HC 429 - Motoring of the Future

HC 429 - Motoring of the Future PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215083792
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 49

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Book Description
Motoring is being transformed by new materials, new fuels and information technology. However, the Government must act if people and businesses in the UK are to obtain the full benefit of this ongoing automotive revolution. The Committee found that the Department for Transport (DfT) is yet to set out a comprehensive strategy to link the introduction of new automotive technology to the achievement of its policy goals. It should develop a comprehensive vision to shape motoring of the future in partnership with other Government Departments and agencies. This strategy needs to set out a co-ordinated set of actions to: (i) reduce or eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on the roads; (ii) cut emissions from road transport; (iii) increase road capacity; (iv) facilitate social inclusion and accessibility of road transport; and (v) support economic growth.

HC 429 - Motoring of the Future

HC 429 - Motoring of the Future PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215083792
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 49

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Book Description
Motoring is being transformed by new materials, new fuels and information technology. However, the Government must act if people and businesses in the UK are to obtain the full benefit of this ongoing automotive revolution. The Committee found that the Department for Transport (DfT) is yet to set out a comprehensive strategy to link the introduction of new automotive technology to the achievement of its policy goals. It should develop a comprehensive vision to shape motoring of the future in partnership with other Government Departments and agencies. This strategy needs to set out a co-ordinated set of actions to: (i) reduce or eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on the roads; (ii) cut emissions from road transport; (iii) increase road capacity; (iv) facilitate social inclusion and accessibility of road transport; and (v) support economic growth.

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Ready and waiting? Transport Preparations for Winter Weather - HC 681

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Ready and waiting? Transport Preparations for Winter Weather - HC 681 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215065995
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
The last few years have seen a number of periods when severe weather has led to widespread travel disruption, exposing a lack of preparedness across all modes of transport in terms of infrastructure, resources, and looking after the interests of passengers. Pro-active decision-making by rail and aviation operators to reduce or cancel services ahead of a major event has reduced disruption. However there is scope for further improvement. The Highways Agency should review the barriers to providing comprehensive realtime information to drivers. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) should ensure that train operating companies develop more robust procedures to identify how long a period of disruption is likely to last and to communicate this clearly to passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should set out how it will evaluate the impact of the new airport licence conditions on passenger welfare, by Spring 2015. The CAA must also ensure that best practice on the provision of information and on passenger welfare is shared across all UK airports. The availability of salt for gritting roads has improved with the establishment of the strategic salt reserve. More, though, should be done to keep pavements clear of ice and snow. However, winter weather is about more than just snow, as illustrated by the 'St Jude' storm across southern England and the more recent storm stranding thousands at Gatwick. The transport sector must continue to work closely with the Met Office and other forecasters. Finally, embedding a culture of continuous review and improvement must remain a priority.

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Cost of Motor Insurance: Whiplash - HC 117

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Cost of Motor Insurance: Whiplash - HC 117 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215061423
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
Whiplash injuries can have debilitating consequences for those who suffer them. However, some of the increase in whiplash claims will have been due to fraud or exaggeration. The Government must tighten up the requirements for motor insurance claims and ensure that insurers honour their commitment to reduce premiums. The Government should consider requiring claimants to provide proof that they have either been seen by a doctor or attended A&E shortly after the accident. The MPs also note that their previous recommendation on making the links between insurers and other parties involved with claims more transparent has been ignored. The absence of comprehensive statistics about road traffic accidents means that it is impossible to relate the increasing number of personal injury claims in recent years to the number of accidents. Data collection about road accidents needs to be improved help to assist detection of fraudulent personal injury claims and help highways authorities improve road safety by targeting spending on accident black-spots. The Committee also supports the proposal for an accreditation scheme for medical practitioners who provide medical reports in relation to whiplash claims. Access to justice could also be impaired by Government proposals to switch whiplash claims between £1,000 and £5,000 to the small claims court, particularly for people who do not feel confident to represent themselves against insurers who will use legal professionals to contest claims. Ways in which use of the small claims track could be combined with the routine submission of expert evidence should be considered

HC 1140 - Local Transport Expenditure: Who Decides?

