Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Bus Services

Thursday 4 November 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Jones inquired about extending electric bus benefits to Knaresborough.
  • Sam Tarry raised concerns about the impact of Government cuts on rural transport networks.
  • Daniel Zeichner questioned the delay in implementing audiovisual announcements for buses.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Jones Con
Transport Environment
Context

The MP asks about the status of ZEBRA (zero-emission bus regional areas) scheme in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Question

Harrogate has electric buses already, and they are very popular for their ride quality and their environmental benefit. I am keen to see their benefits extended, particularly to Knaresborough, where we have two air quality management areas and the very high-volume No. 1 route. Will the Minister update the House on where we are with the ZEBRA—zero-emission bus regional areas—scheme?

Answer from Trudy Harrison

Absolutely. My hon. Friend is a superb champion for Harrogate and Knaresborough and has extensive experience of public transport. I am sure that he will appreciate the recent announcement of £355 million of new funding for zero-emission buses, which is in addition to the existing £120 million for the ZEBRA scheme. On ZEBRA, we also announced last week that almost £71 million of the funding has been awarded to Warrington, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Kent, Cambridge and Peterborough. We continue to work with a further 17 local transport authorities that will submit proposals. One of those areas is North Yorkshire; I understand that Harrogate and Knaresborough are part of the defined area.

Answered
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Q2 Sam Tarry
Transport Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The MP raises the issue of Government cuts affecting rural transport networks and asks for significant investment to support these communities.

Question

I welcome the Minister to Transport orals for what I believe is her first set of questions. In April, I raised the devastating impact of Government cuts on rural transport networks, which has led to what CPRE calls “transport deserts”. Six months on, rural communities are still bearing the brunt of the Government's failure to act. Many of the funding announcements in the Budget were nothing more than rehashed and repackaged initiatives that will do nothing to tackle the transport deserts that blight the lives of ordinary people in so many rural communities, towns and villages. I ask again: will the Minister offer rural bus networks the tangible and significant investment that they so desperately need? Will she offer a firm deadline for when that will be done?

Answer from Trudy Harrison

As the hon. Member will know, in last week's spending review, we set out an unprecedented level of support for buses, including zero-emission vehicles. This Government are supporting the bus network through manufacturing and through the infrastructure required as we decarbonise, as set out in our transport decarbonisation plan.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific deadline or commitment to tangible investment

How: Under Review

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Q3 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Transport
Context

The MP asks about the implementation of audiovisual announcements on buses in Cambridge.

Question

Back in 2017, the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Andrew Jones) was the buses Minister. As he will remember, we had many discussions about the Bus Services Act 2017 and audiovisual announcements. Incredibly, some four and a half years on, the proposals for audiovisual announcements have still not been implemented. When can I expect to see and hear them on buses in Cambridge?

Answer from Trudy Harrison

We are working apace on this, and will be able to update the House in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific timeline or implementation date for audiovisual announcements

How: Under Review

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