Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 demand responsive bus services to reduce the level of private car dependency for travel.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The bus market outside London is deregulated with decisions regarding service provision being primarily a commercial matter for bus operators, who are able to create demand responsive services.
The Secretary of State does however recognise the benefits that demand responsive transport has in areas with infrequent traditional bus services. This is why on September 2019 it was announced that the Department would introduce a £20 million Rural Mobility Fund to trial demand responsive services in rural and suburban areas. We are currently reviewing these bids.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to make rail travel in the UK more affordable to passengers.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Passengers deserve punctual and reliable journeys at a fair price, which is why we are investing billions of pounds in modernising the network. We have saved a generation of passengers a third off their fares through the new 16-17 and 26-30 ‘millennial’ railcard, and this November will extend these savings to former servicemen and women through a new Veterans Railcard.
The Department is also working with industry to explore options for flexible commuters, such as carnets, and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as useful and convenient for passengers as possible.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has provided to train operating companies on the ratio of first class seating to standard class seating on passenger trains.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Transport’s priority is to ensure that passengers are able to access the services they need. Where appropriate the Department may outline an expectation within the specification that first class seating is provided and request that the operator consults local stakeholder groups to inform a rolling stock configuration that is deliverable and meets the needs of the local market. The Department analyses operators’ proposals carefully, and challenges them as appropriate.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to split up the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail franchise.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department continues to consider options for the future of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise. Transport for London (TfL) has submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) for the devolution of the Great Northern Inner Suburban services. The Department has asked their officials to work with TfL to develop this proposal further. Any option proposed must be in the interests of all passengers and the tax-payer, aligning itself with the future plans of the TSGN network and industry reforms.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) public transport operators and (b) private bus companies on providing support to passengers with (i) sight loss, (ii) sight impairment and (iii) other disabilities to enable social distancing during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Whilst the Government is encouraging people to avoid public transport whenever possible, we understand that many disabled people continue to rely on transport services and maintaining their accessibility is therefore important.
On the 12th May the Department published guidance to help transport operators provide safe environments for their passengers and staff across all forms of public and private transport, including measures to assess and address the risks posed by COVID-19 in the transport sector.
Buses continue to play an important role in enabling disabled people to make essential journeys and we have reminded operators that laws supporting their access remain in force. Operators should ensure that staff are trained and equipped to provide passengers with assistance safely and should consider the impact on disabled passengers of any measures to support social distancing.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) issued its own advice to the station staff of Train Operating Companies. This included specific advice on how staff could continue to provide assistance to disabled passengers whilst maintaining safe social distancing and good hygiene regimes, including advice on assisting visually impaired customers.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the percentage decrease has been in flights arriving at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick airports since the start of the covid-19 lockdown in the UK; and what proportion of flights arriving during that period were (i) cargo only and (ii) passenger or cargo with passengers.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Monitoring of flight traffic conducted by Eurocontrol shows that between 24 March 2020 and 11 May 2020 the total number of flights arriving at Heathrow and Gatwick have decreased by 84% and 98% respectively when compared to the same date range of the previous year.
It is not possible to accurately determine from this data source whether flights during this period were cargo only or passenger flights, this information is officially collected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and received from UK airports up to two months after the end of each month in adherence to statistical regulation (EC) 437/2003 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to decarbonise road transport.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We are committed to going further and faster to tackle climate change. Our bold and ambitious plan to achieve net zero emissions across all transport will help make our towns and cities better places to live, create new jobs, as well as improving air quality and health. We are working with industry and communities around the country to develop the plan to decarbonise transport and expect to publish it in the autumn ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that all railway staff have access to travel facilities; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Any extension of rights to travel facilities to all railway staff would be a matter for employers and employers. An assessment of this nature has not been undertaken by the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has set a deadline by which every bus nationally will have audio-visual next stop and final destination announcements.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government understands the importance of accessible on-board information in helping bus passengers to travel with confidence. Consequently, in Summer 2018, the Government published a public consultation on proposals to require its provision on local bus services throughout Great Britain.
We continue to analyse responses to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February to Question 218834, what progress has been made in revising the statutory regulations on the Blue Badge scheme; and what the timetable is for publishing the associated guidance.
Answered by Andrew Jones
On 30th April, the Department for Transport laid The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019 No. 891). The changes being introduced under the expanded Blue Badge eligibility criteria for non-physical disabilities will come into force on 30th August 2019.
The Department for Transport is currently finalising the guidance necessary for local authorities to assess the new types of applications, which it plans to publish shortly.