Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce fatality rates of cyclists on rural roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to improve road safety for cyclists and pedestrians, by strengthening pedestrian priority on pavements and at crossings and introducing the Hierarchy of Road Users, which places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision, at the top of the hierarchy. The Highway Code makes it clear that those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to others, and highlights the need to take care and be particularly aware of young cyclists and pedestrians.
The Department has awarded local authorities £185.8 million of funding between 2017 and 2024 through the Safer Roads Fund to improve the safety of England's most high risk 'A' roads. To date, it has funded 445.3 miles of rural roads which make up 62.4% of all funded routes.
Additionally, Active Travel England works with rural authorities to provide funding and to support the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, including segregated cycle lanes and junction improvements. This includes training for local authority staff, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of rural road conditions on (a) cycling and (b) horse rider safety.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government agrees that the condition of our local road network, both in rural and urban areas, has suffered as the result of a decade of underinvestment by the previous government. Poor road conditions can be particularly dangerous for cyclists and horse-riders, because they can cause vehicles to swerve at the last minute and because the consequences of hitting a pothole can be far worse for cyclists and horse-riders than for motorists.
To enable local authorities in rural areas and elsewhere to start to get on top of the highway maintenance backlog and deliver smoother, safer roads for all road users, the Government has already announced a £500 million funding uplift for local highway authorities for next financial year. Funding allocations to individual highway authorities were announced on 20 December, and Dorset is set to receive up to £25 million, a funding uplift of nearly £7 million compared to the current financial year. It is up to each local authority to decide how best to spend this funding, and in planning their maintenance programmes they should consider the needs of all road users, including cyclists, pedestrians and horse-riders.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that road network infrastructure is equipped to utilise safety technology in modern vehicles effectively.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is aware of the growing availability of ADAS Advanced Driver Assistance Services in new vehicles and the data and connectivity applications that support them. The Department has supported a number of research and development activities in recent years to develop the standards required for ‘vehicle to infrastructure’, (V2I) communications and services that will enable infrastructure-based safety systems, and continues to work with the automotive and highway authority sectors to ensure that the technology used in highway network management will support V2I services as they become available in new vehicles.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that investment in cycling infrastructure is equitably distributed to rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.
Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities.
In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support local authorities in rural regions to (a) develop and (b) maintain dedicated cycling lanes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.
Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities.
In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help provide safe cycling infrastructure for residents of rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.
Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities.
In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.