Department for Transport

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) reported a net deficit of £8.778m in its accounts for the 2024/25 financial year. Income was reported at £22.252m against costs of £31.031m

The hourly rate charged by the VCA for technical work has not increased since 2006.

Chapter 6 of Managing Public Money, instructs government agencies that the standard approach is to “…set charges to recover full costs”, the intention of which is to “…make sure that the government neither profits at the expense of consumers nor makes a loss for taxpayers to subsidise it.”

Over 80% of eligible local authorities have applied to the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant, launched in August last year, and nearly all grants have been issued. Local authorities are beginning to launch schemes for their residents. Over time the funding will support the installation of thousands of pavement channels across England, helping residents benefit from convenient charging and domestic electricity tariffs. Government will continue to support local authorities to deliver through guidance, promotion of best practice and one-to-one support.

Over 80% of eligible local authorities have applied to the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant, launched in August last year, and nearly all grants have been issued. Local authorities are beginning to launch schemes for their residents. Over time the funding will support the installation of thousands of pavement channels across England, helping residents benefit from convenient charging and domestic electricity tariffs. Government will continue to support local authorities to deliver through guidance, promotion of best practice and one-to-one support.

The Government response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse committed to legislate to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licensing. As a first step, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national standards for taxi and PHV licensing and to enable the suspension, with immediate effect, of any licence issued by any authority in whose area it is being used if such action is needed to protect public safety.

If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England and provide licensing authorities with greater powers to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.

The Department continues to consider further options for reform, including out-of-area working and enforcement. We need to ensure that taxis and PHVs are able to work in a way that facilitates the journeys passengers want and need to make, in a consistently safe way, whilst achieving the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.

The Government is currently consulting on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and PHV licensing. Administering licensing across larger areas would further increase consistency in licensing and enable better resourced authorities to make better use of their current and proposed enforcement powers.

Whilst the UK Cruise Growth Plan is focused on boosting the cruise industry’s economic impact, it sits alongside the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, through which we will work together with the cruise industry on shared ambitions and policy development.

The Department understands that discussions continue between Chiltern Railways and the relevant trade unions on the operational arrangements for the first phase of East West Rail. Once this has been resolved, and other preparatory works on the trains and infrastructure have been completed, it will be possible to determine an expected start date for the new services.

UK seafarers are trained to use back up navigation systems, including celestial navigation for deep sea voyages and radar and visual fixing techniques in coastal waters, along with all other standard navigational aids. Training on recognising and responding to GPS jamming and spoofing is also an integral part of the competency requirements for those working toward a UK Certificate of Competency.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of integration of voice-activated Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in consumer vehicles. Applicable legislation concerning safety, data protection and consumer protection still applies irrespective of the use of AI. The Department recently bolstered this by mandating internationally recognised requirements for vehicle cyber security that it helped develop. It also continues to work internationally to understand the risks from AI in automotive applications and how they could be managed or mitigated.

Officials from the Department for Transport are working closely with Network Rail to produce their new 'Future Electric Railway' strategy. This strategy will include an examination of the whole life costs and technological capability of each option to remove diesel traction in order to set out a realistic, affordable, and deliverable approach to a net zero railway. This strategy will also complement the Department’s ‘Rolling Stock and Infrastructure’ strategy to identify the correct solution for upgrading both track and train as required. We anticipate both strategies being published mid-2026.

Yes, working with the industry the Government has assessed the factors influencing women’s participation in the rail industry and has identified areas to broaden participation. Areas include, for example, representation in leadership roles, flexible working patterns and increasing awareness of the range of rail careers available. Research in this area continues to guide the Government’s work with the rail sector to ensure a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The Government continues to work with arm’s length bodies and industry partners to deliver targeted outreach to increase women’s participation in rail careers. This includes early career engagement programmes, apprenticeship pathways, and outreach in schools and universities to promote rail as an appealing career choice.

According to the National Skills Academy for Rail 2025 Annual Workforce Survey, 18.9 per cent of the UK rail workforce is female.

The rail industry is expanding access for women through school and university outreach, targeted recruitment, improved welfare and facilities and more inclusive policies. There are also industry initiatives to help attract, retain, and progress women into skilled and leadership roles, including apprenticeship schemes and mentoring and leadership programmes from Women in Rail and Rail Unites for Inclusion, which continue to see record engagement.

We do not hold official data on attrition of women in the rail industry. However, industry insights highlight a range of factors that can influence retention including representation in senior roles, inclusive workplace culture and access to flexible or job share opportunities.

Through the creation of Great British Railways, we are actively establishing a more inclusive, modern culture, increasing representation to better attract and retain a diverse workforce.

The case to build or restore railway services over this alignment should first be assessed and supported by the local transport authority, who should relate the proposal to growth, jobs and homes in the area. As part of that assessment, whether the previous route is available for reuse and to what extent should be assessed at a high level. The local transport authority can then take a view about the practicability of using the route. My Department would only safeguard the route if there was a reasonable long-term prospect of the scheme having a business case and being funded.

UK SHORE funding is open to organisations in all four nations of the UK. There has been at least one project involving businesses from Northern Ireland in each round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competitions, and we anticipate Northern Irish businesses will apply for both the seventh round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC7) and second round of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition (ZEVI2). Prospective applicants can seek further information from Innovate UK who are running roadshow events on the funding across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

Delivering greener transport is a departmental priority and we are focused on supporting a range of sustainable travel choices for people using public and private transport. More opportunities to walk, wheel and cycle will create happier and healthier communities and supporting the transition to electric vehicles will make our transport system cleaner and more resilient. Recent actions include:

• Announced on 25 March, the multi-year Depot Charging Scheme and Zero Emission Van and Truck Grants are providing a £1 billion boost for British businesses to roll out clean trucks and vans and install new electric vehicle chargers at depots – helping to build resilience against fuel price uncertainty.
• The Electric Car Grant has already helped over 80,000 drivers to choose an electric vehicle since launching last year.
• A £4 million boost to the NHS chargepoint scheme has helped modernise the health service, will decarbonise 460 million journey miles a year and save millions in fuel costs.
• In March 2026 we announced up to £73 million in additional funding to support the delivery of approximately 484 zero emission buses across 10 projects in England, on top of £38 million announced last April.
• The Bus Services Act 2025 will place a requirement on bus operators not to use new diesel buses on local bus routes in England. It will not take effect prior to 2030 so that the sector has time to plan a smooth transition. We are currently engaging with the bus sector as to the date.
• A freeze on rail fares, saving passengers £600 million and easing cost‑of‑living pressures as we rebuild a better and more reliable railway with passengers at its heart through Great British Railways.

The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.

The latest data on electric vehicle (EV) battery degradation suggests the majority of EV batteries comfortably exceed warranty thresholds. The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and the Government’s Electric Car Grant require manufacturers to provide battery warranties of at least eight years or 100,000 miles, ensuring EVs and their batteries have long useable lives, including in the second-hand market.

The Government recognises public perceptions around battery health have impacted consumer sentiment relating to used EVs. To strengthen consumer confidence, particularly in second-hand EV purchases, the Government is exploring options to adopt regulations which would provide consumers with standardised, consumer accessible information on EV batteries’ state of health.

As of March 2025, there are over 118,000 public chargers across the UK. Both the 2024 NAO ‘public chargepoints for electric vehicles’ report, and the Climate Change Committee 2025 Progress report, concluded that charge point rollout is on track.

The majority of public chargepoints will be delivered by industry, who have already committed £6 billion of private sector investment before 2030. The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities in England to leverage significant private investment and is expected to deliver over 100,000 further local public charge points.

We are confident that the Grid can support the transition to EVs. The National Energy System Operator is investing over £58 billion to modernise and expand the electricity network.

The Department does not hold data on average or individual replacement battery costs for electric vehicles.

The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) includes funding to enable National Highway to continue delivering on its 2030 Water Quality Plan, and to mitigate pollution from a total of 190 – 250 drainage assets (outfalls and soakaways) that pose the greatest pollution risk.

The Government has committed £7.5 billion over the next decade to support industry and the public as they transition to zero emission vehicles.

This includes the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which has already supported over 80,000 drivers who have benefited from discounts of up to £3,750 across more than 40 models. This also includes the £600 million funding to support the rollout of charging infrastructure, with 118,321 public chargers installed already as of 1 March 2026.

The Department, through the Rail North Partnership (RNP), has regular discussions with Northern Trains and stakeholders on the adequacy of services. We expect operators, in this case Northern, to develop timetables that best match capacity and frequency to passenger demand, taking into account operational sustainability and value for taxpayers.

