All 1 Debates between Earl Attlee and Viscount Tenby

Railways: Level Crossings

Debate between Earl Attlee and Viscount Tenby
Thursday 15th March 2012

(12 years, 7 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My Lords, the biggest problem with level crossing safety is the behaviour of pedestrians, particularly when they get distracted. All four fatalities that occurred last year were behaviour-related and almost exclusively involved a distraction problem. The best thing that Network Rail can do is to educate people, so that sounds like rather a good strategy on its part.

Viscount Tenby Portrait Viscount Tenby
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My Lords, is the Minister satisfied that the legislation regarding people who deliberately flout the regulations on level crossings is sufficiently draconian?

Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My Lords, the noble Viscount’s question links in very well with that of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner. It is of course a very serious motoring offence to zigzag around the barriers, but you need to have the evidence to prosecute. The noble Viscount makes a good point, and that is what we are working on.