Department for Transport

The Department for Transport (DfT) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is wholly responsible for overseeing the transport network in England, and for limited transport matters that are not devolved to the governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The department develops national transport policy, coordinates infrastructure investment, and regulates transport services. It is headed by the Secretary of State for Transport, who is supported by a ministerial team and the Permanent Secretary as the department’s most senior civil servant.

The department’s expenditure, administration and policy are scrutinised by the Transport Select Committee.

Responsibilities

Objectives The department’s objectives are set out in its strategic and policy publications.Department for Transport, Annual report and accounts 2024–25.

Improve performance and reliability on the rail network. Support and grow bus services across England. Deliver major transport infrastructure and improve connectivity. Decarbonise transport and support the transition to net zero. Integrate transport modes to improve journey efficiency.

Devolved matters The three governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales each have their own executive agencies responsible for transport – Transport Scotland (Scotland), Transport for Wales (Wales) and the Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland).

Transport policy is devolved in a number of areas, with certain matters remaining reserved to the UK Government.Scotland Act 1998; Government of Wales Act 2006; Northern Ireland Act 1998. Some of the devolved matters transferred to the Scottish Government, Northern Ireland Executive and Welsh Government are:

Air transport (Scotland and Wales) Setting drink and drug-driving limits (Scotland) Speed limits (Scotland) Concessionary travel schemes (Scotland) Parking and cycling (Scotland) Driving and vehicle certification (Scotland and Wales) Navigation (including merchant shipping) (Wales and Scotland) Road signs (Scotland) Local road pricing (Scotland) Railways (cross-border services and infrastructure) Road numbering (Scotland and Wales) Promotion of road safety (Scotland) Transport security (Scotland and Wales)

In Northern Ireland, transport functions are largely devolved to the Department for Infrastructure, with the exception of Civil aviation and navigation, which remain reserved.

Publications The department publishes policy papers, statistical releases, strategic plans, and its annual report and accounts.

List of public bodies

The DfT sponsors a total of 24 public bodies, including executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and public corporations.

Entity Type Formed Active Travel England Agency 2020 Air Accidents Investigation Branch Branch 1915 British Transport Police Authority Public Body 1949 Civil Aviation Authority Company 1972 Crossrail International Company 2022 DfT Operator Company 2018 Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee Public Body 1985 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Agency 1965 Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Agency 2014 East West Railway Company Company 2018 Great British Railways Company 2026 High Speed 2 Company 2009 Marine Accident Investigation Branch Branch 1989 Maritime and Coastguard Agency Agency 1998 National Highways Company 2015 Network Rail Company 2002 Northern Lighthouse Board Public Body 1867 Office of Rail and Road Non-Ministerial 2004 Platform4 Company 2025 Rail Accident Investigation Branch Branch 2005 Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain Public Body 1930 Transport Focus Public Body 1948 Trinity House Lighthouse Service Public Body 1514 Vehicle Certification Agency Agency 1979

History

The Ministry of Transport was established by the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 50) which provided for the transfer to the new ministry of powers and duties of any government department in respect of railways, light railways, tramways, canals and inland waterways, roads, bridges and ferries, and vehicles and traffic thereon, harbours, docks and piers.

In September 1919, all the powers of the Road Board, the Ministry of Health, and the Board of Trade in respect of transport, were transferred to the new ministry. Initially, the department was organised to carry out supervisory, development and executive functions, but the end of railway and canal control by 1921, and the settlement of financial agreements relating to the wartime operations of the railways reduced its role. In 1923, the department was reorganised into three major sections: Secretarial, Finance and Roads.

The ministry's functions were exercised initially throughout the United Kingdom. An Irish Branch was established in 1920, but then was taken over by the government of the Irish Free State on the transfer of functions in 1922.

The department took over transport functions of Scottish departments in the same year, though certain functions relating to local government, loan sanction, byelaws and housing were excepted. In May 1937, power to make provisional orders for harbour, pier and ferry works was transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

The growth of road transport increased the responsibilities of the ministry, and in the 1930s, and especially with defence preparations preceding the outbreak of war, government responsibilities for all means of transport increased significantly.

Government control of transport and diverse associated matters has been reorganised a number of times in modern history, being the responsibility of:

1909–1919: Road Board 1919–1941: Ministry of Transport 1941–1946: Ministry of War Transport, after absorption of Ministry of Shipping 1946–1953: Ministry of Transport 1953–1959: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation 1959–1970: Ministry of Transport 1970–1976: Department of the Environment 1976–1997: Department of Transport 1997–2001: Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 2001–2002: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 2002–present: Department for Transport

The name "Ministry of Transport" lives on in the annual MOT test, a test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness, and exhaust emissions, which most vehicles used on public roads in the UK are required to pass annually once they reach three years old (four years for vehicles in Northern Ireland).

2017 judicial review Following a series of strikes, poor performance, concerns over access for the disabled and commuter protests relating to Govia Thameslink Railway, a group of commuters crowdfunded £26,000 to initiate a judicial review into the Department for Transport's management and failure to penalise Govia or remove the management contract. The oral hearing to determine if commuters have standing to bring a judicial review was listed for 29 June 2017 at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The attempted judicial review was not allowed to proceed, and the commuters who brought it had to pay £17,000 in costs to the Department for Transport.

Ministers The DfT Ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:

Minister Portrait Position Portfolio Heidi Alexander MP Secretary of State for Transport overall responsibility for the department; overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team; delivering the transport priorities of the government: making transport cheaper, greener, and more reliable; ensuring the transport network is safe and accessible; corporate functions such as oversight of departmental finance and public appointments.Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Minister of State for Rail rail policy and infrastructure; rail reform and GBR design; workforce reform; HS2; Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR); East West Rail (EWR); light rail; London and TfLJustin Madders MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roadsroads, including Road Investment Strategy (RIS); road safety; automated vehicles; micromobility; motoring agencies; vehicle standards; Lower Thames Crossing; AI and technologySimon Lightwood MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Buses and Local Transportdevolution and regions; buses and coaches; taxis and PHVs; local transport; active travel; accessibility; VAWG; integrated transport, ticketing and fares; planning and housing; electric vehicles, decarbonisation and environmentKeir Mather MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation, Maritime and Logisticsaviation; Heathrow expansion; maritime; international; security and resilience; freight and borders; sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

The Permanent Secretary is Jo Shanmugalingam.

Former ministers

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (1924–1970)

Department for Transport

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