Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase testing capacity for heavy goods vehicle drivers in Wales.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The number of available HGV driving tests across Great Britain has increased by 90% compared to pre-pandemic levels and currently stands at 3,200 tests per week. This includes increases in availability at driving test centres in Wales and Welsh drivers can also book test slots in England or Wales. Test capacity now exceeds demand and the provision of vocational tests is not a barrier to people becoming HGV drivers.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has appointed customer account managers to help trainers access vocational driving tests where and when they need them.
Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department will use to assess the electric scooter pilot projects; and if the pilot is successful whether privately owned electric scooters will be legally allowed on UK roads.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Department is preparing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan to gather evidence from the trials. This will assess the safety risks presented by e-scooters, the mode shift to e-scooters from other forms of transport, public perceptions around their use?and identify other impacts that should be considered for any?potential?future legalisation of e-scooters.
From the evidence gathered during trials, the responses to the Future of Transport regulatory review call for evidence and other research, the Government will consider whether to legalise both rental and privately-owned e-scooters.