Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support local authorities to implement speed reductions in rural villages.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport issues best practice guidance on setting local speed limits. This is designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set, whilst allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and circumstances.
The guidance can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of regulation to help tackle third-party resellers charging inflated prices for driving test appointments.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.
On the 18 December 2024, DVSA launched a call for evidence, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, including any potential future legislative changes. On the 23 April the Secretary of State announced that this consultation has been fast-tracked to May 2025.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to align bus and train services in West Dorset for improved accessibility.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows that a modern, integrated public transport network is vital to providing access to services for all users of the system and keeping communities connected. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including £3.8 million allocated to Dorset Council.
These measures are designed to empower local transport authorities (LTAs) to deliver bus services that meet the needs of their communities, including ensuring services are more accessible and better integrated with other modes of transport. The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive, and better integrated with other modes, including more bus-rail interchange and integration.
The Government has also announced plans to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy to set the long-term vision for transport in England. It will focus on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve the people who use it and ensure that the transport network is complementary, including the interaction between different modes of travel.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered the specific needs of vulnerable populations in coordinating public transport schedules.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows that a modern, integrated public transport network is vital to providing access to services for all users of the system and keeping communities connected. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including £3.8 million allocated to Dorset Council.
These measures are designed to empower local transport authorities (LTAs) to deliver bus services that meet the needs of their communities, including ensuring services are more accessible and better integrated with other modes of transport. The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive, and better integrated with other modes, including more bus-rail interchange and integration.
The Government has also announced plans to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy to set the long-term vision for transport in England. It will focus on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve the people who use it and ensure that the transport network is complementary, including the interaction between different modes of travel.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to ensure synchronisation between bus and train timetables.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows that a modern, integrated public transport network is vital to providing access to services for all users of the system and keeping communities connected. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including £3.8 million allocated to Dorset Council.
These measures are designed to empower local transport authorities (LTAs) to deliver bus services that meet the needs of their communities, including ensuring services are more accessible and better integrated with other modes of transport. The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive, and better integrated with other modes, including more bus-rail interchange and integration.
The Government has also announced plans to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy to set the long-term vision for transport in England. It will focus on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve the people who use it and ensure that the transport network is complementary, including the interaction between different modes of travel.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities on balancing carbon reduction initiatives with pedestrian and road user safety in relation to street lighting.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, such as Dorset Council. They have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Local authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.
The Department is funding “Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK”, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme that aims to help decarbonise the local highway network. Learning and best practice from this programme will be shared with all highway authorities. One of the projects is trialling innovative ways to reduce the carbon emissions from streetlighting while also making roads safer.
The Department has also started the process of reviewing the UK Roads Leadership Group’s (UKRLG) ‘Well Managed-Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’, which provides guidance for highway authorities and their contractors on all aspects of highway infrastructure, including street lighting. This will take account of lessons learned from the Live Labs 2 trials.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of street lighting reductions on road safety in West Dorset.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, such as Dorset Council. They have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Local authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.
The Department is funding “Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK”, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme that aims to help decarbonise the local highway network. Learning and best practice from this programme will be shared with all highway authorities. One of the projects is trialling innovative ways to reduce the carbon emissions from streetlighting while also making roads safer.
The Department has also started the process of reviewing the UK Roads Leadership Group’s (UKRLG) ‘Well Managed-Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’, which provides guidance for highway authorities and their contractors on all aspects of highway infrastructure, including street lighting. This will take account of lessons learned from the Live Labs 2 trials.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department issues guidance on ensuring that bus replacement services have sufficient capacity to accommodate passengers from cancelled train services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Train operating companies are subject to a number of requirements relating to the provision of rail replacement services. The Office of Rail and Road hold train operating companies to account against their obligations under the passenger information licence conditions.
The Department for Transport contracts with train operating companies include requirements to provide rail replacement services in the event of planned or unplanned disruption. The type of vehicle used for rail replacement depends on service frequency and customer numbers and may include coaches, buses, taxis, or minibuses with capacity varying according to time of travel.
We expect train operating companies to use all reasonable endeavours to provide or secure the provision of alternative transport arrangements in the event of any planned or unplanned disruption to railway passenger services and ensure that passengers have accurate and timely information about their travel options, so that they can plan and make journeys with confidence, including during disruption. Complementary requirements are set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel and the Passenger’s Charter, issued by train operators.
Train operating companies are responsible for the procurement, planning and setting of the timetable for rail replacement services and work with Network Rail to ensure that any rail replacement services are co-ordinated with any planned engineering work or other disruptions on the railway.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department monitors the adequacy of bus replacement services for meeting demand during train service disruptions.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Train operating companies are subject to a number of requirements relating to the provision of rail replacement services. The Office of Rail and Road hold train operating companies to account against their obligations under the passenger information licence conditions.
The Department for Transport contracts with train operating companies include requirements to provide rail replacement services in the event of planned or unplanned disruption. The type of vehicle used for rail replacement depends on service frequency and customer numbers and may include coaches, buses, taxis, or minibuses with capacity varying according to time of travel.
We expect train operating companies to use all reasonable endeavours to provide or secure the provision of alternative transport arrangements in the event of any planned or unplanned disruption to railway passenger services and ensure that passengers have accurate and timely information about their travel options, so that they can plan and make journeys with confidence, including during disruption. Complementary requirements are set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel and the Passenger’s Charter, issued by train operators.
Train operating companies are responsible for the procurement, planning and setting of the timetable for rail replacement services and work with Network Rail to ensure that any rail replacement services are co-ordinated with any planned engineering work or other disruptions on the railway.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department issues to drivers on (a) verifying the accuracy of their driving licence entitlements and (b) what recourse is available to them if discrepancies to their licence entitlements are found.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sends leaflets with all driving licences which advise the licence holder to check that all details, including the vehicle categories or driving entitlements, are correct. The leaflet also explains the information contained on the licence and where it is found so that any issues can be easily identified.
If a licence holder notices any errors or discrepancies on their licence, they should return it to the DVLA to be corrected.