Agenda item

Report attched

Councillor Dilip Patel joined the meeting at this item.

The Committee considered a report that set out the responses to a consultation for the provision of fully accessible bus stops along Hacton Lane.

The report detailed that improvements to the bus stop environment such as raising kerbs, relaying footway surfaces, providing short footway links to stops and (in exceptional circumstances) providing pedestrian crossing facilities could help with making bus stops fully accessible to all people. In some situations, it may be appropriate to build the footway out into the road to provide an accessible bus stop, although this would only be appropriate where carriageways were very wide.

The introduction of bus stop clearways improved the accessibility of bus stops by providing sufficient space for buses to pull in close to the kerb. It was important with the provision of buses in London that were fully wheelchair accessible, because the benefits of low-floor/ kneeling buses were considerably reduced (if not removed) if the bus could not be positioned next to the kerb.

The proposals for accessibility improvements for various bus stops along Hacton Lane were set out in the following table

By the close of consultation, five responses were received as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

Four residents objected to the proposals raising concern that the road widening for the proposed pedestrian refuge was not sufficient for larger vehicles to pass and that laybys would encourage vehicles to squeeze past.

In officers view, Hacton Lane had no pedestrian crossing facilities between the junction with Upminster Road and the railway. The Council had received representations from residents of William Tansley House for pedestrian crossing facilities on this section of Hacton Lane.

The layout of the current proposals would place the bus stops on the exit side of the mini-roundabout and on the exit side of the proposed refuge. This arrangement would keep bus movements away from the junction and passengers alighting from buses wishing to cross at the refuges would walk facing oncoming traffic.

Officer also informed the Committee that in their view the road widening at the refuge was designed to allow passing by all classes of traffic and was an entirely standard arrangement.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by a local resident who raised concern that the road widening would make traffic move faster in the area. The resident also concerned about the loss of highway green verge. The resident was also concerned that ltrucks would park in the laybys and this would be noisy with engines running.  The resident was of the opinion that one of the existing laybys further north be converted into a bus stop.

During a brief debate a members stated the concern with the mini roundabout issues. A member commended the proposal to widen the road and the provision of pedestrian crossing facilities. The Committee noted the issues raised about the mini-roundabout and suggested that officers should monitor the effect of traffic flow following completion of the proposal. 

Following the debate it was RESOLVED:

·         To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Environment that the bus stop accessibility improvements on Hacton Lane detailed in the report and shown on drawing QN008-OF-A58/59A  be implemented

·         That it be noted that the estimated cost of £75,000 for implementation would  be met by Transport for London through the 2014/15 Local Implementation Plan allocation for Bus Stop Accessibility