Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued to the police on detecting and enforcing traffic contraventions committed by autonomous vehicles where no human driver is actively controlling the vehicle.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Section 39 of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (“AV Act”) sets out the Secretary of State’s duty to identify and investigate incidents involving automated vehicles which have potential regulatory consequences. Chapter 2 of the ongoing Call for Evidence, “Developing the Automated Vehicles Regulatory Framework”, seeks views on the most appropriate methods of detection and enforcement of relevant incidents, including traffic infractions.
In addition, guidance specifically relating to forthcoming pilots of automated vehicles, prior to the introduction of the full AV Act, is currently being drafted in conjunction with first responders.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance she has issued to companies conducting autonomous vehicle trials on public communications on the (a) capability and (b) legal compliance of prototype systems.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The ‘Code of Practice: automated vehicle trialling’ is publicly available online through the government’s website. The Code of Practice was published to support organisations or individuals wishing to trial automated vehicle technologies and services. Further guidance will be published to support organisations wishing to deploy through the Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme, which government intends to introduce in spring.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department maintains a record of safety interventions, traffic contraventions and near-misses arising from autonomous vehicle trials.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not retain a specific record as set out in the Honourable Member’s question. However, any data related to any incidents from automated vehicle trials, which take place with a safety driver in the vehicle, would be captured within road safety data regularly published by the Department.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy that the Road Safety Investigation Branch (a) record and (b) publish data on collisions involving illegally modified e-bikes separately from those involving standard pedal cycles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Road Safety Investigation Branch will be data-led and provide thematic investigations based on robust evidence and linked data. The work of the branch is currently being scoped out and further details will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of safety measures on the A34 including (a) signage, (b) road markings, (c) LED road studs and (d) speed management protocols; and if she will publish analysis of collisions and casualties that has informed her Department's policies on the use of (i) speed cameras, (ii) spacing chevrons and (iii) any other safety interventions.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways undertook a road safety review of the A34 in 2017 and subsequently delivered works including upgrading laybys, enhancing road signs and markings, installing LED studs and clearing vegetation. National Highways continues to monitor traffic and incident data along the route. Road casualty statistics and the underlying data are published annually by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter, what guidance he plans to issue to riders of e-bikes on (a) training, (b) vehicle standards and (c) safe working practices.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In our new Road Safety Strategy, published on 7 January 2026 we announced that we will pilot a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses that require people to drive or ride for them. This includes the use of HGVs, Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), cars, motorcycles, e-cycles and cycles.
The aim of the Charter is to help employers to reduce work-related road risk and improve safety for all road users by promoting good practice, and to improve compliance with current legislation and guidance. The government will develop this Charter in collaboration with business and industry. The pilot will run for two years and will be monitored and fully evaluated.
If the pilot and voluntary engagement is insufficient in reducing work related road risk, regulatory measures will be considered.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure illegally modified e-bikes and (a) identified and (b) addressed within the scope of the National Work-Related Road Safety Charter.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In our new Road Safety Strategy, published on 7 January 2026 we announced that we will pilot a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses that require people to drive or ride for them. This includes the use of HGVs, Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), cars, motorcycles, e-cycles and cycles.
The aim of the Charter is to help employers to reduce work-related road risk and improve safety for all road users by promoting good practice, and to improve compliance with current legislation and guidance. The government will develop this Charter in collaboration with business and industry. The pilot will run for two years and will be monitored and fully evaluated.
If the pilot and voluntary engagement is insufficient in reducing work related road risk, regulatory measures will be considered.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the ability of autonomous systems to correctly interpret traffic signals at complex or partially obscured junctions in dense urban environments.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Self-driving vehicles will be expected to operate safely and legally on GB's road infrastructure as it currently exists, just as human drivers do now. Although not essential for safe self-driving, adaptations to roads and other infrastructure have the potential to bring benefits to both conventional and self-driving vehicles. Some functions for Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) technology, for example routing services, will require connectivity. Road authorities may choose to develop their networks to maximise the benefits of new technologies.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the car insurance taskforce has made on its work; and when he expects it to report.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is committed to tackling the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October 2024, has been comprised of ministers from relevant government departments, the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. It has been supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sectors.
This taskforce had the strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums.
The taskforce’s final report is intended to be published shortly.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways Retail will be required to comply with the statutory Code of Practice on retail market conduct managed by the Office of Rail and Road.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The retail industry code of practice announced in the Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation will incorporate clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) should interact with all market participants. The code of practice will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). GBR’s licence will require it to comply, with the ORR able to demand corrective action if it considers that GBR has not done so.