The Strategic Director Place will submit a report (Document “M”) which provides an overview of the current work in Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire region on the Vision Zero 2040 Strategy. The Strategy which is being progressed by the Combined Authority at present is designed to allow partner agencies to sign up to a joint vision in removing fatal and serious injuries from the road network. The ask of the Executive is to adopt the Principality of the Vision Zero Strategy and progress a local Bradford District Strategy and stakeholder consultation.
Recommended –
(1) That the Executive note the content of the report;
(2) That the Executive endorse and adopt Vision Zero formally in Bradford.
(3) That the Executive agree to the development of a Vision Zero Strategy for Bradford referencing and underpinning the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Strategy.
(4) That the Executive agrees the design and development of stakeholder events to develop a whole systems approach to casualty prevention.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Regeneration & Environment
(Simon D’Vali - 01535 618375)
Minutes:
The Strategic Director Place submitted a report (Document “M”) which provided an overview of the current work in Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire region on the Vision Zero 2040 Strategy. The Strategy which is being progressed by the Combined Authority at present is designed to allow partner agencies to sign up to a joint vision in removing fatal and serious injuries from the road network. The ask of the Executive was to adopt the Principality of the Vision Zero Strategy and progress a local Bradford District Strategy and stakeholder consultation.
It was stated that in the first three months from January to March, there have been 64 recorded killed and serious injuries on Bradford roads. Not taking into account the 2021 (Pandemic year), this is the highest level of actual recorded KSIs in the last twenty years. Work is currently being progressed to understand the reason for this sudden uplift.
With Vision Zero, the council is setting out the principles of a whole systems approach to Safer Roads utilising multi-disciplinary partnership work and data sharing that reduces serious injury and death on the road network with the ultimate aim of removal of road death.
Since its inception in 1995 in Sweden, Vision Zero had revolutionised conventional thinking around road safety. The basic starting point for Vision Zero is from an ethical standpoint that no-one should be killed or suffer lifelong injury in a road traffic incident. According to Vision Zero the main problem is not that accidents occur it is instead whether the accidents lead to death or serious injury. Vision Zero stresses the fact that the road transport system is an entity in which the components such as roads, vehicles and users must be made to interact so that safety can be guaranteed.
The Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire was present at the meeting and stated that the Vision Zero Board acknowledged the work being done across West Yorkshire around improving road safety and reducing casualties and that this new approach aimed to reinforce and build on measures that would improve driver behaviour, enforcement and ultimately reduced casualties.
The Leader in welcoming the initiative, stressed the need to tackle dangerous driving which had blighted many communities in the district.
The Portfolio Holder stated that Vision Zero was part of whole systems approach, which included extending 20mph zones.
An opposition group Councillor was present at the meeting and stated that speeding late at night was a particular issue that needed tackling and questioned the road safety work being undertaken in schools and the road safety budget pertaining to Area Committees. In response it was stated that the criteria used for the installation of speed camera was currently quite rigid and although we were awaiting an outcome of a review on the issue, there was also lobbying taking place to create our own local guidelines; in terms of road safety education in schools, the schools with the highest casualty figures were being targeted, however the offer was also available to other schools in the district and in relation to the Area Committee Road Safety budget, some portion of the funding was top sliced in order to meet strategic objectives.
Resolved –
(1) That the contents of Document “M” be noted.
(2) That Vision Zero be formally endorsed and adopted in Bradford.
(3) That the development of a Vision Zero Strategy for Bradford be agreed referencing and underpinning the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Strategy.
(4) That design and development of stakeholder events to develop a whole systems approach to casualty prevention be agreed.
ACTION: Strategic Director Place
Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Regeneration & Environment
Supporting documents: