Department for Transport

The Government has confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This funding includes a £3 million Bus Franchising Support Fund in 2026/27 for Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the process of developing and implementing bus franchising schemes which is designed to aid transition. We have also allocated further funding of approximately £10 million per year until 2029 to a franchising support package for local authorities that are actively seeking to transition to a franchised network.

In addition, we are providing multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. This funding can be used to support bus services, including by those local authorities who are transitioning to franchised networks.

The Government also makes available over £240 million per year for bus operators through the longstanding Bus Services Operators Grant (BSOG) to continue running and protect existing services. Responsibility for payment of the BSOG is devolved to any LTA transitioning to franchising, and a share of the national BSOG budget will be transferred to the authority.

On operator performance, we expect operators to provide the service they have advertised. Where operators are consistently not providing this, the Traffic Commissioner can take action, including fines or suspending the operating licence.

The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published later this year.

The published Department for Transport annual report and accounts 2024/2025 included the £2.6m lease cost write-off. The breakdown comprised of approximately £900k in 2023/2024 and approximately £1.7m in 2024/2025. The costs were for rolling stock contracted payments to the Rolling Stock Company (ROSCO).

Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including repairing defects such as potholes. Data on the number of potholes repaired by each local highway authority during the last five years is published in authorities’ highways maintenance transparency reports.

The record £7.3 billion funding settlement over the next four years will bring annual funding for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes to over £2 billion annually, doubling annual funding by 2029-30 compared to 2024-25 levels. This funding increase is enough to enable local authorities to fill millions of additional potholes in each year of this Parliament when compared to 2024-25. At the same time, the Department is also expecting local highway authorities to adopt best practice in highways maintenance, which includes a greater focus on preventative maintenance so that fewer potholes form in the first place and a greater focus on permanent pothole repairs to reduce the need for repeated and more costly temporary repairs.

The Department for Transport continues to support innovation in the local highways sector by creating the conditions for the safe and evidence‑based adoption of new approaches, while leaving decisions on specific technologies to local highway authorities. This includes providing a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years.

In addition, through the £30 million Live Labs 2 programme, the Department is helping local authorities trial innovative approaches to road maintenance, including the use of recycled plastic materials in resurfacing. As part of this programme, North Lanarkshire Council has trialled a technology that replaces traditional oil-based polymers with recycled plastic, reducing carbon emissions from asphalt production by up to 20% while maintaining durability. Further information on this is available online, at: https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/news/recycled-plastic-technology-used-uk-road-first-time.

The total funding provided to local authorities in each financial year since 2023/24 can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance estimated in its 2026 Survey that the average cost of repairing a pothole is £78.45. The funding increase for local highways maintenance that the Government has confirmed – doubling annual funding by 2029-30 compared to 2024-25 levels – will enable local highway authorities to repair millions of additional potholes in each year of this Parliament. At the same time, the Department is also expecting local highway authorities to adopt best practice in highways maintenance, which includes a greater focus on preventative maintenance so that fewer potholes form in the first place and a greater focus on permanent pothole repairs to reduce the need for repeated and more costly temporary repairs.

The Live Labs 2 programme is supported by a built‑in monitoring and evaluation period that runs beyond the programme’s delivery phase, which is yet to conclude.

Initial results published by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) already demonstrate tangible progress, including East Riding’s award‑winning deployment of AI‑based video analytics to inform low‑carbon lighting strategies, and early findings from the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, which has secured national recognition for its innovations in low‑carbon materials and asset management.

The Department has recently confirmed the extension of the Live Labs 2 programme for an additional year. This extension is to support wider uptake of project findings across local highway authorities, particularly in relation to innovative, low-carbon maintenance methods.

As stated in the answer to Question 117906 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold centrally a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response to customer demand and operational need. Recruitment is managed through ongoing and periodic national and regional campaigns rather than fixed monthly vacancy totals.

All driving examiner vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on the GOV.UK website and DVSA also publishes information about available career opportunities through its “Working for DVSA” pages on GOV.UK.

As part of this approach, DVSA has continued to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners, including a campaign launched in February 2026 advertising multiple driving examiner posts across the country. These campaigns are intended to address recruitment pressures and improve driving test capacity, particularly in areas with the greatest demand.

Network Rail is responsible for assessing and managing potential impacts that its infrastructure or activities may have on neighbouring properties. Where homeowners believe that damage may be linked to railway operations, assets or work, Network Rail has an established process for investigating claims and determining any contribution it may be liable to make.

The Department has not made a separate assessment of financial impacts on homeowners, as Network Rail’s processes follow existing legal and regulatory frameworks governing liability and compensation. These processes are designed to ensure that homeowners are not unfairly disadvantaged and that any required contributions from Network Rail are determined promptly and transparently.

The policies set out in the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy will encourage more shore power or alternative fuel availability for ferry operators, by incentivising investment in maritime decarbonisation across the UK and in our ports.

This Government will continue to work with Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, in its work to incentivise network companies to invest strategically ahead of need, ensuring that future grid capacity planning reflects the emerging demands from electrifying sectors, including the Isle of Wight ferry market.

Through our UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions research programme, we have awarded nearly £580k funding to support a feasibility study, which is looking into options for providing shore power for the existing Wightlink FastCat ferry service.

The Department for Transport holds regular discussions with the Home Office regarding freight crime and where it occurs.

Most recently, on 25 February, the Minister for Policing and Crime and I hosted a freight roundtable with representatives from the haulage sector, trade bodies and police in attendance. We heard directly from the sector on their concerns relating to freight crime.

The Home Office have engaged with police forces on how to make freight crime more visible within the police recorded crime statistics. A freight crime recording flag has been developed and is currently being piloted in two police forces. The results of the pilot will be assessed soon, any changes necessary will be made and, if successful, the flag will be rolled out across all forces in due course for mandatory collection.

The Department for Transport expects Network Rail to proactively and transparently engage with lineside neighbours who live close to major rail infrastructure works.

Network Rail’s established consultation and communication procedures require project teams to provide clear information to homeowners regarding the scope and timing of works, potential impacts, and any access requirements. In addition, where new statutory powers are required to construct new rail infrastructure, further details on the scope, approach and any proposed mitigations (in accordance with legal requirements for those mitigations) are set out as part of the application process. Those affected have the opportunity to review and provide representations on the proposals, before a decision is made by the Secretary of State to grant statutory powers in a legal Order.

Network Rail aims to minimise the impact of its works on adjoining neighbours. In the unlikely event that a neighbour considers damage has been caused as a result of Network Rail’s works, Network Rail has a standard process for those affected to set out, and evidence, the basis of their claim, which would then be considered.

Official statistics on train operator costs are published on the Office of Rail and Road portal.

Rail industry finance (UK) | ORR Data Portal

Rail industry finance (UK) – April 2024 to March 2025

Table 7223 – Franchised Passenger Train Operator Finances by Franchise(latest year) | ORR Data Portal

Once all services currently delivered under contract with the Department have transferred, public ownership is expected to save taxpayers up to an estimated £110-150 million every year on fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies.

This is several orders of magnitude less than the costs of scaling up DfTO staffing in anticipation of establishing GBR – as part of which we will be tackling waste and inefficiency across the fragmented railway we inherited.

The Government is confident in the steps being taken by the rail industry to enable 16 and 17 year olds to access Train Driving Level 3 Apprenticeships. New legislation to lower the minimum age to be a train driver from 20 to 18 will remove the main legal obstacle preventing train operators from recruiting 16- and 17 year olds into the profession, including via apprenticeships. The industry is working with Skills England to reduce the apprenticeship entry age from 18 to 17½, which will allow young people to begin classroom learning and supervised training before becoming eligible for a licence at 18. For 16 and 17 year olds, the industry is also developing preparatory routes, including a new rail foundation apprenticeship from age 16 and access courses to build the non-technical skills needed for driver selection.

The zero emission vehicle share of new cars registered in 2025 was 22.9% according to DfT's faster indicators of transport activity, updated March 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/developing-faster-indicators-of-transport-activity#:~:text=Cars%20and%20light%20goods%20vehicles%20registered%20for%20the%20first%20time%20by%20body%20type%20and%20fuel%20type

The Government last published projections for new zero emission vehicle sales in the Cost Benefit Analysis for the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2025. The Government regularly updates its analysis to account for changes in the market environment.

As part of the October 2023 Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), the Department for Transport published projections for the costs of zero emission cars and vans to 2050. The analysis can be found here :https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6554be55544aea000dfb2d59/zev-mandate-consultation-final-cost-benefit-analysis.pdf.

Public ownership is estimated to save taxpayers up to £110-150 million every year on fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies, once all services currently delivered under contract with the Department have transferred.

This information is available from external industry sources such as Zapmap, who estimate that the current average cost of rapid/ultra rapid public charging is around 76p/kWh, as of February 2026. This price level has remained broadly constant over the past year. Average public charging price data is produced and published by Zapmap here: https://www.zapmap.com/ev-stats/charging-price-index.

The Department does not intend to publish further details on the estimates on level of support per rail passenger journey. Data on the previous levels of support per rail passenger kilometre are available here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/ptafpcco/uk-rail-industry-finance-2425.pdf.

As Transport in London is devolved to TfL, it is for the Mayor of London to manage the impact of any strike action on London’s transport network. The Government encourages all sides to work together to resolve any disputes as quickly as possible.

The Department has considered this and has no plans to publish the details of internal modelling or initial business case development which informed the savings from corporate initiatives in the Department’s Efficiency Plan.

My Department and I have continued to engage with the aviation sector throughout the conflict to understand the impacts on their operations, plans for minimising disruption, and the support they are providing to their customers. This collaboration and engagement included Ministerial attendance at the Third Aviation Council meeting and direct engagement with all major UK airlines, airports and key foreign carriers. My Department and I have worked in tandem with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and airlines, to ensure that any British Nationals who wish to leave the region can, through both commercial routes and repatriation flights supported by the Government.

There are no current plans to publish a national strategy on HGV parking and welfare facilities.

The Department for Transport has commissioned a National Survey of Lorry Parking which is currently underway. The survey will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision and is scheduled to be published in the autumn.

The survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the design of the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme. With industry, this scheme is delivering up to £35.7 million in joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. The scheme is helping to improve driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security and decarbonisation. This investment is on top of up to £30 million investment by National Highways and industry at truck stops and motorway service areas along the strategic road network.

The government is prioritising improvements to the planning system. Strengthened policy on freight and logistics has been proposed in the recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to improve the consideration of freight, including lorry parking, in the planning system.

The Government takes national security seriously and works closely with the transport sector and others to understand and respond to vulnerabilities for all transport modes.

UK SHORE funding is open to organisations in all four nations of the UK, including Northern Ireland which is subject to the Windsor Framework. 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). For full details of the subsidy control and eligibility criteria, prospective applicants will be able to seek further information from Innovate UK who are running roadshow events on the funding across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

UK SHORE funding is open to organisations in all four nations of the UK, including Northern Ireland which is subject to the Windsor Framework. 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). For full details of the subsidy control and eligibility criteria, prospective applicants will be able to seek further information from Innovate UK who are running roadshow events on the funding across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

The Government published a consultation on motoring offences alongside the Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026. It is split into four sections, exploring drink and drug driving, non-seatbelt use, failure to stop and report, and introducing new penalties for certain offences and other road traffic matters, including whether the minimum penalties for driving without motor insurance should be increased.

Once the Motoring Offences Consultation concludes, we will confirm any changes to the policy on penalties for driving uninsured.

The timelines for bringing forward any changes, including those relating to uninsured driving, will then depend on legislative time.

The Secretary of State has made no such assessment. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for insurers, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles.

The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in charge of a vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate and will consider whether legislative changes are needed to strengthen DVLA’s regulatory and enforcement powers. The DVLA works with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council on enforcement activity to tackle the criminal use of non-compliant number plates.

The Government keeps the legislative framework for registration plates under review, including whether further measures are needed. It is already an offence to display a registration mark that does not comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.

The DVLA is considering options to strengthen and audit the Register of Number Plate Suppliers. DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards on compliance activity and investigations. Officials engage regularly with DVLA and policing partners, including police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, on the prevalence and enforcement of non-compliant plates, including show plates.

The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles.

The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in charge of a vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate and will consider whether legislative changes are needed to strengthen DVLA’s regulatory and enforcement powers. The DVLA works with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council on enforcement activity to tackle the criminal use of non-compliant number plates.

The Government keeps the legislative framework for registration plates under review, including whether further measures are needed. It is already an offence to display a registration mark that does not comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.

The DVLA is considering options to strengthen and audit the Register of Number Plate Suppliers. DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards on compliance activity and investigations. Officials engage regularly with DVLA and policing partners, including police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, on the prevalence and enforcement of non-compliant plates, including show plates.

As stated in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government has made a commitment to pursue legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows.

We understand the importance of now providing a clear legislative timeline and we are working with colleagues across government to deliver this. We will provide an update when a timeline has been agreed.

Like other road users, cyclists are required to comply with road traffic law in the interest of their own safety and that of other road users. Cycling on the pavement and on footpaths is an offence under Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835, other than in designated areas such as on bridleways and shared use routes.

Rule 64 of The Highway Code states that you must not cycle on a pavement.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, more work is needed to raise overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.

The Department for Transport has had no such discussions with Holyhead Port Authorities; however, we understand that the closure was the result of a technical issue with a vessel, which blocked a key berth and prevented other vessels from operating. As transport in Wales is devolved, it is for the Welsh Government to decide what steps may be necessary. In 2025 the Welsh Government established the Irish Sea Resilience Taskforce, and the Department for Transport continues to engage with and support the taskforce’s work alongside the port to strengthen resilience and operational readiness.

We are currently reviewing the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) and plan to consult on a revised ANPS in July 2026. The Department also plans to publish updated aviation passenger forecasts alongside the consultation. These forecasts will take account of the potential impact of the building of a third runway at Heathrow on flights from non-London airports. As part of the review of the ANPS, the Department is also considering domestic connectivity from Heathrow.

Construction enabling works for the Lower Thames Crossing have now begun on both sides of the River Thames. Ground works are underway to create haul roads and site compounds. Site compounds are under construction and utility works have commenced with connections to these. Ecological and archaeological works are also ongoing, as are extensive pre-construction surveys.

The project continues to progress through the required assurance and governance processes. The next iteration of the business case will be developed ahead of seeking private sector investment.

The project follows the standard Five Case Business Case model used for government projects. Funding decisions continue to undergo rigorous scrutiny and appraisal in line with Department for Transport standards and HM Treasury Green Book principles. The economic dimension of the business case will keep assessing Value for Money alongside the other four dimensions.

I met with the car sharing sector in November to discuss challenges, opportunities, and how the Government can help create a supportive environment for car sharing services for people across the UK. As part of this, I heard about the barriers facing different kinds of car sharing services, including peer-to-peer services. My Department is actively considering the experiences shared by stakeholders along with the wider evidence base to develop appropriate measures to support the sector.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times, including in Wales, and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Following a recent recruitment campaign, one new entrant driving examiner has recently started in Monmouth and is currently undertaking training.

Eight new entrant driving examiners are scheduled to start training in May and June. Following successful completion of training, one will be joining Abergavenny test centre, two for Merthyr Tydfil, two for Newport, two for Swansea and one will be joining Llanelli test centre.

