Agenda item

6.1

It was moved by Councillor Mazher Iqbal, and seconded by Councillor Abdul Khayum, that this Council:-

(a)      notes, with shock and anger, that Sheffield’s bus networks are beginning to be slashed this month, culminating in a third of services being decimated by October as the Government cuts funding and commercial operators withdraw;

(b)      believes our communities deserve a public transport system as good as in London, and yet despite the Government promising to deliver this (in their Levelling Up White Paper) they are now refusing to give our region the money or the powers to make this happen;

(c)      notes that South Yorkshire was given nothing in the latest round of bus funding from the Government, and believes it is simply not good enough to continue to under-fund our buses and limit people’s opportunities to get to work, education, health services and for business growth, as well as failing to help us to tackle the climate emergency;

(d)      notes that Labour councillors have long called for bus franchising to be explored, and enacted the local bus partnership as this was the only option available to the Council at the time to help provide greater local control, but believes that this partnership, whilst helpful at the time, is no longer fit for purpose;

(e)      believes that one of the main issues all councillors and candidates encountered on the doorsteps during the local election was residents’ concerns on the poor state of public transport, and we need to work cross-party to demand to the Government that South Yorkshire gets significantly improved funding and greater local control over the bus network, and commends the actions of recently elected South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, for his commitment to working alongside our region's councils, and doing everything he can to save as many services as possible;

(f)       believes that in order for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and bus prioritisation lanes to be adopted successfully, and with public support, there needs to be a public transport offer that is fit for purpose;

(g)      believes that our communities deserve better and notes that there is a general sense within the country of a government failing to get to grips with the major issues that affect neighbourhoods – crime, connectivity, lack of opportunities, and the cost-of-living crisis;

(h)      notes with dismay the recent violent crime and serious incidents in the city and that, whilst the levers to fully address this reside with the Government, the Council must be steadfast in its prioritisation of community safety and doing everything we can locally;

(i)       notes that despite the challenging year-on-year budget position the Council is investing more in community safety measures such as community wardens, increased CCTV cameras, increased outreach work (including expanded youth services) and greater information sharing and ability to respond quickly to local issues via the Local Area Committees;

(j)       believes that the Council must do everything it can to help our partners respond to serious incidents, and that we need a city-wide protocol – bringing together our partners (such as the police, Police and Crime Commissioner, social services and the Voluntary and Community Sector), Council staff and councillors, so that information is shared and acted on more quickly, and to ensure that there is better communication with the affected neighbourhoods and communities; and

(k)      resolves, therefore, to request that the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee should consider developing a clearly defined Community Safety Incident Protocol, within the next three months, and review the current community safety support structures.

6.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Mike Levery, and seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (d) to (k) and the addition of new paragraphs (d) to (n) as follows:-

(d)      believes that removing Covid-related bus support funding entirely while passenger numbers have still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels will inevitably lead to severe reductions in service levels across the whole country, and the Government needs to rethink if people are not going to go back to using cars, and if we are to meet climate change targets;

(e)      believes that the Sheffield Bus Partnership has failed the citizens of Sheffield by not improving services and keeping fares low which has led to:-

(i)       cuts to services available to the general public;

(ii)       extortionate fare increases, forcing people to use their cars over public transport as a cheaper and more accessible option; and

(iii)      a lack of public confidence in the reliability of the bus service, which is also contributing to decreasing passenger numbers; noting that punctuality of bus services has reduced, down to 83% from 87% over the past five years, whilst reliability is at its lowest rate in years;

(f)       is concerned that increased car use will add to air pollution in the city centre if fewer people are using more energy efficient bus services and that cuts to bus services are preventing people from getting to work, school, running errands and attending medical appointments;

(g)      further notes that London, which was not subject to bus deregulation in 1986, has seen decade upon decade increases in bus patronage and mileage;

(h)      notes that, under the Bus Services Act 2017, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has the power to enact bus franchising and that this was agreed in the original 2015 Sheffield devolution deal;

