Editing Department for Transport (section)

==History{{anchor|Ministry of Transport Act 1919}}==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Ministry of Transport Act 1919
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to establish a Ministry of Transport and for purposes connected therewith.
| year                  = 1919
| citation              = [[9 & 10 Geo. 5]]. c. 50
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 15 August 1919
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = partially_repealed
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/9-10/50/contents/enacted
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = Ministry of Transport Act 1919
| collapsed             = 
}}

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 [[railway]]s, [[light railway]]s, [[tram]]ways, [[canal]]s and [[inland waterway]]s, [[road]]s, [[bridge]]s and [[ferry|ferries]], and [[vehicle]]s and traffic thereon, [[harbours]], [[dock (maritime)|dock]]s and [[pier]]s.

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&ndash;1919: Road Board 
*1919&ndash;1941: Ministry of Transport
*1941&ndash;1946: [[Ministry of War Transport]], after absorption of [[Ministry of Shipping (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Shipping]]
*1946&ndash;1953: Ministry of Transport
*1953&ndash;1959: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
*1959&ndash;1970: Ministry of Transport
*1970&ndash;1976: [[Secretary of State for the Environment|Department of the Environment]]
*1976&ndash;1997: Department of Transport
*1997&ndash;2001: [[Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions]]
*2001&ndash;2002: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
*2002&ndash;present: Department for Transport

The name "Ministry of Transport" lives on in the annual [[MOT test]], a [[Vehicle inspection|test]] of [[vehicle safety]], [[wikt:roadworthiness|roadworthiness]], and [[Exhaust gas|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]]).

[[File:MoT-Flag.svg|thumb|The flag of the old Ministry of Transport]]

=== 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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/news/commuter-group-to-meet-department-for-transport-in-court-over-southern-crisis-1-8014633|title=Commuter group to meet Department for Transport in court over Southern crisis|website=www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk|date=19 June 2017 |language=en|access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/southernfail/|title=Judicial Review of the Department for Transport over Southern Rail|work=CrowdJustice|access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=New Judicial Review case starts today&nbsp;–&nbsp;led by passenger group Bring Back British Rail |url=https://abcommuters.com/2018/04/17/new-judicial-review-case-starts-today-led-by-passenger-group-bring-back-british-rail/ |agency=www.abcommuters.com |date=17 April 2018 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Exclusive: Full report of ABC's legal victory, which forces Chris Grayling to decide Southern Rail breaches |url=https://abcommuters.com/2017/07/05/exclusive-full-report-of-abcs-legal-victory-which-forces-chris-grayling-to-decide-southern-rail-breaches/ |agency=www.abcommuters.com |date=5 July 2017 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>