Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an equality impact assessment of train station car park contactors permitting payment by smart phone apps only.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Charging for car parking is a commercial decision for train operating companies and Network Rail, and the train operating companies are responsible for making decisions on station car park charges and payment methods at the stations they manage. The Department expects train operators to consider the needs of their passengers and views of local partners on these issues, and to consider the equalities impacts of operational changes.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of driving tests that have been booked by automated bots and re-sold at an inflated price since 1 January 2023.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that there has been abuse of driving test booking systems, and is taking action to respond to it.
The DVSA does not hold the number of driving tests that have been booked by automated bots and the DVSA is continuing to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and the DVSA’s work on this is ongoing.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency are taking to prevent the use of automated bots for booking driving tests.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that there has been abuse of driving test booking systems, and is taking action to respond to it.
The DVSA does not hold the number of driving tests that have been booked by automated bots and the DVSA is continuing to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and the DVSA’s work on this is ongoing.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has received representations from (a) Train Operating Companies and (b) railway station commercial tenants on rent rebates for business operators for days where industrial action has resulted in reduced footfall at railway stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department has received representations from train operating companies and railway station commercial tenants on rent rebates for days impacted by industrial action. However, these are matters for the commercial tenants and relevant train operating companies to resolve.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to direct Train Operating Companies to accept Delay Repay claims from season ticket holders on days following industrial action, measured on the length of the delay experienced based on the regular timetable, as opposed to the reduced service timetables implemented on those days by Train Operating Companies.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Season ticket holders with a flexi, monthly or annual season ticket who are unable to travel on a day affected by industrial action are able to claim 100 per cent Delay Repay compensation for the relevant strike day or days.
There are no plans to extend the current policy for season ticket holders for Delay Repay compensation to days following industrial action.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 61293 on Large Goods Vehicles, whether he plans to publish the findings of the further work commissioned to consider the risks identified by the feasibility study.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Yes, the Department plans to publish the findings of the further work based upon the Longer Heavier Vehicle Feasibility Study published in August 2022. This further work is being conducted by consultants WSP, Apollo Vehicle Safety and Risk Solutions.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing fines for rail passengers who block access to spaces on trains designated for wheelchairs with luggage or other items.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
It is important that spaces designated for wheelchairs on trains remain available for those who need them. As part of their Accessible Travel Policy operators must make every reasonable effort to ensure that disabled passengers can obtain a seat on a train, particularly where these are not reservable, and that wheelchair users are able to use wheelchair spaces.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the level of fix penalty notices as prescribed by The Street Works (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2007 which can be levied by county councils against utility companies (a) as a deterrent to breaching the regulations and (b) at ensuring local authority enforcement is sufficiently funded by those penalties.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department keeps the level of fixed penalty notices under review, and my officials would be happy to have conversations with highway authorities on these matters.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with highways authorities on the adequacy of the level of fixed penalty notices as prescribed by Schedule 2 of The Street Works (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2007 in the last five years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department keeps the level of fixed penalty notices under review, and my officials would be happy to have conversations with highway authorities on these matters.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a smart traffic light system trialled in Spain and France in which traffic lights turn green for drivers approaching at the correct limit and remain red for drivers over the limit.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The department often examines a range of technical approaches but has no specific plans in this respect at present.