Department for Transport

This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the significant social and economic benefits that enhanced accessibility brings to communities.

We are investing nearly £280 million to improve accessibility at stations through the Access for All programme. Funding for future rounds will be determined at a future spending review.

On 5 November 2025, we published our roadmap to an accessible railway, this sets out what we are doing now to improve the travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to GBR being established.

The commercial arrangements between each local authority and cross‑pavement solution provider will determine who is responsible for maintenance, including when property ownership changes. It is the responsibility of local authorities to develop their own policies on maintenance and change of ownership. Published in December 2024, the Government’s cross‑pavement solutions guidance helps local authorities develop policies that account for both maintenance requirements and situations involving changes in property ownership.

The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities to deliver over 100,000 further public charge points for residents without off-street parking. In addition, the £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant supports local authorities to rollout cross-pavement solutions. This will ensure more residents can benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. This funding is to build on more than 118,000 publicly available chargers in England and Wales as of 1 March.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV).

The £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant supports local authorities to roll out cross-pavement solutions which enable residents without off-street parking to benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. Residents can also access the Electric Vehicle Charge point Grant for Households with On-Street Parking. As announced on 25 February 2026, from 1 April this year, eligible applicants can receive up to £500 off the cost of installing a domestic charge point when paired with a cross-pavement solution.

The Government is working with local authorities to encourage cross-pavement solutions to support EV charging for those without off-street parking. In December 2024, the Government published cross-pavement solutions guidance to help local authorities understand what they need to consider for the roll-out of cross-pavement solutions. This includes relevant planning permissions, minimum existing standards, responsibilities and case studies from trials.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.

That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.

Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes, including guidance aimed at improving safety for cyclists and encouraging compliance with “MUST” rules within the Code.

Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.

However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.

As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

The schemes have been designed so that grant funding is sufficient to fully support businesses to transition to zero emission vehicles, consistent with the Government’s plan to meet legally binding carbon budget targets. By 2030, within the current funding envelope we estimate that the schemes could award 250,000 zero emission vans grants, 20,000 zero emission trucks grants, and nearly 25,000 chargers under the depot charging scheme, although projecting this is highly uncertain.

The total cost to the Exchequer is capped based on the announced budget of £877 million. Given the existence of the budget cap, we have not separately tried to estimate the maximum number of grants that could be delivered using the highest grant rates.

The schemes have been designed so that grant funding is sufficient to fully support businesses to transition to zero emission vehicles, consistent with the Government’s plan to meet legally binding carbon budget targets. By 2030, within the current funding envelope we estimate that the schemes could award 250,000 zero emission vans grants, 20,000 zero emission trucks grants, and nearly 25,000 chargers under the depot charging scheme, although projecting this is highly uncertain.

The total cost to the Exchequer is capped based on the announced budget of £877 million. Given the existence of the budget cap, we have not separately tried to estimate the maximum number of grants that could be delivered using the highest grant rates.

Since 2024, the Government has allocated the following funding to electric vehicle uptake and charging infrastructure:

Autumn Budget 2024: £0.3 billion

Spending review 2025: £1.8 billion

Autumn Budget 2025: £1.5 billion

Total: £3.6 billion funding out to 2030.

Based on historic splits between higher and lower value awards, we estimate that the average grant value for vans in the 2026/27 financial year will be approximately £3,500. For trucks, the estimated average grant value is approximately £50,000 in 2026/27.

These estimates are indicative and remain subject to uncertainty. Actual average grant values will depend on market uptake and the proportion of vehicles eligible for each grant level. All grants remain under review and may be amended at any time to ensure value to the taxpayer.

The Airspace Modernisation Strategy supports the aviation sector in reducing emissions through aircraft flying more direct routes.

Contrails arise from a combination of jet fuel combustion, air particles, water vapour and atmospheric conditions, and as such are considered through the Department’s work with the sector via the Jet Zero Strategy and Taskforce, which look at aviation decarbonisation holistically.

Chiltern is continuing to work closely with its partners and the Department to conclude the remaining train, infrastructure and staff issues and a start date for the first East West Rail services will be announced as soon as it is possible to do so.

