Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to his Department's consultation entitled Bus Services Act 2017: accessible information, which closed on 16 September 2018; and what his Department's timetable is to bring forward legislative proposals to require bus operators to provide audible and visible information on local bus services.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government understands the importance of accessible on-board information in helping bus passengers to travel with confidence, and in Summer 2018 published a public consultation on proposals to require its provision on local bus services throughout Great Britain.
We continue to analyse responses to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to ensure that a reliable service is operated across the rail network after the provisions on persons with reduced mobility included in the Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 and the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail Systems) regulations 2010 are implemented in 2020.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
There is not expected to be any change to reliability of services due to improvements to accessibility of trains. Indeed the modern trains which are transforming journey’s for all passengers on our network today are fully accessible and reliable.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to increase the reliability and capacity of trains through the Castlefield corridor; and what the timetable is for building platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly station.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department has commissioned railway expert Richard George to work with the operators and Network Rail to develop and support initiatives that aim to improve capacity and performance of the Castlefield Corridor.
Network Rail have undertaken an interim review on capacity improvements for the infrastructure. This report is currently being considered by the Department, and will then consider the next steps.
Network Rail applied for a Transport and Works Act Order for the Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road Capacity Enhancement scheme. This is a legal process which the Department is currently considering, and so at this time there is no timetable for building platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly station.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timetable is for the withdrawal of Sprinter trains from service.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department does not have a timetable for the removal of “Sprinter” trains from the network. Rolling stock owners are best placed to determine the economic life of their assets and whether they continue to meet the expectations of passengers.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to remove fossil fuel-powered rolling stock from UK railways by 2040.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
In February 2018 the Government challenged the industry to produce a vision for how all diesel-only trains could be removed from the rail network by 2040. In response, an industry taskforce, led by Malcom Brown, has identified technologies that can be used to decarbonise rail: electrification and both hydrogen and battery power.
We are working with Network Rail to develop a decarbonisation strategy for the rail network to ensure that rail makes its contribution to achieving the Government’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Liverpool City Region will receive funding from his Department to implement the local cycling and walking infrastructure plan.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As set out in the answer to PQ 226496, Liverpool City Region has already received £172.5 million from the Transforming Cities Fund to improve and support new local transport links; these funds are available to be spent on cycling and walking schemes if they are prioritised.
In general, it is for local authorities to identify and prioritise investment for cycling and walking schemes from local funds and relevant national funding streams. Funding opportunities are available through a range of local transport and place based funds, including the Highways Maintenance Fund, Integrated Transport Block, Future High Streets Fund, Housing Infrastructure Fund and the Clean Air Fund.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to encourage cycling in Liverpool in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department has provided Liverpool City Region with dedicated transport planning support to enable the development of the city’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).
The Department has also awarded the Liverpool City Region £172.5 million from the Transforming Cities Fund to improve and support new local transport links. It is for the City Region and Mayor to identify and prioritise investment for cycling and walking schemes, including from existing local highways funds.
The Department continues to support Bikeability cycle training in Liverpool and has provided funding to enable delivery of more than 10,000 training places for children in Liverpool City Region in 2018/19.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a reduction in speed limits outside schools from 30 mph to 20 mph on the level of road traffic incidents.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In November 2018, the Department for Transport published an evaluation into 20mph limits (which are marked by signs only): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/20-mph-speed-limits-on-roads.
The study found insufficient evidence to conclude that in residential areas the introduction of 20mph limits had led to a significant change in collisions and casualties. However, one city centre case study did show a significant reduction in collisions and casualties.
Overall the introduction of 20mph limits led to a small reduction in median speed (less than 1mph), but vehicles travelling at higher speeds before the change of speed limit reduced their speed more than those already travelling at lower speeds.
Research in 1996 showed that 20mph zones (which have traffic calming) could reduce the overall average annual collision frequency by up to two-thirds.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many pedestrians were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in traffic incidents outside of schools in (i) Merseyside and (ii) England in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for Transport collects and publishes data on the location of road traffic accidents. However, it does not collect data or define a variable as to whether these accidents occurred outside schools, since the surroundings and road networks of each school are different.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has allocated to promote awareness of road safety for children in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department only holds data covering 2014/2015 onwards and can advise that £4721692.47 has been spent on making our roads safer since then. The Department cannot break down to exact figures as any funding given for road safety could have sub-elements that is specifically used for children.