The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing the Sub-Committee with and an update on the introduction of a Red Route waiting restriction along the Reading Buses Route 17 corridor.  The following appendices were attached to the report:

The report explained that the Red Route waiting restriction had been in place on the west side of Reading Buses Route 17, from the junction of Park Lane with Mayfair in Tilehurst to the IDR, since late summer 2018.  Initial enforcement had been limited to the busiest periods and had focused on drivers pulling up onto the footway.  Since October 2018 enforcement had been increased to daytime operations using the camera vehicle.  Relatively few comments had been made on the use of the no stopping restriction and of those that had been received they were very specific to individual experiences.  A sample of bus journey times that had been taken in March 2019 and had been compared to the same journey in the same period in March 2018 had shown promising benefits to public transport.

The report sought to make permanent the west side Red Route restriction which had been in place and camera enforced for just under a year and also addressed a petition that had been submitted to the meeting in March 2019 (Minute 50(a) refers) from residents of 275 to 291 Norcot Road, which had contained 11 signatures, on behalf of 14 persons at nine addresses.

The Sub-Committee discussed the report and in response to a number of comments and questions officers explained that a commitment had been made to carry out more enforcement work along the route and camera enforcement would be used in an appropriate way in areas of concern such as around corners.  Officers also tabled a paper setting out improvements in bus times on the west side of the route from the Water Tower in Tilehurst to Waylen Street and informed the Sub-Committee that they would continue to look at issues with loading and unloading, parking on pavements and verges, and new parking bays, and would submit update reports to future meetings.

Councillor Page proposed that an additional recommended action be added that monitoring by officers and Reading Buses continued along the entire Red Route on a regular basis.

Resolved -

(1)     That the report be noted;

(2)     That the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make the appropriate experimental Traffic Regulation Order into a permanent Traffic Regulation Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, advertised in accordance with the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996;

(3)     That the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to undertake a statutory consultation in accordance with the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996, for the permanent implementation of the parking bays (Norcot Road) and loading bay (Oxford Road) as set out in Appendix 4, attached to the report;

(4)     That, subject to no objections being received, the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make the Traffic Regulation Order;

(5)     That any objection(s) received following the statutory advertisement be reported to a future meeting;

(6)     That the Head of Transportation, in consultation with the appropriate Lead Councillor, be authorised to make minor changes to the proposals;

(7)     That no public enquiry be held into the proposal;

(8)     That monitoring by officers and Reading Buses continue along the entire length of the Red Route on a regular basis.

(In accordance with Standing Order 38, Councillor R Singh requested that his vote against the resolution be recorded and Councillor Duveen requested that his abstention be recorded.)