Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure additional support for the coach industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
On 8 August, the Government announced a funding package of over £40 million for Local Transport Authorities to procure additional, dedicated home to education transport services, including the provision of additional coach services.
This funding will help children and young people get to school and college, whilst social distancing reduces the capacity of existing public transport.
Coach operators could contact local authorities to discuss their home to school transportation plans.
The Government has also announced several measures available to UK businesses, including the coach sector, to support them through this time, including: a further exemption to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations until July 2021; Government recognition of refund credits under the Bonded Coach Holiday Scheme to allow customers to book a future holiday or request a refund when trading resumes; and access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and Time to Pay.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of trailer registration charges on the operations of the haulage sector.
Answered by Jesse Norman
An impact assessment was carried out on the effect of introducing a trailer registration requirement and was published alongside the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018.
The cost to business and private users of large non-commercial trailers was assessed as follows:-
Familiarisation costs estimated at a one-off cost at £7 per trailer
Trailer registration fee expected to be no more than £28 (one-off cost) per trailer and since confirmed at £26
Registration plate at an average cost of £16 from private suppliers
Trailer users will benefit from avoiding enforcement costs that may otherwise be incurred during international travel. Overall the benefits of the scheme are expected to be much greater than the costs and this scheme has been broadly welcomed by industry.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect of traffic lights on the A2500 on (a) traffic flows and (b) the economy and quality of life on the Isle of Sheppey; and if he will take steps to expedite the building of a new roundabout at the junction with Barton Hill Drive.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The design, installation and maintenance of traffic management measures including traffic lights and roundabouts are the responsibility of the local traffic authority, in this case Kent County Council. It is for them to determine which solution is appropriate for a particular road or junction, taking into account local circumstances. I am grateful to my Honourable Friend for raising this issue and have written to Kent County Council to ask them to respond to him directly on it.