Transport Safety Commission announces its first inquiry

27 February 2014

The newly established Transport Safety Commission has decided that its first inquiry will be UK Transport Safety: Who is Responsible?

The Commission will inquire into the legal framework and institutional responsibilities for transport safety (road, rail and aviation). The aim will be to compare and contrast the different responsibilities and accountabilities for transport safety with reference to identified international good practice, to highlight strengths and weaknesses of current approaches and determine whether or not lessons can be identified and be transferable from one mode to another.

Since most UK transport deaths and injuries occur on the road network, recommendations are expected to focus on the institutional arrangements for road safety. The Commission will not assume that all is satisfactory in rail and air safety and may decide to inquire into these areas too.

The role of the Transport Safety Commission is to inquire into transport safety matters in order to assist with the development of policies that will reduce risk and bring about continued reduction in transport-related casualties. The Commission is an independent body with 16 members drawn from the UK Parliament and from the air, rail and road safety professions and related sectors. It is co-chaired by Sir Peter Bottomley MP and Professor Stephen Glaister. The inquiry had been made possible by generous donations from the Safer Roads Foundation and the Rees Jeffrey’s Road Fund. PACTS provides the secretariat.