Meet the UK Department of Transport
Would you like to know in depth how different agencies in the UK work? Meet the United Kingdom Department of Transport, one of the British government departments that takes care of the means of transport in that nation.
What is the UK Department of Transport?
The Department for Transport is the government body responsible for the English transport network and transport in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is run by Secretary of State for Transportation Grant Shapps.
History of the Department of Transportation
Government control of transport in the UK has undergone various changes thanks to many historical events, and has been reorganized in different ways. Here are the changes that this entity has had:
From 1919 to 1941, this important government entity was known as the Ministry of Transportation. Later, between 1941 and 1946, it changed its name to the Ministry of War Transport.
Again, between 1946 and 1953 it was known as the Ministry of Transportation, but from 1953 it was called the Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation until 1959, only to be changed again to the Ministry of Transportation from that same year, until 1970.
From there, the changes were more evident: between 1970 and 1976 it was known as the Department of the Environment, then for another year it resumed its name as the Department of Transportation. Later, between 1997 and 2001 it was called the Department of the Environment, Transportation and Regions.
Finally, between 2001 and 2002 its name changed to the Department of Transportation, Local Government and Regions, but it was finally called the Department of Transportation from 2002 to the present day.
The Ministry of Transport is in the MOT test, a safety and fitness assessment that vehicles and their users must pass on an annual basis in order to continue driving on public roads in the United Kingdom, when the car turns 3 years old.
What is the role of the Department of Transportation?
The Department of Transportation has six strategic objectives:
- Support a strong, cleaner and more productive economy
- Help connect people and places, balancing investment across the country
- Make travel easier, modern and more reliable
- Ensure that transportation is safe and sustainable
- Prepare the transportation system for technological progress and a prosperous future
The department creates the strategic framework for transportation services, which are delivered through a wide range of public and private sector bodies, including its own executive agencies.
Ministers of the Department of Transport
The Ministers that make up the Department of Transportation are the following:
Secretary of State
Assumes general responsibility for the department; supervision of all areas, including the North Power Plant.
Minister of State for Railways
Supervise everything related to Crossrail and Crossrail 2; to the East West Rail; to citizens who are transported by bicycles or on foot, as well as their accessibility to means of transport.
Minister of State for HS2
He is in charge of the following areas: HS2, Northern Powerhouse Railroad, oversees the improvement of the “transpennine” route.
Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Decentralization, Roads and Light Railways
His responsibilities encompass the motorways of England; motoring agencies, busway and taxis in UK cities, ‘light rail’ systems (including tram and subway systems) and drop off.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Future of Transport
It is in charge of planning for the future of the transport system covering freight transport, caring for the environment, activity during transition periods and relations with the EU as well as international relations, being responsible for exports / foreign investments.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation and Maritime Aviation
He is in charge of the area related to maritime transport as well as security and civil contingencies in this type of transport.
This is all you need to know about this UK Government Department, as well as the role it plays in keeping the UK a better place.