York Council labelled “Rotten Borough” by Private Eye

as “internet only” Lendal Bridge refund process announced

The York Council has said that drivers can apply for a refund of unlawful Lendal Bridge fines from Monday.

Private Eye 5th Sept 2014 click

However they will only be able to do so “on line” and a deadline of the 31st December has been set for applications.

The Council has become the subject of national derision following its decision to pay refunds ……….but not to tell driver that they were available.

Even the national satirical magazine Private Eye has labelled the Council as a “Rotten Borough” putting it in the same category as the likes of Rotherham and Doncaster

With Council elections scheduled for next May, it is highly likely that Labour will lose control and either an incoming LibDem or Tory administration will restart the refund process.

But in the meantime it seems that the only option for those not on the internet will be a trip to the local library or West Offices itself.

Clearly the Council are banking on the inconvenience putting many motorists off bothering.

Recently the Council decided by 5 votes to 4 not to tell drivers of their entitlement, so motorists in many in other parts of the country – and abroad – are unlikely to hear of the refund scheme.

The Council, statement reads:

(more…)

Big hike in fares for Moor Lane car park bus stop passengers

The Council and the bus company have decided that Park & Ride fares won’t be available for journeys from Moor Lane Car Park from Sunday 7 September.

The Adult Single fare to the City Centre will remain at £2, but Park & Ride return fares won’t be available and MinsterCards won’t be valid to/from this stop.

For customers making a return journey, the FirstDay ticket is priced at £3.70 can be used across the whole York network.

This compares to the £2 – 70 standard return Park and Ride fare (which will remain available for anyone willing and able to walk the extra 600 yards along Tadcaster Road to the new car park).

It seems that although this bus stop is now being treated as part of the normal “stage carriage” network, pensioners will also not enjoy free travel. We understand that they will have to continue to pay the standard 80p per journey.

While we are pleased that this bus stop has been retained as it is appreciated by many older residents who live in nearby flats, we think that the authorities are being harsh in implementing what is effectively a 37% increase in fares.

It seems irrational that passengers joining the service at this stop – and using what would otherwise be vacant seats – will be charged more for what will be a shorter journey than those who joined the service at Askham Bar!

The world’s first electric retrofitted double decker sight seeing bus launches in York!

One of York’s renowned City Sightseeing buses has become the first double-decker bus in the world to get an electric makeover, thanks to a government grant.

Electric bus

The City Sightseeing bus, operated by Transdev, will be in operation from September after becoming the first double decker to be converted from diesel to pure electric with lithium ion batteries, similar to those used by mobile phones.

The company got £75,433 in October 2013 to convert the 15-year old City Sightseeing bus to fully electric drive, after successfully bidding for the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Clean Bus Technology Fund. The bus will travel all day without needing to charge.

Baroness Kramer (LibDem Transport Minister) said: “This is the first electric double decker bus conversion in the World. This Sightseeing bus will not only showcase York’s many attractions, but also the huge benefits that low carbon vehicles can bring to our cities.

“The UK is leading the electric charge when it comes to plug-in transport. I am delighted to see York sharing our vision, fully supporting an industry which is also a driver for economic growth, while bringing important environmental benefits such as an improved air quality”.

The electric retrofitted bus will eliminate the emission of 33 tons of CO2 and more than 535kg of poisonous NOx per year and will also reduce operating costs of the vehicle by more than £20k per year.
(more…)

“Finished” Park and Ride site a big let down.

Still work to do at Poppleton Bar

The York Council issued a statement on Friday claiming that work at the Poppleton Bar Park and Ride site had finally been finished – 5 months behind schedule.

But as our photos reveal, this is far from the truth with both landscaping and white lining work still outstanding. The site compound is also still in place.

Sadly the City has become all too familiar with weed growth in gutters, public spaces and even bridges around the City over the last 6 months.

However claiming a site is finished while it is still covered in 3 foot high weeds is surely a bit too disingenuous for even the Councils Labour Leadership.

It is after all the first point of call for some tourists and their impression of the City is likely to be coloured by their early experiences.

Low flying cyclists?

More seriously, from a safety perspective, is the Councils decision to encourage shared cycle/pedestrian use of the path from the A1237 underpass to the Park and Ride site.

unsegregated cycle/pedestrian path

Apart from one sign – which we suspect most pedestrians will not recognise – there is no reminder of the need to take extra care because of possible conflicts.

At the very least there needs to be repeater signs and warnings painted on the surface of the path.

At the moment, there not even a white line separation.

Organisations represented partially sighted people have been very critical about this kind of arrangement in the past.

No doubt they will be knocking on Cllr Levene’s door before very long!

Speed limit at Rufforth extended

Cycle path to be investigated

A 40mph “buffer” speed limit on the B1224 approach to the east end of Rufforth village is to be established. The planned changes, aimed at helping cyclists, have been opposed by the Police who describe them as “inappropriate”

An off-road cycle link between the village and the bridleway adjoining the B1224 to the east is also being investigated.

As we predicted in 2012, the Council has failed to secure its original preferred route for part of the cycle track and cyclists currently use the busy B1224 for part of its length.

The decision on the cycle route was a controversial one with an alternative (via current rights of way across part of the airfield and an established bridleway to link to Grange Lane) offering a shorter route for many journeys.

