrect destinations confuses and inconveniences passengers, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the route and with local geography.”

4) To ensure that drivers do not put up ‘Out of Service’ signs when they are approaching their end of their route and hours of duty.

Cllr Sykes said: “Where this happens, drivers chose only to allow passengers to alight and not to allow any more to board. This practice is for the convenience of the driver, not the passenger.”

Cllr Sykes feels that this should not occur until such time as the bus has arrived at its final destination and the driver has finished his/her contracted hours.

Cllr Sykes has called on the Department of Transport to include these additional regulations within the revised regulations.

Cllr Sykes added: “Bus companies would then be responsible for ensuring their drivers adhered to them and irresponsible drivers disregarding them could be subjected to disciplinary action.

“I hope that the inclusion of these additional regulations will improve the customer service experience of bus passengers and I am sure that all professional bus drivers will welcome them”.

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

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Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.

Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Farrell, Duffy, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.

7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.

Thursday: January: 8, 15, 22, 29

NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

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Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.
Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Farrell, Duffy, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.
7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.
Thursday: December: 4, 11, 18
NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

GOOD NEWS Fraser St/Rochdale Rd/Chamber Rd – lights to be removed by 13 Nov

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Earlier this week Council Officers have visited site and subsequently spoken by telephone with Cuncannon the appointed contractors requesting an update on the removal of the scaffold.

They have informed them that the scaffold, skip and debris will be removed and cleared from site no later than close of business on Wednesday 12th November.

Although, this is slightly later than anticipated the contractors have been asked by the property owner to provided roller shutters (for security) to all windows and doors and the delay has been the delivery of the shutters.

The Council has informed the contractor that they intend to open the Highway on the Thursday 13th November.

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

advice-signpost2

Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.

Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Farrell, Duffy, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.

7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.

Thursday: November: 6, 13, 20

NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

Guarded Welcome to ‘Devo Manc’ Agreement

Cllr Howard Sykes gives Guarded Welcome to ‘Devo Manc’ Agreement

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, has given a guarded welcome to this week’s news of the agreement between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the 10 Council Leaders in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Cllr Sykes said: “Much of what has been agreed is to be welcomed. The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group certainly wish to see more power and more revenue being devolved from Whitehall to local town halls so this is a big step in the right direction.

“At the last Council meeting in October, I expressed my support for devolution and offered my full support to the Council Leader in achieving it.

“The plan will devolve real powers to a new Greater Manchester Authority, led by an elected Mayor, allowing significant improvements to our infrastructure, the creation of more efficient and joined up public transport network and thousands of new homes to be built, whilst creating many more, much needed businesses and local jobs.

“There is no doubt this will all have a positive impact on Oldham’s economy as one of the ten beneficiary authorities.

“Another spin-off benefit will be amalgamation of the powers and responsibilities of the Police and Crime Commissioner, a post that has never been popular and the loss of which will not be lamented.

“However the new Mayor will only be elected in 2017, after a delay of almost two and a half years and after a General Election, with all the uncertainties that this brings for the future. In the interim an appointed Mayor will take charge of a vast budget.

“It is of course early days, but I am concerned that as yet there appears to be no concrete proposals in place to scrutinise the actions of the appointed Mayor or of the ten local authority Leaders who will sit in judgement on her or him.

“There have been major past concerns about the accountability of the Police and Crime Commissioner to the public. I would certainly want the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to look at how the Mayor and new authority will be properly accountable to both elected members and the wider electorate.

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats will be looking to ensure that once worked up future governance arrangements balance operational efficiency with public transparency”.

Oldham Council 22nd Oct. – Questions to the Leader

1: Devolution

My first question to the Leader tonight concerns the all-important issue of Devolution.

The enthusiasm of the people of Scotland in campaigning in the Referendum and in casting their ballot on 18 September provides a model for participatory democracy that we should hope to emulate in this Borough.

Particularly noteworthy, when related to the business brought before this Council by the Youth Council is that young voters in Scotland, especially those voters aged 16 and 17, became fully engaged in the Democratic Process.

The Leader is, I know, well aware that the Scottish Referendum has led to increased discussion on the Devolution of further powers and revenue not only to Scotland, but from Central Government in Westminster and Whitehall to Town Halls throughout England.

