Agenda and minutes

Councillor Gordon Wheeler

Councillor Francis Purdue-Horan

None.

Minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2022, for confirmation

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance, Nottingham City Council

Phil Wye, Governance Officer, presented the report on the proposed amendment of the GNLRT Advisory Committee Terms of Reference to remove Pedals from the membership list.

Resolved to note the proposal to amend the Committee’s Terms of Reference to remove Pedals from the membership of the Committee.

Report of the Head of Operations, Nottingham Trams

Jo Bentley, Head of Customer Experience, Nottingham Trams, presented the report and highlighted the following:

(a)  in December 20220 and January 2023 reliability and punctuality of the tram service was 95% and 91.5% respectively. There was an increase in footfall and patronage, both in the run up to Christmas, and again following the festive break, with more customers returning to use the tram network;

(b)  heavy traffic and footfall around the City Centre areas caused some delays on the network, particularly with queuing vehicles in the Fletcher Gate area and around the Winter Wonderland event at Old Market Square. In both cases Nottingham Trams worked with event organisers and operators to improve the situation to ensure safe and reliable services for customers;

(c)  prolonged cold weather in December caused problems to service, as an issue with the consistency of screen wash was identified resulting in some components freezing, causing minor damage to pumps and piping, and in addition to this, due to the slippery track conditions, trams were using substantially more sand than usual;

(d)  there was a slight increase in the number of road traffic collisions in December, particularly in the Radford Road and Lace Market areas, including a collision with a taxi at lace Market that attempted to overtake a tram.  Work has been carried out at the Fletcher Gate carpark to improve entry and exit signage and new traffic calming measures are planned for install at Asda at Hyson Green;

(e)  on Wednesday 25th January, a pedestrian was involved in a collision at Nottingham Station. They were immediately attended to by NET staff and an off-duty nurse. An out of service tram was used to transport the person directly to the QMC, where medical staff were waiting. There has been close liaison with relatives of the injured person and all the information that they have requested has been provided;

(f)  following the report of the introduction of car park enforcement at The Forest Park and Ride site, there has been a marked reduction in the number of cars abusing the site for parking. The patrols have also contributed to the wider security of the network throughout the period, deterring joy riding and fly tipping;

(g)  Anti Social Behaviour remains above pre-Covid levels with assaults on staff, criminal damage and disruptive passengers being key areas of focus. During January, a number of NET staff members delivered presentations to young people from local schools, highlighting the importance of using trams in a safe manner and also focussing on anti-social behaviour. The project is called “You vs Tram” and is being run with the support of the Pythian Club, a local outreach charity organisation.

The following points were made during the discussion which followed:

(h)  a WhatsApp and text number will be advertised which can be used to report Anti-Social Behaviour discreetly to the control room, who will be able to inform the police. There are also help points at every tram stop with CCTV, and these can be used by anyone;

(i)  the NET website has been updated with more information and videos on how to best use the tram, to which users can be directed if needed;

(j)  the Quality Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) department have made investigations of the safety at Nottingham Station and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have also investigated and confirmed that they are happy with the layout there. It was suggested that signs could be attached to trams warning drivers not to attempt to overtake them.

Resolved to note the report

Verbal report by the Chief Operating Officer, Tramlink Nottingham

Andrew Conroy, Chief Operating Officer, Tramlink Nottingham, delivered a presentation on the results of a survey undertaken to understand customer needs and attitudes to travel for different occasions, user experience, brand perceptions and how to increase tram usage over the coming months and years. The following information was highlighted:

(a)  the research method included 12 accompanied trips with 4 non users, 3 lapsed users and 5 current users of the tram, plus 3 focus groups with 6 students, 6 full time workers with young families and 6 full time workers with older families;

(b)  a 10-minute online survey of 600 people from areas that have traditionally seen commuting into Nottingham city centre provided statistically reliable data. The sample included lapsed users, reduced users and non tram users, representative in terms of gender, age and ethnicity;

(c)  the pandemic has led to greater levels of hybrid working, impacting travel behaviour and leading to a move away from public transport and towards personal vehicles. NET can increase tram use with a flexible offer that understands the new normal , which will also help to improve brand perception, trust and affinity;

(d)  value is increasingly important for travellers who are acutely aware of the increased cost of living, with a number looking to change their travel habits to save money. Commuters think a tram ticket is more expensive than the bus, however they value the good experience of the tram. NET need to communicate the superior experience of the tram and that it doesn’t cost more than the bus;

(e)  NET is looking at a number of products to improve value for money such as Pay as you Go cards, virtual mobile wallets and carnet type tickets. Tram fares are set to increase in April, which is necessary due to increased operational and energy costs;

(f)  tackling the ease and convenience of the car is key for converting non-users. Drivers don’t consider the cost of petrol and parking, and the inconvenience of traffic is outweighed by the comfort of the car. NET can encourage use amongst car users by highlighting the financial and social benefits of the tram;

The following points were made during the discussion which followed:

(g)  signage to the Clifton park and ride site from the A453 could be improved as it is currently not clear;

(h)  antisocial behaviour incidents on trams have put some people off travelling. In reality these incidents are rare but get reported on social media. Improved visibility of staff would make a difference to peoples’ feeling of safety.

Report of the Head of Customer Experience, Nottingham Trams

Andy Holdstock, NET Project, Nottingham City Council, confirmed that no further complaints had been received since the previous meeting.

Jo Bentley, Head of Customer Experience, Nottingham Trams, presented the report and highlighted the following:

(a)  at the meeting of the Committee held in December 2022, it was requested that Nottingham Trams undertake a visit to the property of the member of the public who wrote to the Committee complaining about noise and vibration at their property, caused by trams passing over points, and that further investigations are carried out;

(b)  Nottingham Trams do not consider that there is any direct evidence to demonstrate that tram operations have caused damage to the property. However, following discussions with the resident, it has been agreed that a temporary speed restriction of 40 kph is introduced for all trams crossing the points;

(c)  the resident has stated that he is pleased that the visit took place and is satisfied that the temporary speed restriction is introduced as a trial. Nottingham Trams intend to contact the resident again, within the next few weeks, to assess the impact of the trial.

Committee Members thanked Nottingham Trams for their investigation and the positive outcome.

For discussion

A suggestion was made for an item on Anti-Social Behaviour at the next meeting, along with a presentation by the Pythian Club on their work to tackle this among young people.

A suggestion was also made for an annual report on accessibility.

To note the provisional dates for the 2023-24 municipal year:

11 July 2023

12 September 2023

12 December 2023

12 March 2024

The proposed meeting dates for the 2023-24 municipal year were noted.