New roads minister arrives at the DfT

Katherine Fletcher says it is an “honour” to have been appointed as the new roads minister.

The MP for South Ribble assumes the role held by Baroness Vere of Norbiton since 2019, the DfT announced via Twitter last week.

While yet to be confirmed, it is expected her portfolio will comprise:

• roads (including National Highways)
• motoring agencies (DVSA, DVLA, VCA)
• buses and taxis
• light rail (including tram, underground and metro systems)

Taking to Twitter, the new roads minister said: “As a civil engineers’s daughter I spent many hours on road construction sites in the north as a child. It’s an honour now to drive our future roads & regions forward with @transportgovuk teams.”

Baroness Vere remains at the DfT, picking up the portfolio for aviation and local transport.

It is yet to be confirmed who will assume responsibility for active travel, a role previously held by Trudy Harrison, who has now left the DfT.

What’s on the agenda for the new minister?
The new roads minister arrives at an important moment, as the road safety sector awaits the publication of the new Road Safety Strategic Framework.

The framework was due to be launched in July – however this was cancelled due to the extreme heat preventing the event’s speakers from travelling. 

It is now expected in the autumn.

There are several other documents still overdue, as outlined by David Davies in an opinion piece for Road Safety GB in August.

These include the DfT monitoring report on the e-scooter rental trials, originally due in September 2021.

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