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The Transport Committee

Railways, roads, the Copenhagen Metro, ferries, air travel and traffic legislation are some of the areas the Transport Committee works with.

Større

Tasks and responsibilities

The agenda of the committee is very broad. It addresses any topic associated with transport and traffic policies. Examples include commercial and public transport, the railway and road infrastructures, along with traffic law, road transport and overcrowded roads. Such topics cover many forms of transport, such as buses, taxis, trains, goods vehicles, ferries and air transport. Moreover, the committee addresses cases regarding the administration of Government office and university buildings, and the Danish Building and Property Agency.

The committee closely monitors governmental work in these spheres.

Its tasks and responsibilities can be subdivided into two primary areas:

handling of Bills and proposals within the committee’s remit
ongoing parliamentary scrutiny within the transport sphere, and monitoring the Government’s observance of relevant laws passed by the Danish Parliament.

The committee also ensures that it remains up-to-date with the attitudes of and proposals received from the public, business community and other stakeholder organizations, along with the latest know-how on issues within its remit.

Parliamentary scrutiny of how the Government conducts and administers transport policies is often the Transport Committee’s primary activity. Parliamentary scrutiny is exercised through the standing committee members’ tabling questions to the minister. These can be in the form of:

section 20 questions (verbal or in writing)
written questions in committee
questions in consultation
enquiries

The Government is responsible for applying policy within the remit of the committee on the basis of the legislation enacted by Parliament. These can be specific acts within the committee’s specialist area, such as construction acts, or grants under the Finance Act. As a rule, legislation passed in the Danish Parliament pertaining to a sphere within the Transport Committee’s remit is based on a political compromise.

Specialist ministry

The Ministry of Transport is the committee’s political specialist ministry. The ministry is responsible for a range of transport-related policies.

Apart from the central department on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen, the ministry consists of a number of authorities and enterprises, including Banedanmark, the Danish Road Directorate, Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority, the Danish Building and Property Agency, DSB, Sund & Bælt and Metroselskabet.

Organizations

Many organizations are interested in the transport field. In particular, industry organizations, public groups, academic institutions and individual businesses.

Organizations, businesses and members of the public are welcome to contact or make an appointment for an audience if they wish to notify the committee of a topic within its remit.

Study trips

Study trips at home and abroad are a source of knowledge and inspiration for members of the committee. A study trip can last from 1 day to just under 1 week, with such purposes as giving the committee a first-hand impression of how some of the problems faced in Denmark are tackled in other countries, or to better understand local or regional problems.

The committee can also send small delegations of its members abroad to gain particular insight into an area of interest, or to take part in relevant conferences.