Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraphs 8.1 to 8.5 of his Department's guidance entitled, Inclusive Mobility: A guide to best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure, published in December 2021, if he will publish updated guidance on the design of regular parking spaces to increase accessibility for disabled people who are not blue badge holders.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My officials have ongoing discussions with the British Parking Association on a variety of issues. The Department has no current plans for increasing the minimum size for on-street car parking bays to accommodate larger vehicles.
The minimum size of on-street parking bays is regulated through the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Local authorities may already provide larger bays if they wish.
The design of off-street car park facilities is governed by Building Regulations which specify requirements in relation to accessibility, structural design and fire safety.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the British Parking Association on the potential (a) merits of amending guidelines on the statutory minimum size of parking bays and (b) impact of increasing the size of parking bays on disabled people.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My officials have ongoing discussions with the British Parking Association on a variety of issues. The Department has no current plans for increasing the minimum size for on-street car parking bays to accommodate larger vehicles.
The minimum size of on-street parking bays is regulated through the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Local authorities may already provide larger bays if they wish.
The design of off-street car park facilities is governed by Building Regulations which specify requirements in relation to accessibility, structural design and fire safety.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a minimum size for car parking bays to accommodate larger vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My officials have ongoing discussions with the British Parking Association on a variety of issues. The Department has no current plans for increasing the minimum size for on-street car parking bays to accommodate larger vehicles.
The minimum size of on-street parking bays is regulated through the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Local authorities may already provide larger bays if they wish.
The design of off-street car park facilities is governed by Building Regulations which specify requirements in relation to accessibility, structural design and fire safety.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the average timeframe for local authorities to enter into section 38 agreements from when they are first proposed.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold information on this matter. Local highway authorities do not have to inform the Department when they enter into agreements of this sort.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of pavement parking on (a) people living with visual impairments and (b) wheelchair users.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local Authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking. The Department consulted on additional measures to help councils across England tackle this problem.
The consultation asked specific questions around impairment and whether pavement parking had an impact on people leaving their homes.
We are currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them and as soon as those matters are certain we will publish our formal response. The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his response to his Department's consultation entitled Managing pavement parking, which closed on 22 November 2020.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local Authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking. The Department consulted on additional measures to help councils across England tackle this problem.
The consultation asked specific questions around impairment and whether pavement parking had an impact on people leaving their homes.
We are currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them and as soon as those matters are certain we will publish our formal response. The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle pavement parking on a national level.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local Authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking. The Department consulted on additional measures to help councils across England tackle this problem.
The consultation asked specific questions around impairment and whether pavement parking had an impact on people leaving their homes.
We are currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them and as soon as those matters are certain we will publish our formal response. The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points in (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is supporting local authorities in England through its £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. Central Bedfordshire Council has been allocated over £1.4 million in capital funding to support the installation of EV chargepoints. Central Bedfordshire will also benefit from almost £350,00 of capability (resource) funding, which will secure dedicated in-house expertise to support authorities to plan, procure and tender the delivery of local chargepoints.
In addition, the council has been awarded £456,883 for 63 chargepoints through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, which is available to all local authorities in the UK.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of train services in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The pandemic has changed travel habits and all operators are required to continually review their services to ensure they are providing a timetable that is appropriate to the latest passenger demand, is fit for the future, and carefully balances cost, capacity, and performance. GTR’s timetable matches the current levels of passenger demand.
A full timetable including a Saturday service resumption on the Marston Vale Line between Bedford and Bletchley is expected in early 2024, with driver training of the Class 150 trains well underway.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time to take a driving test is from the date of booking the test in Mid Bedfordshire constituency; and how many people are waiting to take a test in that constituency as of 6 December 2023.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards. To increase the number of available test slots, it is conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.
Since April 2021, measures put in place by the DVSA to reduce waiting times for its customers, together with the ongoing recruitment of driving examiners, is creating on average over 42,900 extra car test slots each month.
The DVSA has deployed all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to do driving tests from the beginning of October until the end of March, which will create around 150,000 additional test slots.
The DVSA is unable to calculate the waiting time for each constituent.