Railway Red Tape Challenge

[deltic]

DfT have launched its red tape challenge covering the rail industry

"Rail passengers and businesses are set to benefit as Rail Minister Theresa Villiers today pledges to crack down on unnecessary red tape.

Nearly 200 rail transport regulations have today been placed on the Red Tape Challenge website – a Government-wide site aimed at reducing bureaucracy. They will remain there for consultation for four weeks. The Challenge asks everyone whether they think that a regulation is well designed and provides vital protection or is badly designed, badly implemented or simply a bad idea.

Among the regulations that the Government is asking the public to comment on are the National Rail Conditions of Carriage – the terms and conditions passengers must adhere to when travelling on a train.

Other examples include the requirement for the Secretary of State to approve train operations on all sections of a line, the speed of those operations and a variety of other conditions for tramways and other minor railways including heritage operations.

The review also targets a number of arcane and obsolete regulations on the statute books that could run the risk of eroding public confidence in regulations. For example, there are regulations in force covering closures on railway lines which no longer exist and various exemption orders which have expired."

You can add your comments at

http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/themehome/rail-transport/

Never seen any change as a result of these red tape reviews - cant believe this one will be any different

 

[bluenoxid]

I am struggling to access the documents on the left of the linked page. Am I the only one

 

[tbtc]

Potentially bad news for train services in Denton...

...but then these kind of Tory initiatives to cut Red Tape/ Bureaucracy sound great until you actually try to change things. Look at Eric Pickles and the Bonfire of QANGOs, where most of the work continued (but was shuffled around organisations/ renamed).

Always easy to suggest clamping down on things, hard to make much real difference (e.g. much safety legislation is there for a reason, Unions won't allow staff conditions to be watered down, local people will fight to save their token train services...)

Still, I don't think anyone would argue that there's not enough red tape on the railways

 

[yorkie]

I can't access them either.

I see Penalty Fares is there. Does that mean abolishing them? If so, that gets my vote (I don't actually object to PFs if used when appropriate; I do object to the misuse of them e.g. by EMT)

Edit: I also see the NRCoC is there. They can't just abolish that. If we can create one that is more customer-oriented and doesn't allow the TOCs to treat us like crud, then I'd support a change, but if there's any hint at us losing rights then I'd utterly oppose it.

 

[yorksrob]

Grandfather Rights.

We often hear about things that are allowed because of grandfather rights. Whether it's curvy platforms or opening train doors on short platforms, my suggestion is that if something is safe enough to be allowed through grandfather rights

It's safe enough.

 

[507 001]

Grandfather Rights.

We often hear about things that are allowed because of grandfather rights. Whether it's curvy platforms or opening train doors on short platforms, my suggestion is that if something is safe enough to be allowed through grandfather rights

It's safe enough.

Since when have curvy platforms been illegal? Sounds a bit ridiculous to me!
Sandhills (which was completely rebuilt recently) is built on a slight curve.

 

[SS4]

I can't access them either.

I see Penalty Fares is there. Does that mean abolishing them? If so, that gets my vote (I don't actually object to PFs if used when appropriate; I do object to the misuse of them e.g. by EMT)

Edit: I also see the NRCoC is there. They can't just abolish that. If we can create one that is more customer-oriented and doesn't allow the TOCs to treat us like crud, then I'd support a change, but if there's any hint at us losing rights then I'd utterly oppose it.

Can't see it improving the railways for customers if anything it'll be a disaster eclipsing Simplification.

Call my cynical but Tory policies do not generally benefit public transport users

 

[Mojo]

Call my cynical but Tory policies do not generally benefit public transport users

Wot, you mean like these policies http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=438144&postcount=76 ?

 

[Wyvern]

Another announcement page