Asked by: Dan Norris (Labour - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of which initiatives in Bus Service Improvement Plans create the highest levels of modal shift.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is too early in the lifetime of the Bus Service Improvement Plans programme to fully understand which initiatives have had the most impact.
The Department for Transport has commissioned an evaluation of the Bus Service Improvement Plan Programme, a £1.1 billion tranche of funding that has been allocated to 34 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) across England. The work will answer questions around how effectively the plans were delivered, the scheme's impact on bus usage, and its value for money. It will also include an assessment of the scheme’s impact on increasing passenger numbers.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Labour - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of railway engineering works on the economy in the South West in December 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail’s programme of railway upgrades in December is crucial to ensure its Western route continues to run reliably and safely. Economic impact assessments are not routinely undertaken for major engineering work, however, where work is likely to result in disruption the planning assumption is that it is undertaken when the railway is least used.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Labour - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with the Office of Road and Rail on the potential merits of setting up a new Heritage Rail Safety and Standards Board.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials in my department have had several meetings over the last year with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) about the Heritage Rail Association’s (HRA) plans to establish a Heritage Rail Safety and Standards Board. We understand that the HRA is progressing with its plans, and my officials will continue their engagement with the ORR as this develops.