A report setting out the officer recommendations relating to the refined request to enable Reading Borough Council licenced private hire vehicles to use the Kings Road (outbound) bus lane.

Further to Minute 16(a) of the meeting held on 14 September 2022 and Minute 28 of the meeting held on 10 November 2022 the Sub-Committee considered a report that set out the officer recommendations that related to the refined request to enable Council licenced private hire vehicles to use the Kings Road, outbound, bus lane.

The report explained that since the report that had been submitted to the November 2022 meeting of the Sub-Committee the strategy work had regretfully yet to be resourced and the petitioning private hire association had refined their request to apply only to the Kings Road (outbound) bus lane.

The report stated that the Kings Road was experiencing a relatively high number of incidents involving casualties.  The majority of these incidents either involved pedestrians crossing the road or vehicles turning across other vehicles within the bus lanes.  Officers were concerned that an increase in the volume of traffic in the bus lanes, particularly as this traffic would be a similar profile of vehicles to those within the general traffic lanes, would risk increasing the number of casualties.  Although it was important to note that officers were not alleging that it would necessarily be as a result of any inappropriate or unsafe driving that was anticipated by the Council’s licenced private hire drivers, but as a consequence of increased volumes of traffic that would be travelling at higher speeds in comparison with the general traffic lanes.

The Red Route parking restrictions that spanned from east to west Reading, including Kings Road, had primarily been implemented to improve the reliability of bus services along this corridor, particularly the Number 17 route.  The alterations to the Kings Road bus lane had also been introduced with this objective, reducing the previous restriction from all private hire vehicles, alongside other permitted vehicle types, to just Reading Borough Council licenced private hire vehicles.  With enforcement based on the vehicle type, and not whether the vehicle was occupied with a fare, alongside the apparent lack of a cap on either the number of licenced private hire vehicles or on the access restriction itself, opening the bus lanes to private hire vehicles could have a marked difference on traffic volumes using the lanes throughout the day.

The report explained that to pursue the requested alteration of access along the Kings Road outbound bus lane would require the following:

·         Identification of funding;

·         Statutory Consultation – Creation and advertising of the proposed new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO);

·         Implementation of the Decision – Consideration of the consultation feedback;

·         Signing Review – Review and creation of signing specifications for the required changes along the route;

·         Making the Order – Seal and advertise the made TRO;

·         Implementation of the Scheme – Change the signing on street and updating exemptions on the enforcement camera software.

The report stated that, as agreed at the November 2022 meeting, it remained the intention of officers to carry out a strategic review of bus lane access across the Borough and the recommendation that the requested alteration to access along Kings Road outbound bus lane was not agreed.

At the invitation of the Chair Kamran Saddiq, Chairman of the Reading Private Hire Association, addressed the Sub-Committee in favour of private hire vehicle use of the Kings Road outbound bus lane.  At the invitation of the Chair Ashif Rasheed, Chair of the Reading Taxi Association, also addressed the Sub-Committee, he spoke against private hire vehicles using the bus lane.

The Sub-Committee discussed the report and Councillor Ennis proposed, seconded by Councillor Barnett-Ward, that an informal consultation be carried out on the requested change to enable Reading Borough Council licenced private hire vehicles to use the Kings Road, outbound, bus lane.  He stated that the consultation should include a number of stakeholders such as bus companies, taxi associations, cycle groups, disability access groups and the general public and a report setting out the results be submitted to the January 2024 meeting.

Resolved –

(1)        That the report be noted;

(2)        That an informal consultation be carried out on the requested change to enable Reading Borough Council licenced private hire vehicles to use the Kings Road (outbound) bus lane;

(3)        That a number of stakeholders be included in the informal consultation, such as, bus companies, taxi associations, cycle groups, disability access groups and the general public;

(4)        That a report setting out the results of the informal consultation be submitted to the meeting in January 2024.

(Councillor Ayub declared an interest in the above item on the grounds that he owned a hackney carriage. He left the room and took no part in the discussion or decision making.)