Asked by: Tom Randall (Conservative - Gedling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the affordability of bus fares.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Government recognises the importance of affordable public transport. While decisions on the level of fares are for commercial operators, the Government recognised in the National Bus Strategy the need to make bus services cheaper.
We are providing over £1 billion to Local Transport Authorities to help make bus services cheaper. We are also providing £60 million to cap single bus fares across England at £2 from 1 January to 31 March.
The £2 bus fare cap is not only an innovative way of helping people save money on their transport costs, but it helps to take 2 million car journeys off our roads. There are 4,600 routes across England in the scheme, including the 44 bus from Nottingham and the 53 and 39 buses.
I would be delighted to visit you on your constituency soon.
Asked by: Tom Randall (Conservative - Gedling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by the DVLA in reducing the number of vocational driving licence applications being processed.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is prioritising applications for vocational driving licences, including those for HGV entitlement, and has moved additional staff into this area.
On 24 October 2021, there were 29,545 applications for vocational driving licences awaiting processing, this is a significant reduction from the more than 55,000 held in mid-September. The main reason for the backlog was delays due to Coronavirus and ongoing industrial action at the DVLA.
There is no backlog for provisional vocational licences and these are being processed within the normal turnaround time of five working days, reduced from 10 working days.
It is important to note that the large majority of those applying to renew a vocational licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed. The DVLA continues to prioritise applications to renew vocational licences and expects to be back to normal turnaround times by early November.
Asked by: Tom Randall (Conservative - Gedling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the fire on the X-Press Pearl, what recent assessment he has made of fire safety on container ships.
Answered by Robert Courts
The recent fire and explosion on board the X-Press Pearl and the subsequent environmental impact of the incident highlights the importance of fire safety on container ships. There are two main international standards applicable in these cases, these are the International Code for Fire Safety Systems and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. These are implemented in the UK and compliance is monitored through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) survey and inspection regime.
The MCA is part of an international working group assessing certain provisions of the IMDG Code and developing amendments which would enhance safety and fire prevention. These amendments will be made to the next edition of the IMDG Code.
The MCA is also reviewing existing legislation related to the carriage of dangerous goods by sea and fire safety systems on ships and will be consulting on these later this year. The proposed amendments would allow a swifter implementation of new provisions and standards so that the UK can quickly embed the latest provisions for dangerous goods and fire safety on containers ships into domestic regulations.