The cost of this package is set out at: www.gov.uk/government/news/1-billion-to-cut-costs-for-businesses-drive-growth-and-clean-up-uk-roads

The Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) R&D programme has provided £58 million to date to 18 UK freight transport companies across different project consortia to support the purchase and demonstration of the heaviest zero emission HGVs, and associated infrastructure.

During financial year 2025/26, the Government provided approximately £1.6 billion to support local highways authorities across England, a £500 million uplift compared to the previous year.

As part of this, Hampshire County Council received a total of over £52.9 million from the government to support their highways maintenance activities. This represents an uplift of over £15.2 million compared to the previous financial year.

Local highways maintenance funding is provided by the government to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including carriageways, bridges, cycleways, lighting columns and footways.

Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 place a statutory duty on local highway authorities to maintain public highways, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances, including the repair of potholes.

The table below shows the number of recruited driving examiners (DE) who successfully completed training and were posted to a driving test centre, each month from July 2024 to February 2026.

Please note, the data shows the month DEs successfully passed training and does not necessarily represent when they first conducted a test as a DE. For example, a trainee DE might have passed training on the last day of any given month, but would not have conducted their first test until the following month.

RIS3 included for the first time a set of four National Programmes, which are a new way for National Highways to deliver defined outputs that support RIS3 objectives, where these are not funded in other programmes. Details of the funding for each National Programme will be confirmed in National Highways’ Delivery Plan for 2026-31, which is expected to be published in the summer.

The Department does not hold data on relative changes to operating costs between road and rail freight. As part of continued support for the rail freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme since 2010. Network Rail also offers the Access Charges Discount Policy to stimulate growth, supporting new to rail traffic.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) monitors the performance of recruitment campaigns, including:

• monitoring pass rates for each of the stages in the recruitment process and comparing these between campaigns

• average times between advert and job offers being made, and offers being made and start date.

The performance in these areas have improved in the past 12 months. For example, before November 2025, the average time DVSA took to advertise and onboard potential driving examiners (DE) into training was 16 weeks.

In December 2025, DVSA improved its recruitment process and the average time DVSA now takes to onboard potential DEs is 13 weeks. Further proposals should see this reduce by another 2-3 weeks for future campaigns.

The VCA expects to respond to the consultation within the standard 12-week timeframe.

Please see the answer to question 122525.

The table below shows the total number of applications, total completed applications DVSA received, the number of applicants invited to interview, the number of applicants invited to the driving assessment stage, applicants recruited and placed on a training course and how many applicants successfully passed training in 2025:

For any recruitment campaign a candidate must complete the application on Civil Service Jobs by the application deadline. If a candidate starts the initial application but does not complete it, this application will not be considered as part of the final sift of applications.

The data on applicants recruited and placed on training courses, and applicants who successfully passed training, is the total number for the calendar year, and does not necessarily represent when applicants entered the recruitment process. For example, an applicant might have been recruited onto a training course in 2024 but did pass the training course until 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) seeks to process all driving licence applications as quickly as possible. However, in the interests of road safety, licences can only be issued once the required medical standards are met.

Medical standards for lorry and bus drivers (Group 2) are significantly higher than those for car and motorcycle drivers (Group 1), reflecting the size and weight of these vehicles and the length of time professional drivers typically spend at the wheel. Where a medical condition needs to be assessed, applications may take longer to process, as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals. Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment, applications are prioritised where possible.

The DVLA has seen a sustained increase in both the volume and complexity of medical licence applications. In 2024/25, more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions were made, with over 925,000 medical applications and notifications forecast for 2025/26. This increase has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

To improve performance and service levels, the DVLA is enhancing its digital services and introducing a new casework system to support medical licensing. This is being complemented by the recruitment of additional staff to process applications and handle customer enquiries, which will deliver improvements for drivers with medical conditions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) seeks to process all driving licence applications as quickly as possible. However, in the interests of road safety, licences can only be issued once the required medical standards are met.

Medical standards for lorry and bus drivers (Group 2) are significantly higher than those for car and motorcycle drivers (Group 1), reflecting the size and weight of these vehicles and the length of time professional drivers typically spend at the wheel. Where a medical condition needs to be assessed, applications may take longer to process, as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals. Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment, applications are prioritised where possible.

The DVLA has seen a sustained increase in both the volume and complexity of medical licence applications. In 2024/25, more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions were made, with over 925,000 medical applications and notifications forecast for 2025/26. This increase has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

To improve performance and service levels, the DVLA is enhancing its digital services and introducing a new casework system to support medical licensing. This is being complemented by the recruitment of additional staff to process applications and handle customer enquiries, which will deliver improvements for drivers with medical conditions.

The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.

Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.

The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.

Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.

The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.

Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.

In 2025, the Government published and responded to a call for evidence on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). In that review, which included a specific question on whether the RTFO should support renewable electricity for road transportation, the Government concluded that including renewable electricity in the scheme would be highly complex and require significant additional policy development to fully understand the implications of such an expansion. The Government keeps all options under review in how best to support the continued rollout of public electric vehicle charge points as the UK transitions to EVs.

The postcodes alongside an interactive map for the 75 recharging locations that have secured funding through the ZEHID programme can be found at https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/zero-emission-heavy-goods-vehicles-and-infrastructure by clicking Insights, Implementation and ‘Explore the Map’. These will be updated periodically.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications.

However, driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. The DVLA will also be launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to reduce waiting times for car practical tests whilst upholding road safety standards. DVSA wants all customers to be able to access a driving test when they are ready to pass, to enable people to get to places of study or work and break down barriers to opportunity.

The table below shows the average waiting time in weeks for February 2026, and number of tests booked and available at the nearest four driving test centres (DTC) to Kingswood of 23 March 2026.

*Trowbridge is a taking the test to the customer site so may not be open every day.

Between June 2025 – February 2026, at the four DTCs above, DVSA conducted 2,372 additional car practical driving tests in overtime, when compared to the equivalent overtime scheme between June 2024 – February 2025. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.

Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.

The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States.

The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.

The Government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads.

However, the Government cannot commit to any changes to the allocation methodology until each option has been assessed for feasibility and deliverability, in line with the normal policy making process. The Government would also expect to engage with local highway authorities about any methodology to understand how any changes might impact on their services.

The Department’s review of the highways maintenance guidance it provides to local highway authorities in the Well Managed Highways Infrastructure Code of Practice will progress in addition to this and will be completed by the end of 2026.

The Government is investing a record £7.3 billion in local highways maintenance over the next four years, which is in addition to a £1.6 billion investment in 2025/26, a £500 million increase on the previous year. The responsible local highway authority for the constituency of Surrey Heath is Surrey County Council. Surrey County Council is eligible to receive £164,080,000 over the four year period.

To support improvement, the Department has introduced a new annual traffic‑light rating system assessing each authority’s road condition, maintenance spending, and use of best practice. Surrey received an overall amber rating, and all ratings are available on GOV.UK.

These ratings encourage strong asset management and a preventative approach to reduce potholes. The Department is also providing £300,000 in development support to help councils adopt best practice, improve their ratings, and enhance the condition of their roads.

National Highways has confirmed a hole was drilled in the south span of Ridge Road Bridge approx. 12 months after completion of infilling.

The original plan of November 2015 included the infilling of the south span along with the north & centre spans. Since finding the void in the south span, in 2023 National Highways did not progress with the original planned works as local active travel groups asked if the south span could be used as a potential active travel route. Since finding the void, National Highways has confirmed it has no safety concerns.

National Highways has confirmed a hole was drilled in the south span of Ridge Road Bridge approx. 12 months after completion of infilling.

The original plan of November 2015 included the infilling of the south span along with the north & centre spans. Since finding the void in the south span, in 2023 National Highways did not progress with the original planned works as local active travel groups asked if the south span could be used as a potential active travel route. Since finding the void, National Highways has confirmed it has no safety concerns.

In line with current practice, the supervisor (contracted by National Highways) reported progress weekly and therefore no completion report was required.

National Highways has confirmed that the south span was ultimately found not to be fully infilled.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The VCA is currently analysing responses to the consultation on increasing certain fees, which closed earlier this month.

If taken forward, the fee increase would require secondary legislation before it can be implemented (subject to Parliamentary approval). We are therefore unable to set out a specific timeframe for elimination of the deficit at this stage.

Work on efficiencies is ongoing and reduction of the VCA’s deficit is regularly monitored and reported on via the VCA and Department for Transport’s internal governance processes.

It is also reported annually as part of the VCA’s Annual Reporting and Accounts, which are published on their website.