HC 1140 - Local Transport Expenditure: Who Decides? PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0215072863
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Transport infrastructure in some parts of the UK may get left behind under the new system to be used from next year (2015) to share out central government money for local major transport schemes. The Government has again changed the system for distributing money to local areas for major transport projects, with much more emphasis now on competition for funding. This will not necessarily help regions get a fairer share of transport funding and could make the situation worse. The Government's focus on using competition to bring in private sector funding for projects could disadvantage the regions, where there tends to be less private sector money available compared with London. Those Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which are well organised and resourced will have an advantage in bidding for funds. Other areas may lose out as a result. In addition, with greater reliance on competitive bidding for funds, there will see more money wasted on failed bids. Strategically significant schemes such as access to ports must not get overlooked. The changes are set against a backdrop where far less money is spent on transport projects outside London than in the capital. Transport infrastructure spending is £2,500 per head in London compared with £5 per head in the north east. This inequality must change. The Committee calls for the new funding arrangements to be reviewed by the end of the next Parliament to ensure that they are efficient and effective in providing funding for the most urgent transport priorities.

Marine Pilotage

Marine Pilotage PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215054654
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Book Description
This report questions whether the Department for Transport is striking the appropriate balance between its role as a regulator of port safety and its aim to promote the commercial attractiveness of UK ports. This follows evidence that most ports fail to confirm to Government that they comply with best practice guidance on port safety and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has the resources to conduct just four port 'health checks' each year. Representatives of marine pilots, who guide ships in and out of ports, lack confidence that the Department for Transport understands their concerns and the requirements of their work and shares their aim of enhancing maritime safety. The Committee is opposed to a proposal, supported by Government, to relax the rules on the granting of pilotage exemption certificates to more junior navigating officers which could jeopardise safety. If the Government insists on pressing ahead with this change, the Committee recommends that the impact of the change should be monitored. Other recommendations include that: the Maritime and Coastguard Agency should broaden its safety inspection programme so that it undertakes eight inspections per annum; ports should be required to publish statistics on accidents and near-misses; the Government should use its influence to persuade harbour authorities to accept national standards as to who can be authorised as a pilot: if national standards are not adopted the case for legislation on this issue will be compelling.

Plug-In Electric Vehicles

Plug-In Electric Vehicles PDF Author: David B. Sandalow
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0815703481
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Plug-in electric vehicles are coming. Major automakers plan to commercialize their first models soon, while Israel and Denmark have ambitious plans to electrify large portions of their vehicle fleets. No technology has greater potential to end the United States' crippling dependence on oil, which leaves the nation vulnerable to price shocks, supply disruptions, environmental degradation, and national security threats including terrorism. What does the future hold for this critical technology, and what should the U.S. government do to promote it? Hybrid vehicles now number more than one million on America's roads, and they are in high demand from consumers. The next major technological step is the plug-in electric vehicle. It combines an internal combustion engine and electric motor, just as hybrids do. But unlike their precursors, PEVs can be recharged from standard electric outlets, meaning the vehicles would no longer be dependent on oil. Widespread growth in the use of PEVs would dramatically reduce oil dependence, cut driving costs and reduce pollution from vehicles. National security would be enhanced, as reduced oil dependence decreases the leverage and resources of petroleum exporters. Brookings fellow David Sandalow heads up an authoritative team of experts including former government officials, private-sector analysts, academic experts, and nongovernmental advocates. Together they explain the current landscape for PEVs: the technology, the economics, and the implications for national security and the environment. They examine how the national interest could be served by federal promotion and investment in PEVs. For example, can tax or procurement policy advance the cause of PEVs? Should the public sector contribute to greater research and development? Should the government insist on PEVs to replenish its huge fleet of official vehicles? Plug-in electric vehicles are coming. But how soon, in what numbers, and to what effect? Feder