(i)       believes that bus franchising will be a long-term solution to these problems, allowing bus operators and local authorities to work collaboratively to improve bus services and realise untapped growth potentials in regional and rural areas;

(j)       resolves to:-

(i)       call on the Council’s and Regional Authority’s leaderships to protect passengers from further fare increases, cuts to routes and unreliable services by using any available means, which could include, but not necessarily be limited to:-

(A)      giving notice to immediately terminate the Bus Partnership Agreement;

(B)      enlisting the full support of South Yorkshire Mayoral Authority;

(C)      an active media campaign; and

(D)      a review of existing bus priority measures in order to deliver a more reliable, greener and efficient bus service;

(ii)       support the introduction of a statutory bus quality contract in Sheffield;

(iii)      send copies of this motion to all the other parties to the Bus Partnership Agreement;

(k)      believes that alongside the strategic long term problems with buses in our city there are a number of smaller, simpler issues that need to be resolved in order to give Sheffield the best possible bus and mass transit services, and these include:-

(i)       improving the accuracy of real time information signage at bus stops;

(ii)       making sure every bus stop accurately identifies the buses that stop there, and has accurate timetables physically displayed; and

(iii)      linking trams to buses at terminals as part of making sure that all of Sheffield’s mass transit services link together to provide a properly integrated service;

(l)       notes with dismay the recent violent crime and serious incidents, on public transport, and around the city as a whole;

(m)     notes the on-going work the Council is undertaking to develop a robust city-wide protocol and process to ensure all relevant partners (such as the police, Police and Crime Commissioner, social services and the voluntary and community sector), Council staff and Councillors, are aware of serious incidents in a timely manner; and

(n)      notes the work being undertaken by the Safer Sheffield Partnership Board to develop a clearly defined Community Safety Incident Protocol as quickly as possible.

6.3

It was then moved by Councillor Christine Gilligan, and seconded by Councillor Douglas Johnson, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (l) to (q) as follows:-

(l)       believes that politicians across South Yorkshire have undermined public transport for many years by promoting individual car use, through providing free or low-cost car parking in town / city centres, ineffective and insufficient parking enforcement and active opposition to improvement measures like bus lanes or residents’ parking schemes;

(m)     regrets the lack of ambition set out in the Bus Service Improvement Plan submitted to the Government by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and in particular that “success” would have meant fewer people using buses in the future;

(n)      notes that bus operators are commercial companies and are not primarily there to provide a public service; and therefore believes in a need for public ownership and control of buses;

(o)      believes that public transport is an equality issue, as only 35% of the population in the bottom 10% of wealth own a car, whereas 93% of the top 10% own at least one;

(p)      notes that Yorkshire and Humberside already gets only £500 per head of population spent on transport compared with £1,476 for London (in 2020/21) and believes that the Government cannot be serious about “levelling up” until it guarantees equal funding; and

(q)      however, recognises that this Council must do what it can to support as many buses on as many routes as it can and therefore requests the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to consider using all the levers at its disposal to make public transport more attractive than private cars, including:-

(i)       advertising to promote public transport usage, in particular aimed at those who do not routinely use buses and including through the universities;

(ii)       lower fares, multi-operator tickets and tap-on technology as standard;

(iii)      measures for multi-modal travel, including bikes on trams;

(iv)      higher parking fees for private car ownership;

(v)      more priority routes for buses and trams;

(vi)      higher quality bus or tram shelters, and staffed bus/tram interchanges;

(vii)     more effective enforcement of illegal, selfish and dangerous parking that often goes unchecked;

(viii)    schemes such as an employer’s workplace parking levy to reduce the perks of free parking and raise substantial sums to provide improved bus services, tram services and better walking and cycling infrastructure;

(ix)      allowing a reasonable increase in regulated taxi fares; and

(x)      encouraging innovative neighbourhood community hub bus services that serve local shopping areas.

