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Category: Transportation

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Letter on the Safety of Transport Workers

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Letter on the Safety of Transport Workers

    The letter send by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, to Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 2 February 2021.

    Dear Grant,

    I am sure you will join me in paying tribute to transport, distribution and logistics staff across the country. Without them our country would grind to a halt and we could not hope to beat Covid-19. As with all our frontline workers, they are the very best of us.

    Across the country people are shocked and saddened by increasing reports of transport and other key workers losing their lives to Covid-19. Our thoughts are with the families of these brave professionals. Our drivers are keeping the country going in extremely difficult circumstances, and they will be central to our economic recovery.

    You’ll know that this week the ONS published figures showing the death rate from Covid-19 by occupation. It revealed that taxi drivers (101 deaths per 100,000 males) and bus and coach drives (83 deaths per 100,000 males) had some of the highest death rates of any occupation.

    There is a mix of overlapping, and at times contradictory, scientific advice and guidance in circulation for essential workers. The job of Government should surely be to cut through that noise and give those that need it clear, unified and constant guidance and direction. The fact that different operators have diverging views on the best approach is confusing matters further.

    It’s clear that ahead of our frontline workers receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, we need a national operator’s forum with Government, transport operators and unions with driver and other workers’ representatives. This would help in understanding the frontline issues, varying approaches, and practical solutions to getting the Covid case rate and death rate down.

    There is a need for clearer guidance for all transport operators including those in the taxi industry that consider themselves a platform rather than employer. This should include, but not be limited to:

    Whether all public facing transport workers whether in the public or private sector should be issued with gloves, masks, and other PPE items as standard, what specification this PPE should be and, if there isn’t sufficient PPE, whether buses should still run;

    Whether physical barriers (ie. screens) should be in place for all taxis or other modes of transport to separate the driver from the passengers and if the government will provide specification on the most effective installation;

    How frequently vehicles should be cleaned and to what standard this cleaning should be, including routine deep cleaning;

    The need for drivers to have additional breaks, where social distancing can be applied, built into shifts;

    How social distancing can be effectively managed on within all modes of public transport, and how queuing and boarding can be managed to provide a safe environment for passengers and workers. This is especially important given the Prime Minister has said he is considering easing some restrictions as early as next month.

    Finally, to reiterate, my party is clear, as we have been since the beginning of this crisis, that we will work with the Government in any way possible to support efforts to tackle the virus. To that end, we are raising these issues in the spirit of constructive engagement.

    Yours Sincerely,

    Jim.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Road Upgrades

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Road Upgrades

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 30 January 2021.

    I am delighted to announce this significant funding package, which will ensure millions of people can continue to travel easily and safely. It’s further proof of this government delivering on its promise to level up the country – putting transport at the heart of our efforts to build back better from COVID-19.

    The projects will help people access work and education, as well as ensuring vital connectivity for local businesses.

    While everyone will see the benefits of these schemes in time, for now, it’s important to remember to only travel for the permitted reasons while we continue to prioritise protecting public health and preventing the spread of the virus. Through staying at home, you can help stop the virus and save lives.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Support for Airports

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Support for Airports

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 29 January 2021.

    A thriving aviation industry has been central to the success of this country and while we recognise the testing conditions airports are currently facing as a result of the pandemic, I believe that the sector will be ready to bounce back once restrictions are lifted.

    Today’s scheme is another step in the right direction, providing vital support for an industry that is raring to get back to business, once it is safe to do so.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2021 Statement on HS2 (West Midlands – Crewe)

    Andrew Stephenson – 2021 Statement on HS2 (West Midlands – Crewe)

    The statement made by Andrew Stephenson, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, in the House of Commons on 19 January 2021.

    Let me say at the outset that the majority of these amendments are clarifications, corrections and updated references. When a Bill has had such a lengthy passage through these Houses as this one, it is perhaps amazing that there are so few amendments that need to be made. Let me say also that the Government accept all the amendments made by the other place to this Bill.

    As you would expect, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will provide some comment on the more substantial amendments, but before I do so, I would like to thank the other place for its careful scrutiny of this Bill. In particular, I thank my noble Friend Baroness Vere of Norbiton for her very great skill and diligence in steering this Bill through the other place. I also wish to extend especial thanks to Lord Hope of Craighead and his Committee for their careful and considered approach to the petitions against the Bill in the other place and for the way they handled their processes during the global pandemic.

    Turning to the amendments, Lords amendment 2 introduces a requirement on the nominated undertaker to provide and publish annual reports on the impact of the construction of the High Speed 2 project on ancient woodland. This is a scheme-wide amendment: it applies not just to phase 2a of HS2, but to all phases, including those that the House has not yet considered. The requirement in this amendment to report is about ancient woodland, but I have also committed to wider environmental reporting on the impacts of HS2. I look forward to the first of these environmental reports being published, and I am absolutely committed to holding HS2 Ltd to account on environmental matters.

