Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the promotion of the use of fluorescent clothing by cyclists.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Action 41 of the Government response to the 2018 Cycling and Walking Safety Review committed the Department to commission a package of research to look into the technical, physiological and behavioural issues relating to the visibility and audibility of cyclists with the aim of recommending future interventions.
The Department commissioned NatCen to conduct an evidence review to understand the factors behind collisions involving cyclists where road users failed to look properly, or looked but failed to see a cyclist, and to assess possible interventions to minimise these types of collisions, including the use of high visibility and florescent clothing. The review is now largely complete and the Department is due to publish the report shortly.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential need for increased infrastructure investment in areas designated for freeports.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Government intends to authorize up to ten freeports across the four nations of the UK. We have consulted on the framework, and responses to that consultation are currently under consideration, but no sites have yet been selected. Infrastructure requirements, whether the responsibility of the private or public sector, will be integral to the selection and site development processes.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of space for pushchairs on trains.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
There are mandatory standards for rail vehicle accessibility. The standards include the provision of wheelchair spaces on trains as well as making travel easier for those travelling with prams/pushchairs and small children. Except where a dispensation exists, all rail vehicles, including trams, must meet the accessibility standards and my Department is closely monitoring the rail industry’s progress towards meeting them.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will made an assessment of the safety of the smart motorway section of the M1 from junction 32 to junction 35a.
Answered by George Freeman
Any death on our roads is one too many. We want our roads to be as safe as possible.
That is why the Secretary of State asked the Department to carry out an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about the safety of smart motorways and make recommendations. The Department will present the findings of the stocktake shortly.
While I would not want to pre-judge the results of that work, what I can say is that we will continue to prioritise improving safety – making conditions safer for everyone on our roads. The Roads Minister will write to you as soon as the stocktake is completed to answer your specific question.