Agenda item

To consider the report of the Team Leader, Safe and Sustainable Travel which provides the Committee with information regarding the recently adopted Vision Zero Strategy.

The report of the Team Leader, Safe and Sustainable Travel provided an introduction the Leeds Safe Roads Vision Zero.

In attendance were;

• Gillian MacLeod, Transport Development Services Manager
• Becky Murray, Transport Planner, Influencing Travel Behaviour

The Transport Development Services Manager introduced the item and provided some background context on the Leeds Safe Roads Vision Zero and explained how this was adopted by the Executive Board in September 2022. It is a partnership based approach developed from the rising road deaths and serious injuries rates since the pandemic lockdown ended. The Vision aims for there to be zero road deaths or serious injury within Leeds by 2040.

The Vision is built on five pillars;

1.  Speed

2.  Roads

3.  Vehicles

4.  Behaviours and people

5.  Post collision learning

The Vision has also identified the following factors as the ‘fatal five’, factors which increase the likelihood of death or serious injury;

1.  Speed

2.  Distraction

3.  Drink and drug driving

4.  Seatbelt non-compliance

5.  Careless dangerous driving

Key areas for Leeds City Council to develop include

·  Traffic management policy.

·  Encouraging and supporting vulnerable road users

·  Fleet management

·  Taxi and private hire

The Vision will also emphasise a new road user hierarchy, with those who can cause the most harm to take the most care.

Infrastructure changes will include lower speed limits in some areas. Speed limits is a matter for Local Authorities, in accordance with national guidance, such as speed limit reduction takes place once driving speeds have been lowered through other methods.  Other infrastructure changes include additional pedestrian crossing points and average speed cameras. There will not be speed camera warning signs as drivers ought to be driving at a safe speed consistently.

Officers provided the following statistical breakdown of deaths and injuries by Inner East wards for the 2017 – 2021 period;

Burmantofts & Richmond Hill

Fatal: 4

Serious: 60 

Slight: 308

Gipton & Harehills

Fatal: 2

Serious: 75

Slight: 393

Seacroft & Killingbeck

Fatal: 5

Serious: 41

Slight: 205

Officers clarified that e-scooters are not legal unless on private land, and that Leeds did not participate in the recent trials on their use. There are currently seven pieces of legislation relating to e-scooters that are being developed within Parliament.

Parking near schools has been identified as a priority, with some schools having the roads around them closed tor parking, although this is not feasible for all schools.

The Committee noted that bus schedules have been reduced, and whilst this is a matter for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) in conjunction with the bus companies, the Vision is working collaboratively with WYCA to integrate the vision into the wider public transport strategy for West Yorkshire.

The Committee emphasised the importance of road safety information being available in all languages used by communities. Officers noted that this is of particular note, and that whilst requests for additional languages can be made, those requests are rarely made.

The Committee and Officers discussed how the Committee can support the Vision, with a consensus that organisations can only provide a partial solution, and communities need to ensure that a culture of safe driving is embedded across society.

RESOLVED: The Committee noted the contents of the report, presentation and Vision Zero Strategy and Action plan.