Category: Transportation

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Statement on Motor Vehicle Driving Licences

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Statement on Motor Vehicle Driving Licences

    The statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 18 October 2021.

    The need to tackle the HGV driver shortage is a top priority for my Department and the Government are committed to finding solutions to mitigate the effect and take urgent action. With 25 proactive actions taken by my Department to resolve the long-term HGV driver shortage in recent weeks, we are already seeing results, with a 300% increase in the number of HGV provisional licence applications. This is a real achievement, but it is important that we continue to build on this success.

    The haulage sector has been experiencing a chronic shortage of HGV drivers worldwide for some time. In Great Britain the issue has been further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, which meant that driver testing had to be suspended for much of 2020, delaying entry to the industry of potential drivers. In addition, there are longer-term issues surrounding attracting and retaining drivers to the industry such as: antisocial hours, poor diversity, relatively low pay and poor driver facilities.

    The Department for Transport and other Government Departments have been working alongside the haulage industry to ensure that we attract, recruit, train and test drivers who want to enter the profession, including increasing capacity for testing candidate drivers through measures taken by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and prioritising licence applications within the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

    Streamlining the HGV driving licence regime is an important step in getting drivers tested and into jobs quickly, relieving the pressure on the haulage industry from the driver shortage. On 10 September 2021, following public consultation, I announced a number of measures to simplify the HGV licencing regime and bring forward legislation that would remove the current staged process for getting an HGV licence in Great Britain.

    It will mean that drivers will not need to hold a Category C—rigid lorry—licence before applying for a Category C + E—articulated lorry—licence, removing a stage in the process for those drivers who wish to acquire a category C + E licence. This measure will be addressed through a draft affirmative statutory instrument which is laid before Parliament today.

    This legislation will help to make the process from learner to qualified driver quicker by removing certain steps and allow it to respond more rapidly to the acute need for drivers at the heavier end of the vehicle spectrum. High driving standards will be maintained through existing pre-test training and gaining on-road driving experience.

    To make rapid progress on this, we are seeking to make use of the urgent procedure under paragraph 14(6) of Schedule 8 to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. As Secretary of State for Transport, I am of the opinion that, by reason of urgency, the requirements for the statutory instrument to be made after being published in draft together with a scrutiny statement should not apply.

    Forgoing the 28-day publication period will allow earlier laying of the legislation than would have otherwise been possible and strengthen the steps we have already taken to increase testing capacity and ease supply chain issues as quickly as possible. Arrangements will be in place to ensure that the changes made by the legislation are operationally effective as soon as the legislation is in force.

    Tackling the causes and effects of the HGV driver shortage is a top priority for my Department and the driving licence regime and its legislation must support our efforts. This as part of 25 measures we have taken so far, will help us to reduce the impact of this shortage on the people of Britain.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on Heavy Vehicles Complying with Tighter LEZ Standards

    Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on Heavy Vehicles Complying with Tighter LEZ Standards

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 4 October 2021.

    Toxic air pollution causes long-lasting harm and contributes to many thousands of premature deaths every year, so it is really encouraging to see businesses shifting to cleaner vehicles and 95 per cent of heavy goods vehicles now meeting the Low Emission Zone standards.

    I’ve implemented the most ambitious plans to tackle air pollution of any major city in the world – showing what we can achieve together if we are bold enough. I am extending the ULEZ in October because we know it will bring significant health benefits to millions of Londoners and help tackle the climate emergency.

    With the UK set to host COP26 in just a few weeks, the Government must match my ambition and help clean up OUR filthy air and reduce carbon emissions from transport across the country. This must include giving cities additional powers and creating a national Clean Air Fund to help people switch to cleaner, greener cars and more sustainable transport options.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Insulate Britain Injunction

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Insulate Britain Injunction

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 3 October 2021.

    We will continue to do all we can to prevent this self-defeating, disruptive and incredibly dangerous behaviour being carried out by Insulate Britain. They are putting lives in danger and damaging their own cause.    Today, we’re ensuring every major road and motorway linked to the M25 is covered by this injunction to help prevent further disruption.

