Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure bus stations have audio-visual stop information (a) nationally and (b) in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to improving transport services right across the country, including in Hertfordshire, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.
The Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to produce a Bus Network Accessibility Plan, and to have regard to new statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of stopping places when providing new or upgrading existing bus stations and stops.
We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £34.1 million of this funding from 2026/27 to 2028/29. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure, including introducing audio-visual stop information at bus stations.
Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve accessibility of ticket offices at rail stations for people suffering sight loss.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to improving accessibility and helping to remove barriers to travel for all users of public transport, including those with visual impairments.
Train operators are required to set out how they will support passengers with disabilities through their Accessible Travel Policies (ATPs). In their ATPs, operators explain how assistance will be provided at stations, including for purchasing tickets. ATPs also require station and train operators to provide their customer facing staff with disability awareness training.
As part of the roadmap published last year, we committed to rolling out Welcome Points at stations which will feature technology to support those with visual impairments to access information and call staff for assistance.
Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason her Department introduced mandatory renewal of driving licenses for drivers over 70 and every subsequent three years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requirement for driving entitlement to be renewed at the age of 70 and then at most every three years thereafter has been in place since 1976. Prior to this all drivers had been required to renew their driving entitlement every three years. Renewal at the age of 70 recognises that a person’s health may deteriorate in ways that affect driving. The driving licence renewal process provides a timely reminder to individuals to consider their health in the context of driving.
All drivers, irrespective of their age, must still ensure they are medically fit to drive at all times and are legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about the onset or worsening of a medical condition that could affect safe driving.
Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to reduce the backlog of driving tests.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.
Since this announcement DVSA has:
Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.