Meetings with PTUG

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Dear Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive,

Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.

On your website, under 'How we Engage' (http://www.nexus.org.uk/how-we-engage), you state "Nexus senior managers hold regular meetings with the Tyne and Wear Public Transport User Group (PTUG), which bus companies and train operators also attend.". Could you therefore provide:

1) Minutes of each of these meetings between 2012-14, which should also include the date held, who attended.

2) Details of any research carried out for PTUG during the past 5 years.

3) Details of any other bodies (similar to PTUG), which are recognised by Nexus.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Hedley

Freedom Info, Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive

3 Attachments

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your e-mail which has been forwarded to me as the person responsible for responding to FOI requests on behalf of Nexus.

Following the numbering in your e-mail;

1) I attach copy minutes from meetings held in February, May and October 2102 .A further meeting took place in March 2013 for which I am unable to locate any minutes and an informal meeting took place in September 2013 attended by Nexus and PTUG representatives only. Nexus intends to hold the next meeting in June/July 2014.

2) In 2012 PTUG requested Nexus carry out research on public attitudes to personal safety in public transport and public realm environments. Nexus agreed a methodology with PTUG including meta research into existing studies and qualitative primary research through focus groups, convened by a recognised market research agency. The research was provided to PTUG in February 2013 .There has been no others search carried out by Nexus on behalf of PTUG.

3) Nexus recognised Bus Users UK and Passenger Focus as bodies which represent a broad range of passengers either geographically or across modes. Nexus engages with many other organisations representing narrower special interest groups within transport and the community.

Yours Faithfully

Colin Whittle
Head of Legal Services

Nexus, Nexus House, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4AX
Telephone 0191 2033239 / Fax 0191 2033180

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Dear Colin,

I thank you for the information provided so far, but it does beg a few questions.

1) Could you confirm who from Nexus attended the informal meeting in September 2013, and why there would be a need for a PTE to have an informal meeting with a group that has lobbying interests.

2) Could you confirm whether the March 2013 meeting was an informal meeting, and why the minutes may have went missing? Would they not normally be circulated after the meeting for agreement?

3) Could you confirm whether it's normal to go almost 19 months without a formal meeting?

4) Could you confirm the process for another independent user group to join this forum?

I thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Hedley

Freedom Info, Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your e-mail. I will make further enquiries and respond direct to you in relation to questions 1 and 2.With respect, I don’t believe questions 3 and 4 are appropriate questions from an FOI perspective but I will pass them to the appropriate department and ask that they respond to you direct.

Yours faithfully

Colin Whittle
Head of Legal Services

Nexus, Nexus House, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4AX
Telephone 0191 2033239 / Fax 0191 2033180

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Freedom Info, Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive

Dear Sir,

I refer to our previous correspondence and respond following your numbering(with apologies for the delay in responding);

1. PTUG, along with Passenger Focus and Bus Users UK, were consultees to the Bus Strategy consultation; the meeting took place to allow PTUG to ask questions about the Quality Contracts Scheme proposal in order to allow it to formulate a response. Similar meetings have taken place with a number of consultees.

2. It was an informal meeting as there is no formal process applicable to PTUG or other passenger organisations. The minutes were among a number of files corrupted by a server failure.

3. There is no formal process or schedule of meetings applicable to PTUG or other passenger organisations. Meetings have taken place at intervals that parties consider timely and practical. Nexus seeks to maintain regular contact and we would seek to hold regular liaison meetings in future.

4. PTUG have a website through which it can be contacted should you wish to become involved with that organisation. Nexus holds meetings with a wide range of community groups and would be interested to hear from any new groups to arrange appropriate contact. Nexus has a team of Community Relations Officers whose job it is to engage with groups right across our community, particularly those whose voice sometimes struggles to be heard. The team also stage events in the community and keep people informed when new services are planned, services are changing or engineering work on Metro is taking place. To get in touch with a Community Relations Officer directly please use our 'contact us' portal.

Yours Faithfully

Colin Whittle
Head of Legal Services

Nexus, Nexus House, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4AX
Telephone 0191 2033239 / Fax 0191 2033180

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