Issue - meetings

The hours of operation of the local bus services E9 and E10 bus routes are being extended on 28^th August 2021.

These bus services previously operated between 6.00am – 8.10pm (Monday to Saturday) but they will now operate in the evenings until 11.20pm (Monday to Saturday), and will also now operate on Sundays from 9.30am to 6pm.

The bus routes serve:

E9 - (Epsom Station/Longmead /Parkview/Clarendon Park/Livingston Park/Manor Park/Epsom Station)

E10 - (Epsom Station/Noble Park/Epsom Station)

Bus routes E9 and E10 use the bus stand (which is also used as a bus stop) at Stop N on Station Approach, outside Epsom Station. The existing clearway was given approval by Epsom & Ewell Local Committee in September 2016. An extension of the hours of operation of the clearway is required to be “at any time” (i.e. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) to ensure that buses can access the bus stop waiting area/bus stand. The current hours that the clearway is enforceable are 6am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday.

That the Local Committee [Epsom & Ewell] agreed that:

(i)    the operating hours of the bus stand clearway at bus stop N, Station Approach, Epsom are 6am to 12 midnight Monday to Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sunday, subject to 28-day consultation period.

(ii)   if any objections cannot be resolved, the Area Highway Manager, in consultation with the chair/vice chair of this committee and the county councillor for the division, decides whether or not they should be acceded to and therefore whether the proposed change should be made, with or without modifications

Reasons:

To ensure that the bus stand clearway at bus stop N, Station Approach is operational during the hours of service so that the bus can access the bus stand and wait between journeys at this stand without the obstruction of parked vehicles, and provide stepfree access to those wishing to use the bus stop and thus support the extended operating hours of the E9 & E10 bus routes.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: Valerie Sexton, Senior Transport Officer; Alison Houghton, Senior Transport Officer

Petitions, Public Questions/Statements: None

Member discussion –key points

Members were pleased that bus services were being extended.  However, they felt that a 24/7 clearway, which would cover a period when buses are not operating, could lead to it being more difficult to enforce.  Officers responded that to change to only the operating hours could make it confusing and that alternative parking should be readily available outside of operating hours.  An amendment to the times of operation was proposed by Cllr Dallen and seconded by Cllr McCormick and it was:

Resolved that:

(i)    the operating hours of the bus stand clearway at bus stop N, Station Approach, Epsom are 6am to 12 midnight Monday to Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sunday, subject to 28-day consultation period.

(ii)   if any objections cannot be resolved, the Area Highway Manager, in consultation with the chair/vice chair of this committee and the county councillor for the division, decides whether or not they should be acceded to and therefore whether the proposed change should be made, with or without modifications

Reasons:

To ensure that the bus stand clearway at bus stop N, Station Approach is operational during the hours of service so that the bus can access the bus stand and wait between journeys at this stand without the obstruction of parked vehicles, and provide stepfree access to those wishing to use the bus stop and thus support the extended operating hours of the E9 & E10 bus routes.