RNP would be happy to look at any proposal around services based on local or regional priorities put forward by the Mayoral Authority as part of their Local Transport Plans. RNP will also contact the Hon Member for a meeting to discuss services to Reddish South.

The Government is not planning to re-open the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator to new applications.

On 25 March, Government announced £1 billion in funding to support the rollout of zero emission HGVs up to 2030, including the Zero Emission Truck and Van grants and the Depot Charging Scheme.

Department for Transport ministers and officials hold regular discussions with representatives from the logistics and haulage industry to understand the sector’s priorities, including the safety of drivers and overnight facilities.

Recent engagement with the sector includes the Road Haulage Association’s (RHA) parliamentary reception on the 10 February, where I met with industry representatives and heard about their concerns, including the safety of drivers.

I also chaired the Freight Council on the 11 February where industry representatives had the opportunity to raise concerns, including the safety of HGV drivers using overnight facilities.

More recently, on the 25 February I jointly hosted a freight roundtable with the Minister for Policing and Crime, which was attended by haulage sector, trade bodies and police representatives. Both the Minister for Policing and Crime and I heard directly from the sector on their concerns relating to freight crime, including at overnight HGV parking facilities.

E-bikes and e-scooters must comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 to be placed on the UK market.

While it is not illegal to sell an e-scooter for use on private land, retailers are breaking the law if they knowingly mislead a buyer or do not make the legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear. To provide a more proportionate and agile process for regulating e-scooters, the Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform when parliamentary time allows.

Regarding e-bikes, those that do not comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are treated as motor vehicles. They cannot therefore be legally used on the road unless they are approved and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, taxed and insured.

It is for the police to take enforcement action where such vehicles are used on the road illegally, and the Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

Regional investment levels will be assessed as part of the project bidding process, which operates through fair and open competition and is independently assessed. Since 2021, the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) has allocated £260 million in funding to over 200 projects in all 12 regions and nations of the UK, and we expect similar coverage for the recently announced £271m.

To ensure the funding is widely communicated and all regions benefit from the competitions, we are working through Innovate UK to host industry events across the country. Innovate UK hosted a national briefing event online on the 19th of March, where details of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 7 were shared. This event is open to all organisations who are interested in applying to the CMDC7 competition. Further events will be held for the Zero Emission and Vessel Infrastructure scheme.

All UK SHORE funding, including the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure scheme, is allocated through fair and open competition. Assessments of the bids will be made once the application window closes, 15 July for CMDC Round 7 and 16 September for ZEVI Round 2.

To date, UK SHORE funding has supported eleven different organisations in Essex, eight of which were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is out of a total of 500 businesses across the UK, including 250 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first two Clean Maritime Decarbonisation Competition (CMDC) rounds alone supported over 750 new and existing jobs. Ports in Essex have received £129,152 of UK SHORE funding to date.

All UK SHORE funding, including the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure scheme, is allocated through fair and open competition. Assessments of the bids will be made once the application window closes, 15 July for CMDC Round 7 and 16 September for ZEVI Round 2.

To date, UK SHORE funding has supported eleven different organisations in Essex, eight of which were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is out of a total of 500 businesses across the UK, including 250 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first two Clean Maritime Decarbonisation Competition (CMDC) rounds alone supported over 750 new and existing jobs. Ports in Essex have received £129,152 of UK SHORE funding to date.

All UK SHORE funding, including the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure scheme, is allocated through fair and open competition. Assessments of the bids will be made once the application window closes, 15 July for CMDC Round 7 and 16 September for ZEVI Round 2.

To date, UK SHORE funding has supported eleven different organisations in Essex, eight of which were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is out of a total of 500 businesses across the UK, including 250 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first two Clean Maritime Decarbonisation Competition (CMDC) rounds alone supported over 750 new and existing jobs. Ports in Essex have received £129,152 of UK SHORE funding to date.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold a record of instances reported to the police. However, since 1 March 2025, just under 28,000 immobilisation devices were unlawfully removed from a vehicle before the wheelclamping company returned to impound it and the vehicle was no longer present.

The methodology for the composite sustainability index (CSI) calculations is developed by Network Rail and is recognised by the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, as being a reliable and effective means to monitor the changing remaining life of railway infrastructure.

Rail asset age and condition, as determined via CSI and service affecting failures (SAFs) respectively, are shown in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1: CSI shift across Control Periods

Table 2: SAF shift across Control Periods

Network Rail will write to you on this issue and incorporate a response to your question into its response to a similar question asked previously by Jerome Mayhew MP.

