Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that bus operators are incentivised to invest in new vehicles when franchising is an option open to local authorities after plans for the devolution of that policy are implemented.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Local transport authority with access to bus franchising powers will wish to ensure that local operators are aware of their intentions, so that investment decisions can be taken and services continue to be provided in the best interests of passengers
Any authority that chooses to implement franchising will have the ability to specify its requirements of operators as part of any franchise contract. This could include requirements relating to the standards of vehicles to be used by operators.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will estimate the number of private hire cabs granted their licence by one local authority operating predominantly in a different local authority area.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department does not hold this information as licensing enforcement is a matter for local licensing authorities. The crucial point about the lawful operation of private hire vehicles is that a licensed private hire operator must, when fulfilling a booking, use vehicles and drivers licensed by the same local licensing authority as granted the operator licence. Actual journeys can start outside, or go beyond, or be wholly outside, the local authority's boundary.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what evaluation his Department has made of the costs and benefits of linking the proposed phase two of High Speed 2 to the West Coast Main Line at Crewe instead of at Golborne junction.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Strategic Case for HS2 published on 29 October 2013 sets out the business case for proceeding with HS2. It shows that the Y-shaped network including the connections to the West Coast Main Line at both Crewe and Golborne is expected to deliver around £2.30 of benefits (including Wider Economic Impacts) for every £1 spent. The Department has not estimated the case for the Y-shaped route for High Speed 2 without these connections. However, HS2 Ltd examined the possibility of only linking High Speed 2 to the West Coast Main Line at Crewe, and eliminating the junction at Golborne. They identified significant constraints in the West Coast Main Line north of Crewe and additional works would be required here as the line is intensively used by fast long-distance services, slower stopping trains and freight, causing significant timetabling constraints. Taking into account the levels of growth being experienced to date, both in terms of passenger and freight traffic, the West Coast Main Line would not be able to cope with the overall volume of services required. Therefore the section of line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong culminating in the Golborne connection is likely to offer very high value for money when compared against the alternative connection at Crewe and associated WCML modification work.