Plug-in Hybrids

Plug-in Hybrids PDF Author: Sherry Boschert
Publisher: Gabriola, B.C. : New Society Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles, Electric
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
A politically polarized America is coming together over a new kind of car--the plug-in hybrid that will save drivers money, reduce pollution, and increase US security by reducing dependence on imported oil. Plug-in Hybrids points out that, where hydrogen fuel-cell cars won't be ready for decades, the technology for plug-in hybrids exists today. Unlike conventional hybrid cars that can't run without gasoline, plug-in hybrids use gasoline or cheaper, cleaner, domestic electricity--or both. Although plug-in hybrids are not yet for sale, demand for them is widespread, coming from characters across the political spectrum, such as: * Chelsea Sexton, the automotive insider: working for General Motors, Sexton fought attempts to destroy the all-electric EV1 car and describes how car companies are resisting plug-in hybrids--and why they'll make them -anyway. * Felix Kramer and the tech squad: Kramer started a nonprofit organization using the Internet to tap into a small army of engineers who built the first plug-in Prius hybrids. * R. James Woolsey, former CIA director and national security hawk: seeing the end of oil supplies looming, Woolsey is demanding plug-in hybrids to wean us from petroleum. Cautioning that the oil and auto companies know how to undermine the success of plug-in car programs to protect their interests, the book gives readers tools to ensure that plug-in hybrids get to market--and stay here.

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Access to Transport For Disabled People - Volume I: HC 116

House of Commons - Transport Committee: Access to Transport For Disabled People - Volume I: HC 116 PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215062307
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
In the UK some 11.5m people already live with a recognised disability and more than a fifth of them experience some difficulty when using transport networks. So it's essential that the Department for Transport delivers an ambitious Accessibility Action Plan. Changes made ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games delivered access for disabled people to significantly more parts of the public transport network for the first time and highlighted the immense value of such improvements for all. Yet a year later, there is a risk that some of the momentum from London 2012 is being lost because further key accessibility improvements planned have been watered-down or abandoned. The Committee's recommendations include: imposing penalties on bus operators who claim to offer accessible routes but then fail to provide accessible buses; the phased introduction of audio-visual information systems on all buses over the next ten years; phasing out the need for disabled travellers having to book organised assistance in advance; financial incentives to encourage investment in fully accessible vehicles by taxi and private care hire vehicle operators; and a change to EU rules so that in future airlines are required to allow carers to travel free of charge when the airline judges a disabled person incapable of travelling independently. The Cabinet Office should convene a working group of ministers and officials to improve cross-government working on accessibility in order to secure the full benefits to be gained from widening disabled people's access to employment and training, healthcare and wider participation in all parts of society

Transportation Energy Data Book

Transportation Energy Data Book PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Energy conservation
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description


Land Transport Security - Scope for Further EU Involvement?

Land Transport Security - Scope for Further EU Involvement? PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215055330
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
Last year the European Commission published a staff working document that was principally concerned with extending the Commission's involvement in transport security matters. Land transport security measures seek to prevent acts of unlawful interference against passengers, freight or transport infrastructure in the road and rail sectors. Unlawful interference, as referred to in the Commission's document, includes anything from terrorism to relatively minor crime against passengers and transport operators. The conflation of such wide-ranging security issues is not helpful and the Government is urged to ensure that any future EU land security transport proposals are more focussed. Overall, the current risk-based approach to land transport security in the UK are working well and security measures deployed across UK transport modes are proportionate to the current threats that any given sector is exposed to. However, some weaknesses in the UK's current land transport security regime were identified, including, for example, procedures for dealing with multi-modal transport hubs at which different threat levels are applied to different modes; ensuring that staff had a consistent level of training and an understanding of potential threats, risks and preventative measures; and the difficulty of maintaining a high level of both staff and public vigilance. The principal recommendation is that the Government should participate actively in EU discussions to ensure that any detailed proposals are focussed and appropriate to the UK. Parliament should be keep abreast of developments so that we can continue to contribute to the shaping of policy in this area