Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of when the findings of the Driver 2020 project will be published.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
We look forward to receiving the findings from the Driver 2020 project, which will feed into considerations on further measures we can take to improve road safety for young drivers. The findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of road safety legislation for protecting young people; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to improve road safety for young people.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department has commissioned research to examine interventions designed to help learner and newly-qualified drivers improve their skills and safety and we are awaiting publication of outcomes before considering further measures we can take to improve road safety for young drivers.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of drivers under 25 that have black boxes installed in their cars.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department does not collect this information.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) the two new Violence Against Women and Girls Transport Champions who were announced in July 2021 have produced independent recommendations for his Department, as the Government committed would happen by January 2022 and (b) those recommendations will be published.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The DFT’s Violence Against Women and Girls Champions are still working on their independent recommendations. These recommendations will be published shortly.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department includes a requirement for operators to have robust policies on sexual misconduct in (a) its own policies on rail franchising agreements and (b) its advice to local authorities when letting their own public transport contracts.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The rail industry has an established work programme and sexual misconduct is a priority for British Transport Police. Our National Bus Strategy made clear that the highest safety standards will be upheld by the commissioners. Bus Service Improvement Plans should also demonstrate how Local Transport Authorities and bus operators will work together to ensure safety. In addition, taxi licensing authorities are completing reviews of their existing policies and the Department is supporting the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill through Parliament. The Department is working closely with the Home Office on the cross-departmental strategy to address Violence Against Women and Girls.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department includes a requirement for operators to block pornography through public WiFi on public transport and prohibit this activity through individual internet connection when letting rail franchising agreements.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In July 2018, Andrew Jones MP (former Minister for Rail) wrote to the Rail Delivery Group and urged train operators to sign up to the Friendly WiFi scheme to show they support blocking inappropriate material, including pornography, from being accessed while travelling on the rail network.
There are three companies who provide WiFi connectivity for trains, and in July 2019 we received confirmation that all three suppliers are signed up to the Friendly WiFi scheme.
There is no requirement for train operators to sign up to the scheme under franchise agreements.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure local transport authorities meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 in relation to bus services.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) are responsible for complying with the obligations under the Equality Act and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in particular. The Department’s role includes influencing, enabling and encouraging LTAs to provide good bus services for everyone. The guidance to LTAs on developing their Local Transport Plans is being revised and will remind LTAs that they must actively pay regard to the PSED in relation to the provision of bus services.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 65974 on Motor Vehicles: Delivery Services, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with representatives of food delivery companies on the use of motorcycle and moped-based delivery drivers, including inappropriate use of (a) cycle paths, (b) barriers and (c) cycle boxes at road junctions intended for use by cyclists only.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department has not had any discussions with food delivery companies on the use of motorcycle and moped-based delivery drivers.
Employers have a duty to manage the risks of their work activities, and employees have a responsibility to drive safely and with consideration towards other road users. Motorcycle and moped riders, like other road users, are required to comply with road traffic law and may be fined, given penalty points on their licence or disqualified from driving if they disobey the legal requirements. If they do not adopt a responsible attitude or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment or causes nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of rising numbers of learner motorcyclists and scooter riders on the safety of cyclists.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
There is no means of establishing the number of Compulsory Basic Training courses that have been undertaken, and therefore the number of learner motorcyclists and scooter riders. However, the robustness of the driving test regime ensures that learner riders use the highway in a safe and considerate manner.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with those employing or contracting learner motorcyclists and scooter riders to make deliveries on the behaviour of their riders on the roads and in relation to pedestrians and cyclists.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Employers have a duty to manage the risks of their work activities, and employees have a responsibility to drive safely and with consideration towards other road users. Learner motorcyclists and motor scooter riders, like other road users, are required to comply with road traffic law and may be fined, given penalty points on their licence, or disqualified from driving if they disobey the legal requirements. If they do not adopt a responsible attitude, or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment or causes nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences.