Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Steve Calvert as the Chair for the 2015/16 municipal year

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Steve Young as Vice-Chair for the 2015/16 municipal year

Councillor John Wilkinson

Chris Roy

None

Last meeting held on 10 March 2015 (for confirmation)

The committee confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2015 and these were signed by the Chair.

Lea Harrison, from Tramlink Nottingham, presented the report, updating the committee on the performance of NET. The following answers were given in response to questions from the committee:

(a)  tram patronage has is now just below previous high records;

(b)  mango cards can only be purchased at some tram stops (including all park and ride stops) and from a small number of machines, however they can be topped up at all stops. This facility may be expanded in the future;

(c)  it is disappointing that lifts at the QMC have repeatedly failed but this is an issue which NET are confident can be resolved soon;

(d)  NET has identified safety issues on the Wilford toll bridge when schoolchildren are crossing, and near schools on Eskdale Drive in Chilwell. Health and safety observers are leading an investigation into possible improvements. Barriers are not always the best solution as they can be a trapping hazard;

(e)  it may be possible for Chilwell Road traders to advertise at the Toton Lane terminus if they contact the marketing team at NET;

(f)  despite a few power outages in the first weeks of running the system is running well overall;

(g)  if a parent is separated from their child at a tram stop, the tram won’t stop for the parent to disembark as this would be a safety issue. The driver will contact the control centre who will make sure an ambassador can reach the child as soon as possible;

(h)  the locations of ticket readers at tram stops may be made clearer, for example by highlighting them on the ground. Leaflets will be sent out with new concessionary passes to improve understanding of how to use them;

(i)  the trams in Edinburgh are longer and wider and so can accommodate flatter floors than the Nottingham trams. The reason the trams in Nottingham are narrower is due to narrow bridges on line one;

RESOLVED to

(1)  note the report

(2)  request a report to a future meeting outlining the findings of Edinburgh’s trial for allowing bicycles on trams.

Lea Harrison, from Tramlink Nottingham, presented the report summarising the results of two customer surveys that have been undertaken on NET within the last twelve months and describing the steps that are being taken by the tram operator to improve customer satisfaction. The following answers were given in response to questions from the committee:

(a)  these surveys were deliberately carried out before the opening of lines 2 and 3 so that clear comparisons can be made with the results of the next survey;

(b)  dissatisfaction with line 1 has been related to overcrowding and high demand at peak times. Improvements to the timetable have already been put in place to counter this, for example improving the Sunday service, and more trams at peak hours;

(c)  planned improvements this year will be around child separation and driver engagement with passengers;

(d)  there is a timetable of events so that increased services can be put on for popular events such as Goose Fair, or replacement buses can be organised for events which will stop trams running such as the Robin Hood marathon.

RESOLVED to

(1)  note the report;

(2)  request the full results of the National Tram Passenger Survey to be circulated to members;

(3)  request more data on why people have stopped using the tram at the next meeting.

Andy Holdstock, Senior Project Engineer, NET, presented three letters from members of the public and sought the views of the committee.

(a)  correspondent A is unhappy at having been issued with a penalty fare warning notice for not validating his kangaroo card before boarding a tram. The committee identified that, whilst it could be made clearer that travelcards must be validated every time a tram is boarded, they understood that this advice is available. The committee supported the course of action taken by NET in this case;

(b)  correspondent B’s first complaint was that she had been treated poorly when having bought an incorrect ticket for her journey. As this instance was fully investigated accordingly, the Committee supported the course of action taken by NET;

(c)  correspondent B also complained about an incident where a tram failed and her mother was not informed correctly of the procedures. Whilst the Committee understood that procedures had been correctly followed to ensure safety of passengers, they felt that information could have been better conveyed to passengers left waiting on the platform. NET admitted that they could communicated better but explained that in a large incident certain locations are prioritised. They are aiming to improve driver engagement so that the drivers will be trained to convey information to their passengers;

(d)  correspondent C complained about the safety of her car at the Forest park and ride site. This park and ride site is the only one on the NET network which has not been awarded Parkmark accreditation, however it still has low crime statistics. CCTV is used there as a monitor, as are roving patrols. The Committee was satisfied with the course of action taken by NET.

RESOLVED to

(1)  note the correspondence, issues arising and responses by NET;

(2)  request the offer of a week’s free tram pass to the mother of correspondent B.