Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the economic growth in the Humber since the 2012 decision to halve tolls on the Humber Bridge.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Humber Bridge is owned by the Humber Bridge Board and any economic assessment of the impact of the tolls is a matter for the Board. Since the reduction of the tolls, 9.8 million trips were made across the Bridge in 2017/18, 52% more than in 2012. 92% of these were cars, suggesting a large increase in commuting across the river.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timescale is for permanently ceasing operation of Pacer trains on Northern Rail franchise routes.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Northern is planning to remove the first Pacer in August, and is working to remove all the Pacers by the end of the year.
Our absolute priority is ensuring passengers in the north benefit from new trains, more services and increased capacity as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all road users have adequate vision.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
All drivers must be able to meet the required visual acuity and visual field standards, which includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres. Drivers are legally responsible for notifying the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at any time of a change in their health or vision which may affect their ability to meet the appropriate standards. The DVLA investigates all such notifications.
The Government fully supports the NHS’s recommendation that adults should have their eyes tested every two years. The DVLA runs regular national eyesight awareness campaigns to encourage drivers to take the number plate test and highlight the importance of having regular eyesight tests. These campaigns are promoted across a number of social media channels and in partnership with key stakeholders and charities.
On 22 November, the Government published its response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Safety Review, including a 50 point action plan for the next two years. As part of this plan, the DVLA will encourage drivers to check their eyesight regularly, and consider the needs of vulnerable road users.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on public safety of driverless vehicles.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Connected and automated vehicle technologies offer many potential benefits including improved road traffic safety. In 2016, 86% of collisions on British roads were caused by human error, and we believe that connected and automated vehicle technologies could help reduce that number. The UK Code of Practice supports developers to undertake safe tests of automated vehicle technologies.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to roll-out superfast charging infrastructure to rural areas.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
We want people across the country to have the opportunity to make the move to electric vehicles (EVs). The vast majority of EV drivers choose to charge their cars at home, overnight, or increasingly at the workplace, but public charging is still important.
Higher powered charging technology (above 150 kW) has been developed in response to increasing sizes of car batteries, and although no EV models that can currently charge at that rate are commercially available in the UK, they are expected to be later this year. Some vehicle manufacturers, such as the Ionity group, are already investing in order to make these high powered chargers publicly available.
The UK already has more than 900 rapid chargepoints, one of the largest networks in Europe. The Government has put in place a range of grant schemes to support the installation of charging infrastructure - on-street, off-street and at workplaces that are available in any urban or rural areas UK-wide. In addition, under the Government’s Go Ultra Low City Scheme £22.9m has been allocated to support the installation of infrastructure currently being procured and installed in several UK cities and surrounding rural areas. One of these cities, York, is currently exploring the installation of high-powered charging.
At Autumn Budget 2017, the Chancellor announced a new £400m electric vehicle Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund. This funding could include supporting rapid chargers in both rural and urban areas, and more detail on how the Fund will be administered will be published in due course. The Government is also taking powers through the Automated and Electric Vehicle Bill to ensure the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure at key locations like motorway service areas and large fuel stations, which again could involve both urban and more rural areas.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to roll-out superfast charging infrastructure to rural areas.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
We want people across the country to have the opportunity to make the move to electric vehicles (EVs). The vast majority of EV drivers choose to charge their cars at home, overnight, or increasingly at the workplace, but public charging is still important.
Higher powered charging technology (above 150 kW) has been developed in response to increasing sizes of car batteries, and although no EV models that can currently charge at that rate are commercially available in the UK, they are expected to be later this year. Some vehicle manufacturers, such as the Ionity group, are already investing in order to make these high powered chargers publicly available.
The UK already has more than 900 rapid chargepoints, one of the largest networks in Europe. The Government has put in place a range of grant schemes to support the installation of charging infrastructure - on-street, off-street and at workplaces that are available in any urban or rural areas UK-wide. In addition, under the Government’s Go Ultra Low City Scheme £22.9m has been allocated to support the installation of infrastructure currently being procured and installed in several UK cities and surrounding rural areas. One of these cities, York, is currently exploring the installation of high-powered charging.
At Autumn Budget 2017, the Chancellor announced a new £400m electric vehicle Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund. This funding could include supporting rapid chargers in both rural and urban areas, and more detail on how the Fund will be administered will be published in due course. The Government is also taking powers through the Automated and Electric Vehicle Bill to ensure the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure at key locations like motorway service areas and large fuel stations, which again could involve both urban and more rural areas.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will follow the 2018 Year of Engineering campaign with further campaigns to engage young people with engineering.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Inspiring the next generation of engineers is crucially important to the UK economy. The Department for Transport is working across government, the Professional Engineering Institutions and industry partners to create not only engaging and inspiring activity for the Year of Engineering 2018 itself, but also to identify and manage its legacy beyond 2018. The aspiration is for the campaign brand ‘Engineering: Take a Closer Look’ and website, with its events calendar and wealth of case studies and teaching resources, to live beyond 2018.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of pedestrians who have been involved in accidents caused by a person cycling on a pavement.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for Transport only collects data for those collisions which involve personal injury and are reported to the police.
The latest figures available are for Great Britain for 2016, where there were 96 reported pedestrian casualties located on a footway or verge involved in a collision with a pedal cyclist.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the powers available to local authorities to regulate and manage bike-share schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Local authorities currently have no powers to regulate bike-share schemes in their areas, but they have powers to act if bicycles, including shared bicycles, are causing an obstruction or nuisance. The Department has received representations to the effect that local authorities would find it useful to have the power to regulate these schemes, and is continuing to discuss possible ways forward with stakeholders.