Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s timescale is for the installation on the M20 smart motorway of emergency refuge areas spaced at no more than 1 mile apart.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government has always been clear that the benefits of smart motorways will not be delivered at the expense of safety, with Highways England setting a strict objective that each scheme should be at least as safe as a traditional motorway.
Operational evidence shows no consistent correlation between the number of vehicles stopping in live lane on smart motorways and the spacing of emergency areas – with a broadly comparable live lane breakdown rate even where emergency areas were three times further apart.
However, to help drivers feel more confident they can find a place to stop in an emergency, Highways England are reducing the maximum spacing of emergency areas on future smart motorway schemes from about every mile and a half (about 90 seconds at 60mph) to around every mile (about every minute at 60mph).
Highways England is committed to improving its emergency areas on the M20 by installing improved signage and conspicuous orange surfacing.
Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to award the next Southeastern franchise.
Answered by Andrew Jones
We expect to make the award for the next franchise this year. Officials at my Department are working to deliver the best possible outcome for passengers and taxpayers and they are focused on delivering a successful outcome for the competition. It is our aim to communicate any developments in relation to the franchise soon as possible.
Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of potential growth in passengers on high-speed services from Snodland to London St Pancras in the next rail franchise period.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In developing the specification for train services and rolling stock capacity in the next franchise, the Department considered forecast changes in population and employment alongside other factors which influence rail demand such as fuel prices.
For the purpose of this analysis, the Department groups stations. Snodland forms part of the ‘West Kent’ group. Demand is considered on a flow basis – for example West Kent to London rather than for individual stations or services.
Forecast demand growth over the next franchise for the West Kent group is 0.55% per annum. In reality individual stations may grow higher or lower than this rate. In determining the specification for the new franchise the Department sought to cater for this demand across conventional and high speed services. The next franchisee must meet this specification no later than December 2022.
Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of including alcohol awareness training in the driving test assessment; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Highway Code advises drivers not to drink any alcohol before driving; this advice applies to all drivers, regardless of experience. The driving theory test includes questions about the effects of alcohol on a person's ability to drive.
The Department for Transport believes a more effective route to public awareness of the negative effect of alcohol on drivers is through appropriate pre-test training. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency produces The National Standard for Driver Training that should form the basis of training that approved driving instructors give to their pupils; these include thorough guidance on the appropriate consumption of alcohol prior to driving.