Written questions by Mayer.

Whether her Department has made recent progress on monitoring the steps taken by local transport authorities to implement the new statutory guidance on enhanced partnerships for bus services, published on 1 April 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of which local transport authorities have the greatest opportunities to increase the modal share of a) walking, b) wheeling and c) cycling.

Awaiting answer.

If she will set targets for the proportion of short journeys walked, wheeled and cycled in every a) strategic and b) local highways authority.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a risk-based framework for Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to ensure passengers who bought a train ticket via a 3rd party provider and chose to accept the advice not to travel due to the extreme heat warning can access a timely refund.

Passengers who choose not to travel due to the extreme heat between Tuesday 23 June and Friday 26 June 2026 can claim a fee-free refund from their point of purchase whether that is a train operator or independent retailer. The industry target is to proces...

When he plans to publish the research his Department commissioned on the effects of the Schengen immigration limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard interna

The department has undertaken a study to improve our understanding of the effects of the 90-in-180-day Schengen immigration limit and planning for the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) implementation on commercial vehicle operators. We intend to pu...

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of public electric vehicle charging points in towns.

The Government is committed to accelerating the rollout of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). We closely monitor charge point rollout ...

What estimate she has made from the latest National Travel Survey of the number of trips per head made by people aged (a) 5-10, (b) 11-15 and (c) 16-17 by bus outside of London and Greater Manchester.

The below table shows the average number of trips per person by age band using buses outside London for residents of England, excluding Greater Manchester combined authority, aged 5 to 17. Figures are based on 2023 and 2024 combined to provide a large eno...

On what dates has the Mass Transit Taskforce has met.

The Mass Transit Taskforce was announced on 20 May. It is independently chaired by Bridget Rosewell CBE, but we understand the Taskforce has been engaging regularly, including to develop the call for evidence which was published on 17 June.

When her Department plans to provide details of the scheme on the reimbursement mechanism for the Summer Free bus fares for children initiative to operators.

The Department has already shared initial details of the proposed reimbursement mechanism for the Summer Bus Fare Offer with operators and further detail will be shared ahead of implementation.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) the Department for Transport and (b) local and regional authorities on bus connectivity to East-West Rail (Bletchley to Cambridge section) in the context of the

East West Rail Company is responsible for designing, developing, and delivering East West Rail, including new track, new stations, and upgrades to existing infrastructure between Bletchley-Cambridge. It has frequent engagement with local authorities and i...

What funding her Department provided in 2024/25 for mobility hubs to regional and local authorities in England.

The Department for Transport did not provide funding to local authorities specifically for mobility hubs in 2024/25. It is for local authorities to decide on the best transport options for their areas. Some local authorities used Future Transport Zones fu...

How many mobility hubs there are in England.

Local authorities are responsible for decisions about whether to plan and deliver mobility hubs in their areas and the Department for Transport does not track this activity. In April, the Department for Transport published guidance on what local transport...

Whether an agreement has been made between her Department and Universal Destinations and Experiences on transport links for workers during the construction of the Universal Theme Park in Bedfordshire.

The Department has not entered a specific agreement with Universal Destinations and Experiences (UDX) regarding transport links for construction workers. The Department is, however, working closely with UDX, Bedford Borough Council and other local partner...

What assessment her Department has made of the potential role of Digital Twin technology in supporting the delivery of an integrated transport system in the UK.

As outlined in the Transport AI Action Plan (2025) and the Transport Climate Adaptation Strategy (2025), digital twins hold vast potential to improve the performance and resilience of the whole transport system, through better integration, data sharing an...

What data her Department holds on the number of reported incidents of (a) physical assault and (b) verbal abuse against bus drivers in England in each of the last five years; and what steps her Department is ta

The Department does not hold this data. Employers are responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of their employees, and must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. Where people report incidents to the police, under the Home Offi...

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of Transport Focus’s document entitled Your Bus Journey 2025, published on 25 March 2026.

The Government is committed to improving local bus services for passengers and the Department for Transport welcomes the valuable insight provided by Transport Focus's 'Your Bus Journey' report, published on 25 March 2026. We were encouraged to see overall bus passenger satisfaction rising to 85%, and the report’s findings will continue to help inform the Department’s work to drive better bus services across the country.

How many grants and of what value have been made from the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme to businesses using (a) HGVs (b) coaches (c) other.

As part of the Depot Charging Scheme, launched in July 2025, 92 projects valued at £33 million have been awarded grant funding to support uptake of battery electric (BE) HGVs, vans and coaches by part-funding the installation of charging infrastructure at fleet depots. These awards break down as follows:46 projects, totalling £20,078,966, include at least one eligible BE HGV;3 projects, totalling £1,164,582, include at least one BE coach;43 projects, totalling £11,701,679, do not include a BE HGV or coach.

To provide the postcodes of the recharging sites which secured funding from the ZEHID scheme.

The postcodes alongside an interactive map for the 75 recharging locations that have secured funding through the ZEHID programme can be found at https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/zero-emission-heavy-goods-vehicles-and-infrastructure by clicking Insights, Implementation and ‘Explore the Map’. These will be updated periodically.

To list the (a) individuals and (b) organisations that her Department is consulting as part of its research to better understand the adoption process under the Highways Act 1980 and how it might be improved in the future.

Ipsos UK has been commissioned by the Department for Transport to conduct research into the operation of sections 37 and 38 of the Highways Act 1980 and to assess whether the current road adoption system remains fit for purpose. As part of this work, Ipsos are engaging a range of organisations, including house builders of varying sizes, local highway and planning authorities, councillors, and residents. Residents have been sampled from areas including Cambridge, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Northumberland, Barnsley, Cheshire East, Gloucestershire and Milton Keynes. Interviews have also been conducted with several local authorities including Warwickshire, Barnsley, Cambridge, Cheshire East, Leicestershire, Kent and Shropshire. Ipsos UK was commissioned to deliver anonymous qualitative interviews. To honour the confidentiality promised to participants, Ipsos has not shared the detailed list of individual housebuilders with the Department, and therefore DfT does not hold this information.