However both options failed to deal convincingly with access across the A1237 (northern by pass)

The speed limit plans were agreed at a behind closed doors decision session

A map showing the plans can be found by clicking here

Lendal Bridge meeting – agenda papers published

The agenda and background papers for the meeting on 27th August, which will review whether or not to contact drivers to tell them of the availability of refunds for those fined for crossing Lendal bridge, have been published.

Details can be found by clicking here

Both the LibDem and the Tory Council groups are advocating telling drivers of the availability of refunds.

Labour are putting the onus on drivers to appeal against the fines and say that they will rely on the “media” to get the word out.

Many of those fined were tourists who live in other parts of the UK and Europe. It is highly unlikely that all would read about the changed policy in local newspapers.

As the Council has withdrawn its appeal, against the traffic adjudicators judgement that the fines were unlawful, it has effectively admitted liability for maladministration.

That could in turn bring about further penalties for the Council if it fails to take all reasonable steps to refund the unlawfully imposed fines.

Residents can register to speak at the meeting. They must register by telephoning 01904 552061 before 5:00pm on Tuesday 26th August.

NB. Labour still have a majority on this “scrutiny” committee so there is no guarantee that changes to the Councils policy will be made.

Poppleton Bar – delays continue as Council responds to Freedom of Information request

At the last Council meeting Councillors were told that all work on the Poppleton Bar Park and Ride project would be completed by the end of July.

No end to Poppleton Bar works

However there is still a considerable amount of work outstanding with periodic impacts on congestion levels in the area.

While the final May deadline for conclusion of the whole Access York contract is long past, it is unclear why there are continuing delays at Poppleton (other than the obvious one that the contractors are simply not fully resourcing their contract obligations).

Cycle tunnel in use but no lane marking on paths

Councillor Ann Reid is now pressing for answers and some have emerged as responses to Freedom of Information requests

One (click to download) confirmed that the whole Access York project – of which the Poppleton works form part – was due to be completed by 23^rd May.

Details of the road closure orders have also been published on the Council’s web site

Meanwhile, the permanent traffic signals at the A59 junction with the Park and Ride access road are now in place, but the following work is still outstanding

Considerable surfacing and landscaping work
White lining (e.g. on the cycle path exit from the A1237 pedestrian/cycle tunnel. (If this is intended to be a shared cycle/[pedestrian space then it does not seem to comply with the specification agreed with the Blind and Partially Sighted Association)

24 hour lighting on new roundabout

Yesterday (Thursday) the street lights in the area were permanently lit. Taken with the decision to exclude the provision of on-site electricity generation from the project, this does seem to fly in the face of the Councils environmental policies?

Drivers now want a realistic completion date for the project.

Residents would also like to be reassured that there are penalty clauses in the contract which will be invoked to compensate the Council, taxpayers and drivers for the inconvenience and additional expense that they have suffered over the last few months.

York Council racks up £20,000 bill for propaganda films

Lendal Bridge video click to access

20’s plenty video click to access

An astute resident, surveying the annual accounts of the York Council, has spotted bills totalling over £20,000 for videos promoting the 20’s plenty campaign and defending the decision to close Lendal Bridge.

The videos were produced by a local company but do not seem to have been subject to a formal tendering process.

At the moment, the brief given to the producers has not been published by the Council.

The videos have been available to view on You Tube for about a year but have attracted little interest.

The 20’s plenty video has been viewed on 1500 occasions while the Lendal bridge closure – which attracted international notoriety – film has been viewed only 4500 times.

There is a fine line between information and propaganda. Soft sell tactics like these, on highly controversial issues, cross that boundary.

Balance is a serious issue when taxpayer’s money is being used to fund media initiatives.

It would not have been so bad if there had been public discussion on the need for the videos before they were ordered but that is not the way that the current Council does its business.

NB. Concerns have also been raised about payments allegedly exceeding £100,000 for a temporary head of communications (media) at the Council. It appears that the post has been occupied for around 2 years but without any competitive process. The former head of media at Council was paid less than half this figure in 2010.

Taxi drivers become dementia friends

People living with dementia will find it easier to travel around the city thanks to specialist training undertaken by local taxi drivers.

Dementia Forward -a registered charity which provides a fully integrated service to people living with dementia – has run three free training sessions for drivers and staff at York’s Fleetways Taxis. The company has subsequently joined York Dementia Action Alliance, a group of organisations and businesses committed to changing the lives of people living with dementia in York.

The initiative is part of a citywide campaign to encourage residents and businesses to become more dementia aware, helping York to become a dementia friendly city.
(more…)

Lendal Bridge report “called in” for further consideration

“Congestion Commission” shelved

The Cabinet decision on how refends should be offered to motorists fined for driving over Lendal bridge has been “called in”.

This means that an independent scrutiny committee will decide whether the Cabinets proposals should go ahead (relying on motorists to find out themselves that the refunds are available) or whether the Council should write all who have paid fines offering a refund.

The Scrutiny Management Committee is next scheduled to meet on 8^th September

NB. Labour have quietly abandoned their proposal to establish an all party “congestion commission”. The proposal was due to be discussed at a meeting taking place on 9^th September. It has now been withdrawn from the agenda with no new date set for its consideration

« Previous
1
…
58
59
60
61
62
…
91
Next »