A further eight offers of employment have been made, which are still in pre-employment checks, for Cardiff, Newport, Bridgend, Swansea, Llanelli and Carmarthen test centre.

National Highways is responsible for setting pay awards that are both affordable and aligned within its overall RIS3 budget. During 2022, the organisation awarded a larger pay deal compared to the core Civil Service and as such took the decision to not offer the £1500 non-consolidated payment.

The Government is committed to supporting the long-term strength and competitiveness of our bus manufacturing sector. In March 2025, the Minister for Roads and Buses launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, bringing together industry experts and local leaders to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. A key objective of the panel is to develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector and UK-based manufacturers. This pipeline has been published at: 10-year zero emission bus order pipeline - GOV.UK.

Separately, on 12 March 26, my Department announced an additional £73.2 million of funding for 484 zero emission buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area Programme (ZEBRA) for which UK manufacturers have already won the majority of orders for the 2,500 buses delivered so far.

We are also providing further opportunities for UK manufacturers with the £15.6 billion of funding available over five years to improve local transport across some of the biggest city regions, giving local leaders the ability to allocate funding to upgrade and decarbonise their fleets.

The driver licensing framework in Great Britain is designed to be balanced and proportionate. Drivers of all ages are legally required to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition, or if an existing condition worsens, that may affect their ability to drive.

Driving licences expire at the age of 70 and must be renewed every three years thereafter. This renewal process provides a regular opportunity for older drivers to consider their health and fitness to drive, recognising that health and vision may deteriorate with age.

All drivers are responsible for ensuring that they meet the statutory eyesight standards, including the use of corrective lenses where required. Where a driver declares a medical condition that may affect vision, the DVLA may require a vision assessment, which can be accessed for free at Specsavers. These examinations are conducted in accordance with DVLA specifications to determine whether the legal visual standards are met. Drivers can submit the results of an eyesight test done by another optician as long as it includes an ‘Esterman visual test’.

Depending on the outcome of the assessment and the information provided, a driver may retain their licence, be issued with a time-limited licence subject to ongoing review, or where an individual does not meet the required standards, their driving licence will be revoked or their application refused.

Further information on the eyesight standards for driving is available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules. The Department for Transport is currently consulting on proposals to introduce mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-strategy and https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-mandatory-eyesight-testing-for-older-drivers.

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.

Three workshops were held on the floating bus stop guidance, one in-person (17 November 2025) and two online (18 and 24 November 2025). All three workshops were facilitated by Transport for All and attended by officials from the Department and ATE. They consisted of facilitated discussions about the draft guidance.

The groups attending and representing the interests of disabled people were Guide Dogs, Mencap, Motability Foundation, Transport for All and Wheels for Wellbeing. Age UK represented issues affecting older people, including mobility and accessibility. Seventeen disabled people with lived experience attended, representing eight different impairment types and using 12 types of mobility aids. Other groups represented included the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling and Walking, Bikeability Trust, Campaign for Better Transport, Confederation of Passenger Transport, Cycling UK, Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, Policy Connect, and Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.

Officials from the department held meetings online to discuss the guidance with representatives from the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) on 9 June 2025 and 19 January 2026, with Guide Dogs on 17 October 2025, and with Living Streets on 22 October 2025.

All of the above organisations and the Royal National Institute of Blind People, were asked to comment on the draft guidance, circulated via email, from 26 November to 2 December 2025. The department and ATE also sought feedback from the Urban Transport Group, Transport for London, and ATE’s Technical Oversight and Advisory Group.

A full list of those involved in the consultation process is included in the guidance: www.gov.uk/government/publications/floating-bus-stops-provision-and-design/floating-bus-stops-provision-and-design#consultation-requirements.

In developing transport safety policy, the Government draws on a broad range of evidence to support policy development and decisions. This includes using existing independent evidence where it is sourced from robust and reliable research, alongside commissioning specific Government-funded studies when necessary to fill evidence gaps or complement and corroborate existing findings.