The desire amongst elected Members and voters in England for Devolution is also great.
For too long now, Central Government has been seen to be just that – central and remote from the lives of people in their own localities. With powers and monies flowing downwards from the centre and sometimes grudgingly given.

Yet elected Members and local people know what is best for their own towns and communities. And Councils have well-established partnership arrangements to enable them to work effectively with key local players in the statutory, voluntary, faith and business sectors.

These two factors mean that Councils could deliver a greater range of Devolved Services more efficiently and responsively.

I am sure that every elected Member in this Chamber would welcome more authority to do things that benefit the people of this Borough and to keep more of the revenue raised locally in order to do so.

The Liberal Democrat Group would certainly welcome the chance to work with this Administration to secure for Oldham the powers and finance to build a successful and prosperous future for our Borough and its people.

Can the Leader tell me how the Liberal Democrat Group can work with Labour to press the case for Devolution?

And can he please tell us what progress has so far been made by the Leaders in the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities in making the case to Government?

And what the proposal for ‘an Eleventh Leader’ of the Combined Greater Manchester Authority actually means in practice?

2: Tooth Decay

My second question relates to Public Health.

I want to highlight two Public Health issues.

First a success story; this Borough has recently recorded one of the biggest falls in teenage pregnancies in the Country.

The Office for National Statistics has recently confirmed that the Teenage Conception Rate has dropped by almost two thirds since 1998; the largest reduction anywhere outside of London and Darlington.

This is all down to the outstanding work of the Oldham Teenage Pregnancy Partnership to whom I want to place on record my congratulations and thanks for a job well done.

However I now want to highlight a health issue in which Oldham is far from the leader.

In recently released Public Health England data, that compared all Local Authorities in England, more than one-quarter of three-year-olds in Oldham were found to be suffering from tooth decay.

We are not the worst – in Leicester it is tragically 34 per cent of three-year-olds – but we are far from the best.

The high level of tooth decay is in large part due to the fact that parents are giving infants too much fruit juice and squash.

Tooth decay is no small matter.

Quite apart from the discomfort and pain that is suffered, it has been shown that small children struggle to feed nutritiously and it has an impact on social skills and vocalisation.

So there is much work to be done in this area, yet it is estimated that this year there will be a significant underspend in Public Health funding.

I should very much look forward to the day on which I can rise in this Chamber to congratulate our Public Health Team on being number 1 on this issue also.

So can the Leader please tell me what has been done so far to educate parents on this issue?

And can he tell me how much of the under-spend from the Public Health Budget he will use to re-double our efforts to educate parents about tooth decay in young children?

3: Geothermic Heat

My final question concerns geothermic heat; that is heat sourced from below ground to heat homes and other buildings.

Let us be clear from the outset – I am not referring to fracking.

The Times reported recently that a 350-million year old volcano located deep beneath Stoke-on-Trent could help to heat more than a thousand homes.

On reading this article I naturally checked the facts as my first thought was that this must be a late-running April Fools’ Day joke.

But no; Stoke-on-Trent City Council has prepared a business case to drill a 2.5km borehole to an aquifer in which the water is heated naturally to at least 85C (185F in old money).

This heat would be transferred to the surface to heat homes and the Government has pledged £20million to fund it.

This got me thinking.

It is unlikely that Oldham sits on an ancient volcano, but we do have a rich coal mining heritage (as those amongst you who have seen the 19th Century photographic panorama of the Town Centre in Gallery Oldham will know).

So I wondered do former coal mines give off residual ground-source heat which we could possibly utilise as part of the borough’s renewable energy strategy.

And guess what they DO….

The Herald in Scotland reported in November 2013 that:
“As much as a third of the heat needed to keep Scotland warm could be provided by tapping geothermal energy from old coal mines across the central belt, a major new study for the Scottish Government has concluded.

“Warm water piped up from abandoned mine shafts between Glasgow and Edinburgh and in Ayrshire and Fife could help heat many thousands of homes and other buildings for decades, Researchers said. They are urging Ministers to embark on an ambitious attempt to make geothermal energy a major new source of clean, renewable power within a few years.”

As Oldham is far from unique in historically sourcing power from coal, would the Leader be agreeable to looking to commission with the other Leaders of the Greater Manchester Authorities a study of the potential of this power source across our county?

Howard Sykes
22 October 2014