    Activists are being tracked down and served court papers and will now face justice. We will take the strongest action against anyone else who decides to take part in this ridiculous and irresponsible action.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on New International Travel System

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on New International Travel System

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 4 October 2021.

    We are accelerating towards a future where travel continues to reopen safely and remains open for good, and today’s rule changes are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector.

    Our priority remains to protect public health but, with more than 8 in 10 people now fully vaccinated, we are able to take these steps to lower the cost of testing and help the sector to continue in its recovery.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Government’s Rethink on HS2

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Government’s Rethink on HS2

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Transport Secretary, on 3 October 2021.

    You cannot trust a word the Tories say. Expecting people to accept endless rebadging of promises made years ago is insulting.

    Poor transport connectivity continues to hold back the North, Midlands and beyond and the Conservatives’ record is one of total failure to deliver. Communities that stand to lose out once again – thanks to the Government’s incompetence and inability to keep projects on track – will rightly feel betrayed by yet another broken promise dressed up as a new announcement.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Statement on Southeastern Railways

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Statement on Southeastern Railways

    The statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 28 September 2021.

    There is clear, compelling and serious evidence that LSER have breached the trust that is absolutely fundamental to the success of our railways. When trust is broken, we will act decisively.

    The decision to take control of services makes unequivocally clear that we will not accept anything less from the private sector than a total commitment to their passengers and absolute transparency with taxpayer support.

    Under the new operator, we will prioritise the punctual, reliable services passengers deserve, rebuild trust in this network, and the delivery of the reforms set out in our Plan for Rail – to build a modern railway that meets the needs of a nation.

  • Ed Miliband – 2021 Comments on Fuel Crisis

    Ed Miliband – 2021 Comments on Fuel Crisis

    The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business Secretary, on 27 September 2021.

    The Government should be using every tool at its disposal to tackle the fuel and supply chain crisis that its complacency has helped cause, so this is the right thing to do. But it is ministers’ appalling and wilful intransigence that has got us to this point.

    Ministers must urgently address the 100,000 HGV driver shortfall, which is at the root of this chaos. With every hour and day that goes by the public will feel increasingly outraged by the incompetent and shambolic government that has brought us to this point.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Workers in Aviation Industry

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Workers in Aviation Industry

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, on 27 September 2021.

    It should be a source of shame for ministers that they have allowed thousands of jobs to be lost in the aviation sector across the country when they promised support – particularly when so many are now staring down the barrel of Boris Johnson’s tax hikes and cuts to Universal Credit.

    Empty words, long delays and broken promises are the default setting for this Government – with working people paying the price over and over again.

    Labour has consistently called for a sectoral deal that supports the whole aviation industry including securing jobs and protecting the supply chain, while continuing to press for higher environmental standards.

  • Priti Patel – 2021 Comments on Extended Legal Action Against Protesters

    Priti Patel – 2021 Comments on Extended Legal Action Against Protesters

    The comments made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 24 September 2021.

    The British public are rightly furious that the behaviours of a selfish minority have been putting lives at risk and causing untold disruption on our roads and now at Dover. We will not tolerate the recklessness of these few activists and the police continue to have our full support in cracking down on their dangerous behaviour.

    The public and the police want officers back serving their communities and cutting crime, not dealing with people happy to put the safety and needs of others at risk.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Extended Legal Action Against Protesters

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Extended Legal Action Against Protesters

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 24 September 2021.

    We are absolutely committed to protecting the right to peaceful protest, but it is unacceptable that people cannot go about their day-to-day businesses and that businesses or critical supplies should be put on a knife’s edge because of the reckless actions of a few protesters.

    I commend the work of Kent Police and the Port of Dover authorities today to quickly resolve the issue and keep our critical supplies moving and I will do everything to prevent these sorts of guerrilla tactics from putting people’s lives at risk and keeping our emergency services away from the communities that need them.