    Lords amendment 3 introduces a new requirement on the Government to undertake the consultation prior to 1 May 2021. This consultation is to be for the people of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, and it is to seek views on various types of impacts from the HS2 works. The Government opposed this amendment in the other place, but that was on the basis that it was deemed unnecessary. There has already been considerable consultation with the people of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. Nevertheless, I think that accepting this amendment is the right thing to do. As the Minister for HS2, I have been charged with resetting the relationship between the HS2 project and local communities. I have worked continuously with colleagues across the House who represent communities along the line of route. I am listening, and I will not stand in the way of the opportunity to listen more through further consultation. I want to reassure the House that I am taking action on what I hear, where it is needed. Further, I will do all I can to ensure that officials and those working on the project for HS2 Ltd put any consultation responses to the best possible use.

    I am acutely aware of the strength of feeling in the affected communities, and I am therefore mindful of the motivation and the sentiments of those who supported and voted for this amendment in the other place. As I have mentioned, extensive consultation has already been undertaken. It is crucial, though, that we remember that local communities are at the heart of this project. HS2 is a massive infrastructure project from which the whole nation will benefit, but there are those who will have to bear a burden for that to happen.

    I cannot move on without mentioning that there is a price tag of around £350,000 attached to the consultation. However, the costs of running a consultation are minor compared with the costs of delaying the Bill and of not listening to those who are directly affected by the impacts of these works. Let me therefore be very clear about consultation and engagement. The passing of this Bill does not mean the end of engagement with local communities. Indeed, it is only the beginning of a renewed effort to try to mitigate the impacts of the HS2 works on them. Therefore, while there has already been extensive consultation, I see no harm in there being even more.

    The last amendment to which I wish to draw the House’s attention is Lords amendment 5. It simply clarifies when a new road constructed under the powers in the Bill becomes specifically a public highway, and when a temporary highway ceases to be a public highway. This clarifies the position for local authorities and has been highlighted as necessary through learning the lessons from phase 1. The remainder of the Lords amendments—amendments 1 and 4, and 6 to 12—delete references to some specific phase 1 works that have been made obsolete by a Transport and Works Act 1992 order, delete references made obsolete by the repeal of some local Acts and update other references in relation to the Communications Act 2003.

    The Bill has already taken far longer to go through Parliament than was anticipated when the legislation was introduced in July 2017. I do not want to delay it further today. I want this section of the railway to be built so that we can hasten the benefits of HS2 to the north as soon as possible and, given all that I have said, I urge the House to agree to the Lords amendments.

  • Robert Courts – 2021 Comments on Isle of Wight Ferry Services

    Robert Courts – 2021 Comments on Isle of Wight Ferry Services

    The comments made by Robert Courts, the Maritime Minister, on 15 January 2021.

    We took immediate action at the start of the pandemic to protect these vital routes, keeping the services people depend on running between the Isle of Wight and the mainland, and protecting jobs.

    This additional funding will continue this essential support for local transport operators, ensuring people can access medical care as well as other crucial services.

  • Rachel Maclean – 2021 Comments on Self-Driving Cars

    Rachel Maclean – 2021 Comments on Self-Driving Cars

    The comments made by Rachel Maclean, the Transport Minister, on 13 January 2021.

    The investment in and development of CAVs could truly transform the way people and goods are transported, with innovation like this at the heart of our ambition to build back better. We’re on the cusp of a driving revolution. Not only could this tech unlock vast opportunities for the UK economy and jobs market, it could significantly improve the safety and efficiency of how we travel over the coming decades.

  • Andy Burnham – 2021 Comments on Manchester Railway Consultation

    Andy Burnham – 2021 Comments on Manchester Railway Consultation

    The comments made by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, on 14 January 2021.

    I welcome this consultation and the government’s focus on this issue. The bottleneck in central Manchester is a problem for the whole of the north – and solving these congestion issues will improve the reliability of rail services for passengers right across the north.

    As we look to build back better from the pandemic, we want to work with the government to deliver a reliable and dependable timetable, alongside the much-needed upgrades to our Victorian infrastructure.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Gatwick Job Losses

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Gatwick Job Losses

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Transport Secretary, on 14 January 2021.

    Nearly a year has passed since the Government promised proper support for aviation to help businesses through the pandemic. Ministers’ incompetence and failure to act is costing jobs.

    Labour has repeatedly 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.

  • Robert Courts – 2021 Statement on International Travel

    Robert Courts – 2021 Statement on International Travel

    The statement made by Robert Courts, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 11 January 2021.

    Last week the Prime Minister announced that the Government had made the difficult but necessary decision to introduce a new national lockdown.

    Both globally and domestically we are seeing significant increases in levels of coronavirus, including the emergence of worrying new strains. It is therefore imperative that we ensure we are doing all we can to protect travel, reduce the risk of imported infections, including from new variants, and protect our NHS while national lockdown and vaccinations take effect.

