Carbon cut claims 'over optimistic'

The department had reported strong progress in reducing transport C02 emissions when in fact they had increased, the report from the House of Commons Transport Committee said.

Also, some of the DfT's efficiency-saving measures had cost money instead of saving it, the committee added.

The MPs were also critical of the number of changes of Transport Secretary – five in the past five years.

The report said that the department had made good progress in a number of important areas but "much remains to be done".

The committee's chairman Louise Ellman (Lab: Liverpool Riverside) said: "Good transport is vital to the economy and to people's daily lives. Frequent changes of minister make it harder to develop a consistent approach to managing and developing our transport systems.

"Any company that changed its chief executive as frequently as happens with the DfT would be viewed with great suspicion by shareholders."

Mrs Ellman went on: "As ever, more needs to be done. The cost of using public transport has increased and our report points to the need for better integration of local transport services, which has been so successful in London. We also call for long-term solutions to traffic congestion to support economic growth."