Transport Insights

The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that it is no longer pledging to publish its new Road Safety Strategy this year, despite a very recent pledge from a minister.

I noticed that in a written parliamentary answer on 27 October, Lilian Greenwood said:

Our Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. We intend to publish by the end of the year.

But in (multiple) subsequent answers, such as this one just a few days later, she has only said e.g.

We will set out more details in due course.

I asked the DfT if it still intends to publish the road safety strategy by the end of the year and a spokesperson told me that “in due course” – i.e. no public target date – is its current line.

It should be a great embarrassment for ministers. In August “government sources” briefed the Times that the strategy is “due to be published in the autumn”, as well as spinning quite a lot of what might be in it.

I don’t think transport secretary Heidi Alexander was asked about the timing of the document when appearing before the Transport Committee yesterday, although she did mention that it was on its way.

Ministers are fond of saying that the new strategy will be “the first for 10 years”.

At this rate their achievement will be even better, perhaps the first for 11 years.