6.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Mike Levery was put to the vote and was lost.

6.4.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 28 Members; AGAINST - 36 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Councillor Lewis Chinchen voted for, but against paragraph (j) and abstained from voting on paragraph (d) of the amendment.)

6.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Christine Gilligan was then put to the vote and was carried in part.  Paragraphs (l), (m) & (q) of the amendment were lost and paragraphs (n), (o) & (p) of the amendment were carried.

6.5.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 39 Members; AGAINST - 26 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  The Labour Group members voted for, but against paragraphs (l) & (m) and abstained from voting on paragraph (q) of the amendment.)

6.6

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      notes, with shock and anger, that Sheffield’s bus networks are beginning to be slashed this month, culminating in a third of services being decimated by October as the Government cuts funding and commercial operators withdraw;

(b)      believes our communities deserve a public transport system as good as in London, and yet despite the Government promising to deliver this (in their Levelling Up White Paper) they are now refusing to give our region the money or the powers to make this happen;

(c)      notes that South Yorkshire was given nothing in the latest round of bus funding from the Government, and believes it is simply not good enough to continue to under-fund our buses and limit people’s opportunities to get to work, education, health services and for business growth, as well as failing to help us to tackle the climate emergency;

(d)      notes that Labour councillors have long called for bus franchising to be explored, and enacted the local bus partnership as this was the only option available to the Council at the time to help provide greater local control, but believes that this partnership, whilst helpful at the time, is no longer fit for purpose;

(e)      believes that one of the main issues all councillors and candidates encountered on the doorsteps during the local election was residents’ concerns on the poor state of public transport, and we need to work cross-party to demand to the Government that South Yorkshire gets significantly improved funding and greater local control over the bus network, and commends the actions of recently elected South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, for his commitment to working alongside our region's councils, and doing everything he can to save as many services as possible;

(f)       believes that in order for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and bus prioritisation lanes to be adopted successfully, and with public support, there needs to be a public transport offer that is fit for purpose;

(g)      believes that our communities deserve better and notes that there is a general sense within the country of a government failing to get to grips with the major issues that affect neighbourhoods – crime, connectivity, lack of opportunities, and the cost-of-living crisis;

(h)      notes with dismay the recent violent crime and serious incidents in the city and that, whilst the levers to fully address this reside with the Government, the Council must be steadfast in its prioritisation of community safety and doing everything we can locally;

(i)       notes that despite the challenging year-on-year budget position the Council is investing more in community safety measures such as community wardens, increased CCTV cameras, increased outreach work (including expanded youth services) and greater information sharing and ability to respond quickly to local issues via the Local Area Committees;

(j)       believes that the Council must do everything it can to help our partners respond to serious incidents, and that we need a city-wide protocol – bringing together our partners (such as the police, Police and Crime Commissioner, social services and the Voluntary and Community Sector), Council staff and councillors, so that information is shared and acted on more quickly, and to ensure that there is better communication with the affected neighbourhoods and communities;

(k)      resolves, therefore, to request that the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee should consider developing a clearly defined Community Safety Incident Protocol, within the next three months, and review the current community safety support structures;

(l)       notes that bus operators are commercial companies and are not primarily there to provide a public service; and therefore believes in a need for public ownership and control of buses;

(m)     believes that public transport is an equality issue, as only 35% of the population in the bottom 10% of wealth own a car, whereas 93% of the top 10% own at least one; and

(n)      notes that Yorkshire and Humberside already gets only £500 per head of population spent on transport compared with £1,476 for London (in 2020/21) and believes that the Government cannot be serious about “levelling up” until it guarantees equal funding.

6.6.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 64 Members; AGAINST - 1 Member; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  The Liberal Democrat Group members voted for, but against paragraphs (d), (e), (l) & (m) of the Substantive Motion.  Councillor Lewis Chinchen voted against, but for paragraphs (j), (k) & (m) and abstained on paragraphs (e) & (n) of the Substantive Motion.)