Ministers have been accused of lacking commitment to road safety, after failing to make their Bill to tackle careless driving and level-crossing accidents law before the summer recess.
Twelve weeks after being scrutinised by a Commons committee, the Bill has yet to be scheduled for government time to complete its remaining stages. Now, with MPs due to adjourn for the summer recess on 25 July, the Bill will have to wait for Parliament to return on 9 October before it can be examined further.
Yet the Government has failed to offer any explanation as to why the Bill has not made further progress. ‘It is scandalous,’ Tory shadow transport secretary Chris Grayling told Surveyor this week. He has written to transport secretary, Douglas Alexander, asking why the Bill is being delayed.
When the Bill emerged from its line-by-line examination over five days on 20 April, it seemed as if it was set to become law before the recess.
It is not the first time the Bill has been delayed. Originally introduced in the last session of the last Parliament, after being unveiled in the 2004 Queen’s Speech, it had to be abandoned when the prime minister called a May election last year.
However, following its re-election, the Government swiftly reintroduced it in the House of Lords on 24 May 24.
The Bill has been strengthened with the inclusion of a new offence of causing death by careless driving. That follows complaints from relatives of people killed on hearing that the driver of the vehicle involved had escaped with a fine because it was judged inappropriate to bring a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Network Rail also persuaded the Government to impose a new duty on councils to carry out roadside safety improvements at level crossings.
Network Rail, which will contribute funding towards the improvements, had complained that motorists were endangering the lives of train passengers by racing against on-coming trains, sometimes swerving under crossings as they were lowered (Surveyor, 20 April). The Bill awaits its report stage, when further amendments can be made, and a third reading. It will then have to go back to the House of Lords for further examination before becoming law.
Despite Tory concerns over the new offence of causing death by careless driving, the Bill enjoys all-party support. The parliamentary advisory committee on transport safety has welcomed the legislation ‘as a significant piece of dedicated road safety legislation, providing an opportunity to introduce measures that will contribute to reducing death and injury’.
Admitting he was mystified by the delay, Grayling said: ‘What this shows is that the Government isn’t interested in road safety.’