Image Source: UK Parliament – Lords debates King’s Speech, URL: https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2023/november-2023/lords-debates-kings-speech/
The King’s Speech during the state opening of the UK Parliament on 7th November 2023 may have unveiled some new transport legislation but also left glaring gaps.
Of the announcements which were made plans for new legal frameworks supporting the commercial development of self-driving vehicles was most notable. The introduction of the Automated Vehicles Bill in the House of Lords on 8th November is a crucial step towards facilitating the safe deployment of emerging autonomous vehicle technology on UK roads. PACTS welcomes it.
The Pedicabs (London) Bill specifically targets the regulation of unlicensed pedicabs in the capital. There may be opportunities from this approach to enhance road safety which can be applied elsewhere and for other emerging modes. PACTS will follow the progress of the Bill to learn more.
However, it was the absence of a new Transport Bill in the King’s Speech which was most frustrating. Of the three announcements which PACTS hoped for in a Transport Bill, it was only the unveiling of the Draft Rail Reform Bill which was made. The vision of this Bill is for a more efficient and responsive railway system and it is the next step towards the formation of Great British Railways (GBR). With this announcement, PACTS Rail Safety Working Party expect to hear again from the GBR Transition Team at a future meeting.
Without a Transport Bill, there is no further progress on two priorities for PACTS: establishment of the Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB) and legislation for e-scooters.
The Secretary of State for Transport, while appearing before the Transport Select Committee on 15th November, was challenged on the omission of legislation to establish the Road Safety Investigation Branch. He acknowledged this gap suggesting that there would be progress “when parliamentary time allows”. Priorities are obviously currently elsewhere.
With no new Transport Bill, there is no legislation for lightweight, low-speed zero-emissions (including e-scooters). Private e-scooters therefore continue to be illegal to use on public roads and in public places in Great Britain, although over 1 million people are estimated to be using these unregulated motor vehicles. Casualty figures continue to rise. There will, however, be more data collected to inform any future legislation as and when it is made. The rental trials in England have been extended to May 2026.
In the vacuum, PACTS continues to campaign for change and identify means of delivery improvements to transport safety within the existing legislation. Lessons can still be learnt from existing investigations after collisions and from extended e-scooter rental trials. However, those benefits are diluted when compared with the meaningful impact which a national investigation branch providing thematic understanding would give, or the reduction in casualties made possible with a national regulation of e-scooters which prioritised safety.