In accordance with TUPE regulations, existing train operator staff transferring to the public-sector operator do so with their contractual terms and conditions protected. The trade unions (TUs) will be consulted at the earliest opportunity, if any changes to their members’ terms and conditions are being proposed as part of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR). In the meantime, we are keeping TU leaders informed on matters through the Rail Engagement Group.

Regarding pensions under GBR, I can confirm that we plan for the Railways Pension Scheme to continue to be the primary vehicle through which most rail employees build up their pension provision. The protections within the 1993 Railways Act remain unchanged by the Railways Bill currently going through parliament.

The scope of the Government Fleet Commitment relates to vehicles that are owned or leased by HMG, and to hire vehicles used for six days or more. Short term vehicle hires, which can happen at short notice, are subject to vehicle availability at the time and the policies of each hire company.

The Greening Government Commitments, which include the GFC, are currently under review to ensure that they remain aligned with Government priorities. Departments are expected to continue to take action to reduce their impact on the environment, including working with lease operators and hire companies to minimise the carbon intensity of their fleets and rental vehicles.

The analysis in question is a paper from a French research group that was published in a peer reviewed journal in 2018. The reference is:

Marechal M, Delbarre M, Tesson J et al. Color vision tests in pilots’ medical assessments. Aerosp Med Hum Perform August 2018; 89(8): 737-743.

The safety of hybrid-electric vehicles is of paramount importance to the Government and is kept under regular review.

According to data from Thatcham Research, 2022, which compares claims data from the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register against the number of that powertrain on the roads, hybrids are on average less likely to be involved in a fire than their petrol or diesel counterparts. The proportion of hybrids involved in fires per year is reported by Thatcham as 3 per 100,000, compared with petrol at 7 per 100,000 and diesel at 11 per 100,000.

There are stringent requirements already in place for hybrid vehicles (as there are for all road vehicles). UNECE Regulation No. 100, as applied in GB Type Approval, ensures hybrid EV (fire) safety through requirements to minimise fire risks associated with high-voltage components. The United Kingdom, along with international partners, plays an active role in the development of these regulations, which are informed by research and data from across the world.

The same research indicates that the risk of fire is lower still in battery electric vehicles - 1 per 100,000 per year.

The functions in scope to transfer from DfT to DFTO include the majority of the Rail Services Group, as well as a small number of teams in the Rail Reform and Strategy Group and the Corporate Delivery Group.

The majority of roles transferring relate to rail policy, rail operations and rail contracting functions, with the exception of a few supporting and administrative roles. The final number of people transferring may change before 1 April due to new joiners and leavers in the 210 roles currently in scope to transfer.

None of the roles in scope to transfer are newly created, as the transition to public ownership is delivered through existing teams, including the Public Ownership Programme Directorate.

In preparation for the transfer the Department has mobilised a new sponsorship model and team, ensuring capacity in the Department and a simplified interface with DFTO.

The law allows vehicle keeper information to be released to local authorities and private parking companies to allow them to follow up alleged parking contraventions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) provides the information as a first point of contact to help the local authority or parking company establish where liability may lie. Controls are in place to help ensure that the information is requested and used appropriately.

When a local authority or parking company has been provided with vehicle keeper information, they become the controller of the personal data and are responsible for complying with their data protection obligations. This includes the requirement not to retain data for longer than is necessary.

The DVLA also maintains record of disclosures from the vehicle record in order to fulfil its own data protection obligations.

The law requires driving licence holders or applicants to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any medical condition that may affect their fitness to drive. The DVLA also considers relevant notifications received from third parties including the police, healthcare professionals and concerned relatives and friends.

Where appropriate, the DVLA will assess the information provided and if required, carry out a medical investigation. If an investigation is to be carried out, this will include asking the driver to complete a medical questionnaire and to provide authorisation for their medical professional(s) to provide information to the DVLA if necessary. A licensing decision will only be made after sufficient clinical evidence has been obtained.

When information is provided anonymously, the DVLA reviews it carefully before taking any action and no steps are taken without informing the driver.

The DVLA treats all third-party notifications in confidence and does not disclose the identity of the individual who provided the information. Acting on these notifications helps address situations where individuals may fail to notify the DVLA of a relevant medical condition themselves, either deliberately or due to a lack of awareness about their ability to continue to drive safely.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.