A small group ofCountyCouncillorsare undertaking a scrutiny review of the highways maintenance services provided for the County Council by Ringway Jacobs Ltd. These services include resurfacing roads, fixing potholes, grass-cutting, road safety, gulley/drain clearance, winter maintenance, and cycle lanes. Scrutiny is led by Councillors and examines services provided by the Council and other public sector organisations.

The purpose of the review is to examine the effectiveness of Ringway Jacobs in providing these services, including making the service more efficient, improving quality of services, and the public satisfaction with and perception of these services. The review is not focused on bus services in the County as this has been examined by Councillors over the last year.

As part of the scrutiny review, the Councillors involved have had discussions with the management of Transport for Bucks services, staff from the Council’s Contact Centre who take customer issues and complaints, and Local Area Technicians who work locally to identify highways maintenance issues. In addition, the review has received evidence from Parish Councils, Local Area Forums and Transport User Groups.

The review are interested to gather wider views to inform the final report to the County Council’s Cabinet in January 2012 including the highways and transport views of older people. Answers to the following questions would be extremely useful. These questions are presented overleaf with space to make comments.

• Are there particular interests or issues unique to older people relevant to highways services? For example, unsafe or blocked pavements?

• Who do older people contact to report a highways issue, for example about grass-cutting or zebra crossings? Do older people prefer to write to or phone the Council, or contact their local Councillor, or contact a group like Citizen’s Advice Bureau?

• Do older people feel confident raising highways services issues? Are options to make a complaint readily known, for example the County Council’s phone number?

• What improvements to Transport for Buckinghamshire services would older people like to raise to the review?

Please post your comments to:

Ben Cahill, Scrutiny Team, Room G9, NewCountyOffices, Buckinghamshire County Council,Aylesbury,HP20 1AU.

Or email them to:  scrutiny@bucks.gov.uk