Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) guidance on social distancing due to the covid-19 outbreak is being enforced on public transport and (b) reports of breaches from members of the public are taken seriously and investigated.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department’s Safer Transport guidance and communications strongly advise passengers to maintain their distance where possible. Social Distancing is not required by law, however on 13 October 2020, Ministers from the Department for Transport met with transport sector representatives from all modes, and discussed the need for a renewed focus on enforcement and compliance with Coronavirus regulations and guidance.
According to British Transport Police (BTP) and Transport for London (TfL) data, over 165,000 interventions were made by officers against passengers refusing to comply with facial coverings regulations in the period up to 8 October. 7,731 passengers were prevented from boarding a service and 5,891 were directed to leave a service. BTP, TfL and police forces across the country issued 608 fixed penalty notices in the same period.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has published on using motorway lanes safely.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Highway code rules for Motorways (253 to 273) include rules for signals, joining the motorway, driving on the motorway, lane discipline, overtaking, stopping and leaving the motorway. The relevant advice on using motorway lanes safely is covered in the Highway code rules 264 to 266.
Highways England provides information and helpful guidance on using motorways safely on its website page ‘Safer Driving On Motorways’ which can be found at: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/road-safety/
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) increase the number of electric vehicles on the UK's roads and (b) ensure the adequate supply of electricity for those vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government is investing?around?£2.5bn?,?with grants available for ultra-low emission vehicles, as well?as funding?to support charge point infrastructure at homes,?workplaces,?on residential streets?and across the wider roads network. The Government consulted on bringing forward an end to the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans, from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible. The responses are helping to inform our thinking on what further appropriate measures to achieve a faster transition will need to be. The Transport Secretary has also announced that the Government will consult on measures to improve the consumer experience of using the public charging network, so that charging an electric vehicle is as straightforward as refuelling a conventional vehicle today.
The Government and Ofgem are considering the implications of electric vehicle policy for the energy system. We are engaging with stakeholders, including network companies, to ensure that increasing demand can be accommodated whilst minimising the impact on businesses, workers and consumers across the UK, building on the significant demand and supply-side measures in place. The impacts presented in the National Grid’s latest Future Energy Scenario are readily manageable by the electricity system. The capacity market is our principal tool for ensuring we have sufficient generation capacity to meet demand on an annual basis. It should be possible to manage additional demand arising from greater uptake of EVs through adjustments to the amount of capacity secured in the four-year period ahead Capacity Market auctions. The electricity market is already set up to promote investment in generation capacity to meet demand; for example, the Contracts for Difference scheme facilitates significant investment in low-carbon generation. This complements numerous measures to ensure a smarter, more flexible energy system, increasing the efficiency of the electricity system to prepare for electric vehicles.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that public transport is accessible to people with disabilities during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Government remains as committed to delivering inclusive transport for all passengers as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our expectation is that transport operators should continue to assist disabled passengers who need assistance. I made this clear in my open letter to the rail industry on 8 April 2020 (www.gov.uk/government/speeches/letter-from-the-rail-minister-to-the-rail-delivery-group-on-maintaining-accessibility-during-the-covid-19-outbreak).
We have also made clear to local authorities that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies and that they must continue to consider the needs of disabled people. An accessible public realm is vital to enabling disabled people to access public transport. On 9 May the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities on reallocating road space which makes clear that authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics when making changes to their transport networks (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reallocating-road-space-in-response-to-covid-19-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities/traffic-management-act-2004-network-management-in-response-to-covid-19). Public Sector Equality Duty requirements apply to temporary measures as they do to permanent ones.
I am meeting regularly with key disability stakeholders, including Disability Rights UK, Scope, Guide Dogs and Transport for All, to hear directly from them about the experiences of disabled people using transport. This engagement helps the Department take action quickly if we find that passengers are not receiving the assistance to which they are entitled. Many stakeholder groups have also developed their own “model guidance”, which we have shared with Train Operating Companies.
The Government has launched an active communications campaign which advises people about exemptions to the face coverings rules for disability and health reasons. The publication reminds people that not all disability is visible and includes a non-compulsory exemption card should people want to use it.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that people using public transport wear appropriate face coverings during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Since the introduction of mandatory face coverings on public transport and in transport hubs in England from 15 June, the Department for Transport has taken a series of steps to ensure people comply with the legislation and wear appropriate face coverings.
To help introduce this policy, we focused on informing the public of the new requirements. The Department ran a successful communications campaign through its social media channels and produced a range of materials, including posters, videos and guidance, to support operators in conveying the new rules and exemptions from the policy to passengers.
With regards to enforcement, the regulations made under the Public Health Act 1984 include new powers for operators to deny access to a service, or direct someone to leave a service, who is not wearing a face covering without a valid exemption. There are also powers for the police, British Transport Police and Transport for London authorised personnel to issue a fixed penalty notice of £100. As the Prime Minister announced on 13 August 2020, we are bringing forward stronger enforcement measures which mean fines for repeat offenders double at each offence, up to a maximum value of £3,200.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help drivers involved in non-fault accidents penalised by insurance companies.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The setting and the adjustment of premiums following a claim are commercial decisions for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not generally intervene or seek to control the market.
The motor insurance market is very competitive and we encourage policyholders to shop around to find the best deal. Many insurers will offer considerable discounts to attract new customers and it is possible that a driver might find a better offer if he or she fully explains the circumstances of a no fault claim.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on the roll-out of e-scooter trials in the West Midlands.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department is accelerating trials of rental e-scooters that will assess their safety and the impacts they have on the road. We will soon lay regulations to enable trials. We are working with local authorities to develop their delivery plans for trials, including with authorities in the West Midlands.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposals on (a) e-scooters and (b) other transport modes in his policy paper Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy on pedestrian safety.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We have recently published a call for evidence as part of the Future of Transport Regulatory Review. The call for evidence does not make specific proposals but seeks to gather evidence about the impacts e-scooters and other types of transport may have.
We have not yet made an assessment on pedestrian safety as a result of e-scooters and similar new vehicles. This will be done as we bring forward proposals and will be informed by the current call for evidence and, in due course, a number of real world trials.
Safety will always be our top priority when considering whether new vehicle types may be used on the road in this country.