    We already have strong safeguards in place, including a requirement for mandatory 10-day self-isolation for the vast majority of arrivals, and our travel corridors system remains critical in managing the risk of imported cases from high-risk countries. We also successfully launched the test to release scheme last month which provides passengers with the option to reduce self-isolation, through isolating for five days after they have left a destination not on the travel corridors list and then taking a test. Pre-departure testing does not remove the public health need for international arrivals travelling from non-exempt countries to isolate for 10 days or opt into test to release.

    However, as a result of increasing instances of covid-19 around the world, including the emergence of new variants, we are now taking additional steps to add a further layer of protection to safeguard public health.

    From 4 am on 15 January we will be introducing pre-departure testing requirements for all inbound passengers to England. Passengers arriving by ship, plane or train will have to take a test up to three days before departure and provide evidence of a negative result before they travel.

    This will be an additional requirement that applies to all passengers, including those travelling from a travel corridor country, other than those on a very short list of exemptions. This extra layer of protection is in addition to existing self-isolation requirements.

    We will establish the standards that tests must meet in regulations. This will include that the test must be of a diagnostic-standard test such as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and could in some cases include LAMP and lateral flow tests within set limits. We will provide clear guidance and advice to passengers regarding testing standards and capacity.

    Guidance will be available to passengers and carriers on what to look for to assure tests and the results provided meet the standards required.

    We will keep test standards and innovative testing technologies under review.

    In addition, we will also set out the information passengers will need to have with them at check-in and the UK border to show they have had a qualifying negative test. This will include set data fields which test result certificates must include. All information on test requirements will be made available to passengers and transport operators through guidance on gov.uk.

    The current advice for those across the UK remains that you must stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason. The requirements apply equally to visitors from other states and British nationals, and carriers may deny boarding if passengers are not in receipt of a qualifying negative test. British nationals that need consular assistance should contact the nearest consulate, embassy or high commission.

    If British nationals test positive for covid-19 while abroad they should not travel and should follow the local relevant guidance on self-isolation.

    Transport operators will be required to check that a passenger has proof of a negative test result before they board their flight, train or ferry, and may deny boarding where appropriate to reduce numbers of non-compliant individuals arriving in England. Border Force will also conduct further checks upon arrival.

    If a passenger arrives in England without a pre-departure negative test result they will be fined. We will amend the international travel regulations so that fines, starting at £500, can be levied on non-compliant passengers. Operators will also be fined for transporting non-compliant passengers.

    Passengers travelling to England from the common travel area (the United Kingdom, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey), will not be in scope of the regulations.

    Children under the age of 11 will also not be required to complete pre-departure testing.

    There will be a very restricted number of exemptions, including hauliers to allow the free flow of freight, and air, international rail and maritime crew.

    Certain limited reasonable excuses for not undergoing testing will also be permitted, for example, lack of testing infrastructure in the departure country. This will apply to three overseas territories—St Helena, Ascension Island and the Falklands.

    Arrivals from three additional countries will be considered to have a reasonable excuse not to comply due to lack of testing infrastructure. However, for these countries this will only apply for a specific, time limited window. This includes:

    Antigua and Barbuda—until Thursday 21 January 04.00

    St Lucia—until Thursday 21 January 04.00

    Barbados—until Thursday 21 January 04.00

    If passengers are arriving from one of the above three countries after the time limited window has ended, they will be required to meet all pre-departure testing requirements.

    Further details on exemptions and reasonable excuses will be set out in regulations and in guidance. We will keep exemptions and reasonable excuses under regular review.

    We will be making detailed guidance available to both passengers and transport operators to support the implementation of these changes.

    Measures are likely to be in place until the end of the current lockdown, although a review will take place before the end of that period.

    The Government recognise the continued challenges that the pandemic poses, both for individuals and for businesses.

    We have worked closely with the international travel sector during the course of the pandemic and will continue to do so as we emerge from lockdown and are able to encourage people to travel again with confidence. We are also continuing to implement recommendations set out in the global travel taskforce report to support the safe recovery of international travel.

    The delivery of a safe, effective vaccine is also the best way to protect the most vulnerable, save thousands of lives and support the removal of many of the restrictions and return to international travel. We are already making great progress, including having currently vaccinated more people than the rest of Europe combined.

    In the immediate term our priority has to be on safeguarding public health and the NHS. With the addition of pre-departure testing requirements, our already robust system to protect against imported cases of coronavirus is further strengthened and will provide the greatest overall protection against the risk of transmission during travel to England and after arrival.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Delays at Borders

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Delays at Borders

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Transport Secretary, on 8 January 2021.

    The Government promised it had a plan to make sure things ran smoothly for businesses and hauliers post-Brexit.

    It’s clear the problems caused by its poor preparation and delaying tactics have not gone away. Ministers have to get a grip on this and make sure essential workers are actually able to do their jobs, or we risk seeing a repeat of the chaos on our roads at Christmas.