Examination of Witnesses (Questions 18040
- 18059)
18040. As you know, these Petitioners represent
the National Council of the Cycling Touring Club and are concerned
about the provision of bicycles in relation to Crossrail.
18041. As I understand it, the principal concern
still outstanding is the carriage of bicycles on the Crossrail
service. The final policy on the carriage of cycles, as we have
explained, will be decided by the Franchising Authority and the
Train Operating Company, not by us, and we are wholly committed
to continuing to talk to the CTC about that policy and the policy
may vary. It may depend on local conditions and it may vary between
hours.
18042. It is right to say that it certainly
will at least take into account the London Underground policy
on cycles which, in essence, is that cycles cannot be carried
in the deep parts of the tube at any time and cannot be carried
anywhere at peak hours, so they can be carried on the subsurface
and surface level tubes outside peak hours. We are not saying
that will necessarily be our policy but obviously it is likely
to inform our policy, but we are very much still in discussion
and will continue to be in discussion with the CTC -- not just
about bicycle carriage policy but also about matters such as where
cycle racks go and detailed design issues such as that in the
appropriate time in the project.
18043. I am not going to say any more now, sir.
I have Mr Anderson here to give evidence if the Committee feels
that is necessary later.
18044. Chairman: Mr Selway?
18045. Mr Selway: I have a small problem
immediately which I must apologise for. I need to switch on my
notebook and it will make a noise, and I must apologise for that
happening first. I cannot find the device I need to make it not
make a noise, but there we are.
18046. Chairman: We may just have a small
problem also. The stenographers need to hear you, so if you could
just lift your voice it would be helpful.
18047. Mr Selway: I am deaf, I have to
be careful, and I am not sure whether my hearing aids are working,
and when my hearing aids are not working I find it difficult to
tell how loudly I am speaking.
18048. Chairman: You are not having a
very good day!
18049. Mr Selway: No. I will not go into
the technical reasons for it, but it does make life difficult.
You may or may not be able to help me, or the Clerk may be able
to help me on it. Are there induction loops?
18050. Chairman: Yes, and they are on.
18051. Mr Selway: In which case I will
switch on the induction loop and see if that helps.
18052. Chairman: I think we will just
have to get on and try and help each other.
18053. Mr Selway: Thank you, sir.
18054. With all respect to what counsel for
the Promoters has said, the point about carriage is one of the
core points of our concern, as is indicated in the skeleton argument,
if I may call it that, that we have supplied and which I hope
honorable Members have copies of.
18055. Chairman: We have.
18056. Mr Selway: There are a considerable
number of issues which flow from our concern about carriage, both
about access to stations all along the route and about the application
of best practice, because this is not a here-today-gone-tomorrow
undertaking, it is a piece of infrastructure work, the effects
of the decisions of which will be with us for decades to come.
There are still shortcomings on these deep level tube lines for
people like me who have some mobility difficulties which were
built 100 years ago and have not yet been resolved, so I am thinking
about it in those time scales and that takes us to the over-arching
concern that we mention in our skeleton argument, which has to
do with climate change and how best to reduce the carbon dioxide
output from travel and using Crossrail when it is in place.
18057. One of the most simple and effective
ways of doing it, sir, is making it much more bicycle friendly,
both on the surface sections and on the subsurface, the deep level
section across central London.
18058. We have also supplied copies of the Best
Practice Guide covering the issues that arise and material which,
for the purpose of the original session, which did not go ahead
on October 24, we supplied URLs for in relation to the carriage
of bicycles on deep level tubes in various cities in North America.
18059. As far as I can tell, those set out the
broad picture of the case we are trying to make out to you, sir,
and to the Promoters, which is in effect that measures could be
taken in respect of their proposals to make them better and more
consistent with policy than they are at the moment. That is the
core of what we have to say and we have supplied the material
in the hope that it will assist honorable Members to determine
whether that is a reasonable possibility.
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