Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to encourage people to use public transport in order to reduce congestion and its associated effect on air quality.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is committed to tackling congestion and improving air quality across the UK. High quality and accessible public transport will play a key role in this, alongside other forms of sustainable transport such as cycling and walking. Our rail plans are seeing the largest investment in the railway since Victorian times, which will help make rail travel more attractive through state-of-the-art new trains and stations, together with more and faster services. The Bus Services Act, which received Royal Assent in April 2017, gives local authorities a further range of tools, such as partnership working and franchising, to deliver service improvements for bus passengers, aiming to drive up bus use and help cut congestion. Our Cycling and Walking Strategy, published in April 2017 identified £1.2bn of investment in cycling and walking from 2016-21.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to monitor speed limits and ensure that they are appropriate.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government does not monitor speed limits, as traffic authorities set local speed limits in situations where local needs and conditions suggest a speed limit which is lower than the national speed limit. The Department has issued guidance to local highway authorities on setting local speed limits, which can be viewed online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to promote the use of cycle paths.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As with all local cycling infrastructure, local authorities are best placed to promote cycle paths in their area, which offer cyclists an alternative to cycling in the carriageway.
However, the decision to use a path will depend on the individual cyclist. While they can be attractive to some cyclists, particularly less confident cyclists, cycle paths may not always be convenient for experienced cyclists.