Wednesday 29 June 2016
Environment Department response to media enquiry from Guernsey Press.
Guernsey Press Enquiry:
The 'Active Travel Unit' - http://www.gov.gg/article/114730/New-integrated-transport-strategy-team - was established in October to help deliver the Transport Strategy. Now that £1.6m. is being stripped from the revenue projections, what will happen to the unit? Does it have enough work to justify having three people in it? Will the units aims be re-evaluated, what is its budget and has this changed? If so why has it changed, and if not, why not? What are the first year aims of the unit? How much does the unit cost and can the department justify its expense, given the lower revenue?
Environment Department Response:
The work of the 3 current staff members of the Active Travel Unit will remain essentially unchanged because a large part of the duties consist of promotion and education as well as researching and implementing other administrative elements of the Strategy including, for example, the proposed changes to vehicle licensing. These core activities do not require significant amounts of revenue expenditure.
As set out in the Amendment the majority of the £1,600,000 reduced revenue income is proposed to be balanced by not setting aside £1,000,000 for capital to fund a bus depot and by reducing the £1,000,000 sum used to offset the reduction in fuel duty as the swing away from car journeys is expected to be slower with the reduced vehicle duties and slower take off of the Strategy. The budget available to the Active Travel Unit will more than adequately cover the staff salaries and any expenses associated with Education and Promotion.
Examples of the types of promotional and educational projects/events that the Department is working on this month are as follows:
- The Unit's Road Safety Officer, Rex Williams, is attending Island Schools to discuss road safety and traffic management concerns and help make improvements and to assist in developing cycling proficiency and travel plans;
- The Unit's Active Travel Communications Officer, Tim Prout, has been developing travel plans for organisations and is meeting businesses and Government Departments to promote this aspect of the Strategy, along with developing and supporting internal communications with the various stakeholders and working groups;
- On 22nd January, Colin Le Page who heads up the Unit, will be guest speaker at the Living Streets Annual General Meeting and will be outlining the initiatives that the Unit has planned to encourage walking in the Island and will be available to answer questions;
- Members of the Unit will continue to walk around the Town Prohibited Streets to highlight the need for delivery companies to take extreme care when travelling in the pedestrianised areas. They will be giving out information sheets to drivers which has a few important steps to follow and that reminds drivers of the guidelines that were issued to them when they originally obtained their permits;
- The Active Travel Unit are busy planning and delivering a schedule of external events which support the aims of the Strategy.
Where the reduction in income is expected to have some impact is on the scale and speed with which some infrastructure projects that the Unit would co-ordinate will be introduced. However, it is only a case that the introduction of major projects will need to be staggered over a longer period, rather than any of them having to be shelved altogether.
Infrastructure improvements that the Department will be working on in the first part of this year are:
- Subject to planning permission, the installation of cycle hoops at the Bridge (near to the New Road junction), Southside, St Sampson's (by the zebra crossing) and at the Park Street Triangle and applications for cycle hoops and a shelter at the North Beach car park (adjacent the existing one which is often full to capacity) and at the Bordage car park (which is another popular site);
- Installation of dropped kerbs at unofficial crossing points during planned roadwork projects. [Such works undertaken thus far include dropped kerbs at the Rue des Landes/Airport junction and at Bank Lane, Vale (by the Northside chip shop)];
- Additional small parking spaces;
- Additional motorcycle spaces [Additional motorcycle parking has already been installed at the Crown Pier];
- Improvements along the cycle path along the Eastern seafront;
- Commencing liaison with Public Services and some of those involved with the Visions for the Town and Bridge to create and enhance pedestrian and public realm areas in St Peter Port.
Contact Information:
Karl Guille, Traffic and Transport Services Manager
Environment Department
Tel: 243400
