REPORT FROM THE CABINET MEMBER ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORT

TO THE MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL

ON WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2007

1. New Public Transport Timetable

You will recall that Southern Vectis ceased to provide comprehensive information in their timetable around a year ago, and that there has been a considerable groundswell of opinion requesting that a comprehensive guide be re-introduced. This we have been able to do using a combination of funding sources to help fund the first addition.

The first edition will run to 96 full colour pages in pocket size DL format, and will have a print run of 70000. It will be delivered to 52000 households at the end of March through the IW Beacon distribution network, and made available at TICs, Council offices, and through transport operators. The guide will be valid from 1 April until the end of September, and the current intention is to produce revisions at October 2007 and January 2008 so that the information provided remains current and accurate.

This comprehensive guide will give users an overview of all public transport options. Full timetable and route details for all bus and rail services on the Island and cross-Solent ferry timetables, plus information on mainland connectional rail and coach services will be included in a single guide. Town maps and bus station information will also be included.

The guide will be marketed as the "Public Transport Handbook for the Isle of Wight" - the use of the word "Handbook" being selected to indicate to prospective readers of the guide that it an authoritative document that should be retained for reference purposes. Together with the roll-out of the SMS mobile phone texting project for bus information scheduled for 2007-08 will considerably improve the quality of, and easy location of, public transport information for residents and visitors alike.

2. Tennyson Trail - Draft Traffic Regulation Order,

Having considered the consultation responses and objections to the draft order and decided that there is some scope for amending the draft order, and given that the legal advice inserted into the draft report says that a permit system is a legal option, I have asked officers to redraft the order to grant usage permits. The permits will be for specific users including small passenger carrying vehicles and private vehicles were the driver qualifies for a blue disabled badge.   

By doing this, it would overcome the objection from businesses catering for the disabled and those people who occasionally drive disabled relatives along the trail.  I am confident that this type of use will not cause the damage that was experienced along the trail last year. The permits would add to the administrative burden, but the benefit would be a register of permitted users (although landowners, who have access rights, would not appear on the register) and allow the land to recover to a natural state.

Cllr Ian Ward

Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment