WIREDGOV

More can and should be done to ensure UK transport networks continue to operate in severe winter weather, say MPs on the Commons Transport Committee. The welfare of air and rail passenger must be taken more seriously and better real time information must be provided to road users. 

Launching a report examining how snow chaos last December closed Heathrow, disabled parts of the rail network and disrupted many roads, Transport Committee Chair Louise Ellman said:

"It's clear that Heathrow airport was totally unprepared to recover from any major incident which necessitated its closure and that its owners underinvested in winter resilience equipment.

Every airport operator must now be pushed to plan properly for bad weather so that people are not left stranded and without even basic supplies in airport terminals for days on end. As Professor Begg has suggested, we believe airport managers must develop effective Passenger Welfare Plans.

A culture change in the rail industry is needed to ensure that passengers are looked after during periods of disruption. In future, any failure to provide information about service disruption during severe weather should cost the firms responsible money.

The strategic salt arrangement introduced a year ago clearly kept many main roads open last December. The Highways Agency and police forces must however work to manage blockages on the strategic road network more pro-actively, making greater use of roadside and in-car information systems to warn motorists about poor conditions and disruption.

Ministers must also look again at the resources available to the Met Office. Given the huge cost of winter weather disruption to the economy - some £280 million per day in transport disruption alone - the £10m suggested by the Secretary of State would be a small price to pay to improve the Met Office’s long range forecasting capability."

In its report the Transport Committee calls for additional investment and coordination by government to: