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16 Jun 2004 : Column 934W—continued

Pedestrian/Cyclist Accidents

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many pedestrians were injured as a result of collisions between pedestrians and cyclists on footpaths and pavements in each of the past three years; [178773]

(2) what research his Department has undertaken into problems caused by cyclists using footpaths and pavements; [178774]

(3) what research his Department has undertaken into the concerns of older people about cyclists using footpaths and pavements; [178775]

(4) what guidance he has offered to police forces about (a) prevention of cyclists using footpaths and pavements and (b) steps to be taken against those cyclists who do use footpaths and pavements. [178777]

Mr. McNulty: The statistics on casualties in accidents between cyclist and pedestrian on a footway between 1999 and 2002 (the latest figures) are set out in the following table:
Casualties

Severity	1999	2000	2001	2002
Killed	1	0	0	0
Serious	25	17	16	14
Slight	61	48	38	37
All	87	65	54	51

Cycling on the pavement is an offence under section 72 of the Highways Act 1835 as amended by section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1888. Enforcement is a matter for the police. Guidance on matters relating to police enforcement is a matter for the Home Secretary and for individual Chief Constables to issue.
 
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The police have powers to prosecute cyclists who cycle illegally on footpaths and footways. Cycling on the pavement can also be dealt with by Fixed Penalty Notice system (£30 fine). The police also have powers to prosecute cyclists riding carelessly or dangerously.

We have not undertaken specific research on the problems caused by cyclists using footpaths and pavements, or the related concerns of older people. The existence of such activity demonstrates a need to accommodate cyclists wishing to gain access to destinations currently served by pedestrian-only routes and we advise local authorities that they should first attempt to satisfy this demand by improving conditions for cyclists on the road network. Where this is impracticable, the solution is to formally change the status of footpaths or footways so that cyclists can legally use them. This decision is not taken lightly and such conversions often require physical changes to ensure the routes can operate safely. To this end, we have commissioned research which investigated the operation of routes formally intended for use by both cyclists and pedestrians. The purpose of this was to inform the preparation of updated advice to local authorities on this issue in the form of a revised Local Transport Note (LTN). We have also contributed to research conducted on behalf of the Countryside Agency which examined the level of interaction between these user groups on off-road routes. The latter showed that while the perception of conflict on these routes was significant, actual conflict was not. In producing the revised LTN, we are aiming to improve physical conditions on these routes and hence reduce the perceived level of conflict.

Ports (Security)

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether foreign vessels that have not complied with the International Ship and Port Facility Security code will be denied entry to British ports after the internationally agreed implementation date of 1 July; and if he will make a statement. [178731]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 782W, to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).

Potters Bar Train Accident

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a decision on whether to hold a public inquiry into the Potters Bar train accident; and if he will make a statement on progress to date of the investigation. [177812]

Mr. McNulty: I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's investigation team is expected to report to the Investigation Board in September or October 2004. The relevant prosecuting authorities will then review all the evidence to determine whether criminal prosecutions should be commenced. When that has happened, the Secretary of State expects to be in a position to take the decision on whether or not to hold a public inquiry.
 
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Railways (Crime)

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answers of 12 May 2004, Official Report, columns 399W and 408W, on crime prevention and railway crimes, what method he used to calculate a fall of 32 per cent. in vandalism on the railways in 2002–03. [178072]

Mr. McNulty: The 32 per cent. reduction in vandalism on the railways in 2002–03 was calculated by the Rail Safety and Standards Board. This was based on the number of malicious acts on the Network Rail controlled infrastructure recorded by Railway Group members using the Safety Management Information System (SMIS). The percentage reduction was calculated by comparing the previous year's total for the number of malicious acts against the total for 2002–03.

Road Safety (Rochdale)

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on roads in Rochdale has been since 1997; and what the percentage change was in each case regarding people of Asian origin. [178558]

Mr. Jamieson: The available information relates to local authority areas. In the Rochdale local authority area there were 16 deaths in road accidents in 1997 and 11 deaths in 2002, the latest year for which information is available. The number of serious injuries rose by 1 per cent. from 83 in 1997 to 84 in 2002.

Information on the ethnic origin of casualties in road accidents is not available.

Road Schemes

Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the road schemes (a) in the Targeted Programme of Improvements and (b) submitted for funding through the Local Transport Plan Process between 1999–2000 and 2002–03, giving for each (i) the cost of the scheme when it was first submitted for approval and (ii) the most recent estimate or final cost of the scheme. [176797]

Mr. Jamieson: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is listed in the tables which have been split by (1) Targeted Programme of Improvement schemes and (2) local transport major road schemes.

Differences in scheme costs between first submission and most recent estimate can be due to differences in the basis on which costs have been calculated as well to underlying increases in-the cost estimate. As a result direct comparisons between these cost estimates may not be meaningful.

Travel Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in tabular form the relative changes since 1974 in the cost of (a) motoring, (b) travelling by bus and (c) travelling by train, measured against changes in average disposable income. [178706]

 
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Mr. Jamieson: The following table shows the changes in the cost of transport and household disposable income. Indices are shown in real terms and based to 1974 = 100.
£

	All motoring(1)	Rail	Bus	Household disposable income
1974	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
1975	104.4	109.2	104.9	101.2
1976	101.2	124.3	114.9	100.6
1977	99.9	125.0	114.1	98.6
1978	99.7	132.0	119.4	105.8
1979	104.0	128.8	118.4	112.0
1980	103.8	135.6	127.0	114.0
1981	103.9	138.6	125.6	113.4
1982	101.0	146.5	133.3	113.0
1983	103.2	148.5	134.7	115.4
1984	100.7	142.0	131.1	119.6
1985	99.4	142.4	128.9	123.8
1986	94.7	147.0	135.2	128.9
1987	96.3	148.4	137.4	133.5
1988	95.9	151.3	140.1	140.9
1989	93.9	153.2	140.2	147.5
1990	91.0	152.2	135.1	152.7
1991	92.3	158.8	145.5	155.7
1992	95.0	164.2	150.2	160.1
1993	97.6	173.0	154.3	164.5
1994	98.5	176.3	154.6	166.9
1995	97.0	178.1	155.0	170.7
1996	97.5	180.3	156.9	174.9
1997	99.6	178.9	157.6	182.2
1998	99.3	180.1	157.3	182.8
1999	100.2	183.8	160.6	188.6
2000	101.0	181.6	162.3	200.4
2001	98.7	185.3	166.1	209.6
2002	96.3	186.5	168.5	213.2
2003	94.8	184.3	170.6	218.2

⁽¹⁾ 'All motoring' includes the cost of purchase, maintenance, fuel, tax and insurance.
Source:
Retail Price Index and National Accounts, Office for National Statistics.

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