Storms: Call To Tackle Winter Transport Chaos

More needs to be done to ensure motorists as well as rail and air passengers have better up-to-date "vital" information during times of severe winter weather, MPs have said.

Train companies and airports must do better at keeping travellers informed of changes and disruption to services, said the Transport Committee.

It said the chaos caused to the transport network during recent flooding and storms showed that disruption was not just caused by snow.

MPs also called for more action to keep pavements clear of snow and ice - and a national advertising campaign to make sure residents were aware they have the right to clear any snow and ice from outside their homes without fear of being sued by anyone slipping over.

And they said aviation regulators had to "get to the bottom of what went wrong" last week when thousands of passengers were stranded over the Christmas period due to a power failure at Gatwick airport during the stormy weather.

Transport's winter resilience had improved but there was a risk that a few years of mild winter weather "could lead to a false sense of security and reduce the sector's preparedness over the longer term", the report said.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: "We recognise that some progress has been made by Government and transport providers to improve public information and passenger welfare during severe weather.

"In particular, pro-active decision-making by rail and aviation operators to reduce or cancel services ahead of a major event has reduced disruption.

"Nevertheless, we believe there remains considerable scope for further improvement across the transport sector."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Transport operators have been working hard to keep the public informed during the recent severe weather, but they should not be complacent and must continue to explore how best to keep the country moving during bad weather."

An Office of Rail Regulation spokesman said: "We continue to closely monitor how the industry responds to significant events such as the recent floods.

"Over the coming year, we will be reviewing the rail industry's code of practice on providing passenger information to identify further improvements that can be made to benefit rail users."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.