Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide long-term financial support to bus, coach and tram services outside of London whilst there is reduced capacity and demand for public transport due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and how any such funding will be dispersed.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department continues to work closely with transport authorities and operators to understand the risks and ongoing issues in the bus and coach industry and how these can be addressed, so that public transport services can adapt to any ‘new normal’ that emerges from the COVID-19 outbreak and work towards a sustainable long-term recovery.
The Department is engaging with HMT on the future of emergency funding for the bus and light rail sectors as a matter of the highest priority. My department will be in contact with operators as soon as we are in a position to update them.
We are continuing to engage with the coach sector to understand what the ongoing risks and issues are, and how these could be addressed.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to support the bus and coach industry after the current COVID-19 financial support expires in August; and what discussions they have had with the bus and coach industry to understand that industry's strategic requirements.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department continues to work closely with transport authorities and operators to understand the risks and ongoing issues in the bus and coach industry and how these can be addressed, so that public transport services can adapt to any ‘new normal’ that emerges from the COVID-19 outbreak and work towards a sustainable long-term recovery.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they had made of proposals by Spanish bus and coach builder Irizar to modify air-conditioning systems to reduce passengers' inhalation of air-born droplets or micro-particles by ionising the air entering each system, and to use increased levels of oxygen in such systems to combat viruses via oxidisation; and in particular, whether such methods could be used on trains or trams to tackle pollen, fungal spores, bacteria and other microbes, as well as COVID-19 and other viruses.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
We have not made any assessment of the proposals made by Spanish bus and coach builder Irizar to modify air-conditioning systems. However, we are aware that the industry is looking at various options around modifying air conditioning to give greater protection.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received representations from representatives of the coach sector on the reasons for the low compliance by that sector with the requirement for coaches to be fully accessible by 1 January 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Government supports the creation of an inclusive transport network, and ensuring that disabled and non-disabled people can travel together onboard bus and coach services is key to making this a reality.
Officials engage regularly with stakeholders and we have received a range of representations concerning the impact of the application of the Regulations and of the exemptions we have issued, including from coach operators and bus and coach industry representatives.
It is the Government’s view that it is wrong to require a child to travel in a separate vehicle, segregated from their peers, simply because they are disabled. Every delay in achieving full compliance prevents disabled people from travelling with the same freedom, dignity and choice that others take for granted.
We have provided temporary exemptions to help ease the implementation of the Regulations, but once these have expired we expect all vehicles subject to the Regulations and used on home to school services to comply with them.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish guidance on disability equality training for bus drivers.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government remains committed to publishing best practice guidance on the provision of high quality disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers, to support operators to ensure that every driver has the knowledge and skills to assist disabled passengers.
We will publish the guidance later in the year and will work with the bus and coach industry to encourage its adoption.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his Department's its guidance for bus operators on the quality of training in relation to the EU Bus and Coach Regulations 2013 on making bus transport more accessible to guide-dog owners.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government remains committed to publishing best practice guidance on the provision of high quality disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers, to support operators to ensure that every driver has the knowledge and skills to assist disabled passengers.
We will publish the guidance later in the year and will work with the bus and coach industry to encourage its adoption.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the best practice guidance on disability awareness training for bus drivers.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government remains committed to publishing best practice guidance on the provision of high quality disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers, to support operators to ensure that every driver has the knowledge and skills to assist disabled passengers.
We will publish the guidance later in the year and will work with the bus and coach industry to encourage its adoption.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Inclusive Transport Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, when his Department plans to publish guidance on what should be included in high quality training for bus drivers.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government remains committed to publishing best practice guidance on the provision of high quality disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers, to support operators to ensure that every driver has the knowledge and skills to assist disabled passengers.
We will publish the guidance later in the year and will work with the bus and coach industry to encourage its adoption.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has held with bus companies on disability awareness training for all bus drivers.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Bus and coach operators must ensure that drivers subject to the EU Regulation 181/2011 requirement to complete disability awareness training receive appropriate instruction. As part of the 2018 annual bus statistics survey, we sought data on whether operators were compliant with these new duties, and we are considering the results published on the 30th January. We also intend to publish best practice guidance on disability awareness training in the spring.
We are committed to developing a framework for the monitoring and enforcement of relevant training requirements, and continue to liaise with Regulators and the bus industry to ensure that operators understand fully their responsibilities.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements there are for the drivers of public service vehicles to report unruly passengers to their depots and to the police at the time when a disturbance is taking place; whether there are any restrictions on how drivers communicate this; and what requirements there are to provide drivers with the equipment to enable them to do this.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Bus/Coach crews have a duty of care towards their passengers under Section 5(1) of the Public Services Vehicles (Conduct) Regulations 1990. This section states that a driver and/or a conductor shall take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of passengers, who are on, or are boarding or alighting from the vehicle. Internal operator safety procedures, including provision of equipment is a matter for individual operators.
The transport industry, local authorities, the police and others are already investing in and undertaking wide-ranging initiatives to improve the personal security of public transport passengers and staff and to keep our public transport systems as low crime environments.