What is the DfT?

[HaxbyFur]

I see it getting used a lot on here, and as a new person to the in-depth side of rail travel I'm intrigued to know what it stands for and what the company does, from the sounds of it its something government run.

 

[90019]

The Department for Transport

 

[Dai.]

Basically everything from Rail to Road in the UK is managed by the DfT or Department for Transport

http://www.dft.gov.uk/

 

[asylumxl]

Stupid!

(someone was sure to say it eventually...)

 

[SWT Driver]

Several conotations all of which would either get me banned, sued or both.

 

[Old Timer]

DfT the polite way of saying it is "daft" because put politely that is what they are.

Proof, not that it was needed, that the last person you put in charge of anything is a Civil Servant.

I am convinced the UK would be far better off if we took the majority of Civil Servants ouit and shot them like Stalin did.

 

[starrymarkb]

This might give you some idea of Daft's inner workings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNHIrllhPVs

 

[Oswyntail]

....Proof, not that it was needed, that the last person you put in charge of anything is a Civil Servant...

Sorry, OT, but for once I must disagree. Not just in DfT (which, admittedly has a supremely poor track record [Sorry]) but in all government departments there are many civil servants who do a damned good job trying to keep this country on track. The problem is that the politicians - and, especially "advisers" - will insist on demanding "Let's all jump off a cliff", and that takes a fair bit of stopping. At DfT it tends to be "Let's all jump off a cliff because the air transport lobby, who have just bought us a nice lunch, tell us we can fly". Which is sensible when compared to the group who say "Let's all jump off a cliff because we are in a car the roads lobby, who have just bought us a nice lunch, tell us is top of its class in a safety rating, and the 40-tonne lorry that is following us will do no more damage than a bicycle".

 

[yorkie]

I know the DfT read some topics in the Fares advice section, so it's possible they may read this!

The DfT do seem to lack some expertise in certain areas, they have allowed the TOCs to sneakily get around fare caps, and they allow ATOC to be responsible for certain things that they really shouldn't be. It's also absurd that the railways are allowed to be in charge of their own penalty fare scheme and lie and say it's independent.

The problem is that the DfT meddle with things that they probably shouldn't (e.g. not letting Virgin have much of a say in thier own timetable - allegedly), yet they don't seem to touch areas where the TOCs are able to get away with things that should be illegal, such as fare rises through the back door.

 

[MCR247]

I know the DfT read some topics in the Fares advice section, so it's possible they may read this!

Do you mind me asking how you know?

 

[Old Timer]

Sorry, OT, but for once I must disagree. Not just in DfT (which, admittedly has a supremely poor track record [Sorry]) but in all government departments there are many civil servants who do a damned good job trying to keep this country on track. The problem is that the politicians - and, especially "advisers" - will insist on demanding "Let's all jump off a cliff", and that takes a fair bit of stopping. At DfT it tends to be "Let's all jump off a cliff because the air transport lobby, who have just bought us a nice lunch, tell us we can fly". Which is sensible when compared to the group who say "Let's all jump off a cliff because we are in a car the roads lobby, who have just bought us a nice lunch, tell us is top of its class in a safety rating, and the 40-tonne lorry that is following us will do no more damage than a bicycle".

Then regretfully I fear we must disagree.

The Civil Service is a place of lower salaries than outside Industry, which begs the question is anyone who can earn more going to work for less ??

If you look at how the Country is administered (badly), it is administered by the Civil Service.

In many many things the Civil Service is responsible for a whole myriad of disasters from Rural Payments to management of computerised systems. The whole ethos of the Civil Service seems to be against change, except when it comes to legislation from the EU which it spends inordinate amounts of time on simply to produce UK specific legislation which is far more complex, far reaching and punitive than anything dreamed up in Brussels.

It ios said that the TV series "Yes Minister" was a perfect example of how the Civil Servioce operates, especially by its own insiders who could almost name the faces of the principal characters within every Department.

Mrs Thatcher always held the opinion that the biggest threat to the development and grwoth of the Country was the Civil Servicxe. After many years I have to agree with that assertion absolutely.

BY way of example, the Civil Service got hold of HMRI, promptly removed all its experienced senior staff and Inspectors and set it up to simply become a pen pusher's bureaucracy, After years of Civil Service ineptitude and having been packed with those whose main interest is in "not rocking the boat" and simply working through with an eye on a quet life until retirement, we now have a HMRI that appears to be totally incapable of managing its role as the enforcement agency for Railway safety.

Everyday we see things that need attention yet the Inspectors simply sit back in their offices, moving papers about and creating doicuments simply for the purpose of covering their arse if things go wrong.

I cannot tell you the last time I saw an Inspector, and I can tell you its got to be 20 years odd since I last spoke with one who was master of his job and feared by all.

As it stands now nobody within the Industry is in the least bit worried about the HMRI, indeed in many cases it seems that it is treated with scant regard if not disdain.

Meanwhile although Construction deaths continue at sky high levels, no-one on the HSE (Civil Service) appear to have any interest in Prosecuting incompetent and culpable Construction Companies and their senior managers who turn a blind eye to the safety of their staff in order to turn another penny profit.