Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for the rollout of the 2025 Pay As You Go rail scheme for stations which did not receive contactless ticketing on 2 February 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pay As You Go (PAYG) contactless ticketing launched at 47 further stations in the South East on 2 February, joining 6 stations on the Chiltern railways line that went live in June last year. We recently announced that PAYG with contactless would be extended to a further 49 stations in 2025. Further details on any wider expansion of PAYG will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including a rail station’s distance from London as a deciding factor in compiling the list of stations for the Pay As You Go rail rollout.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We want to expand ticketing innovations such as PayAsYouGo (PAYG) where possible. We will be considering a number of factors to determine stations which could be included in the future phases of PAYG with contactless rollout.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to implement contactless ticketing at Dorking Deepdene station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have committed to expanding Pay As You Go (PAYG) contactless ticketing to further stations in the South East and recently announced that PAYG with contactless would be extended to a further 49 stations in 2025, including stations that are within the Dorking area; Dorking (Main), Box Hill and Westhumble, Reigate, and Leatherhead. Further details on any wider expansion of PAYG will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timeline is for the (a) announcement and (b) implementation of the post-2025 phase of the Pay As You Go rail rollout.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
PAYG contactless pilots have been announced in both Manchester and the West Midlands, expanding PAYG to more than 90 additional rail stations, which are due to be launched in 2026. Further details on any wider expansion of PAYG with contactless in the South East will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many stations will be announced in the 2026 phase of the Pay As You Go rail rollout.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
PAYG contactless pilots have been announced in both Manchester and the West Midlands, expanding PAYG to more than 90 additional rail stations, which are due to be launched in 2026. Further details on any wider expansion of PAYG with contactless in the South East will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve consumer protections for air travel.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK already has a Regulatory framework to protect air passenger rights, including during disruptions such as cancellations and delays, and for disabled and less mobile passenger. The Department for Transport will continue to consider options for strengthening air passenger rights; working with industry, stakeholders and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure consumers continue to have a high level of protection whilst travelling by air.
The Department for Transport launched the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group in November. It brings together industry experts and consumer representatives to identify practical and achievable actions to improve aviation accessibility.
Furthermore, the Department for Transport is continuing work with the CAA exploring how the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme should operate in the future to continue to provide valued protection for consumers.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with airlines on the transparency of their terms and conditions.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Airlines are required by law to have fair and transparent terms and conditions. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for ensuring airlines are meeting this legal obligation and will take enforcement action where necessary.