Richard Hammond and Chris Boardman discuss the future of the car on this week’s Highways Voices
“People… buy a new football strip every six months because of the team they support,” says motoring journalist Richard Hammond on this week’s Highways Voices, “Or a new pair of trainers made on the other side of the world by somebody else’s children out of fossil fuels-derived oil-derived materials and then shipped around the world […]
Andy Lord confirmed as London’s Transport Commissioner
The Mayor of London and the Board of Transport for London have announced that Andy Lord has been appointed as London’s permanent Transport Commissioner following a rigorous international search and selection process. Mr Lord joined TfL in November 2019 as Managing Director of London Underground and became Chief Operating Officer for all of TfL’s operations […]
Scottish transport minister steps down
Scottish transport Minister Kevin Stewart has tendered his resignation to the First Minister and stepped down from his ministerial post for health-related reasons. Mr Stewart previously served as the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning from 2016 , and Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care from 2021. Mr Stewart was appointed Transport Minister […]
TTF highlights benefits of Manual for Smart Streets
Darren Capes, Manager of the Transport Technology Forum (TTF) and ITS Policy Lead at the Department for Transport (DfT) has highlighted the ”need to produce guidance to ensure local authorities do the right thing” during a presentation where he introduced the Manual for Smart Streets. He said the DfT had recently produced guidance on the […]
Ship carrying thousands of EVs sinks after fire
A cargo ship carrying nearly £300 million worth of supercars has sunk off the Azores Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean after a fire spread among the electric batteries. Marine Industry News reports that Felicity Ace‘s cargo is said to be some 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. The Panama-flagged ship caught fire […]
£20m more for active travel in Scotland
The Scottish Government has announced extra spending to make “walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday transport easier than ever before”. The Active Travel Transformation Fund will provide £20 million directly to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities – working in partnership with Transport Scotland – to deliver construction-ready active travel infrastructure schemes […]
£15m ‘boost’ will increase the number of Welsh electric vehicle charging points
The Welsh Government will invest £15m to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points across Wales, it has announced. The funding, confirmed today by Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters, will be used to help local authorities increase the number of charging facilities ahead of fossil fuel vehicles being phased out in 2030. The […]
TfL to keep experimental Cycleway upgrades between Lambeth Bridge to Chelsea Bridge on a permanent basis
Following a public consultation, Transport for London (TfL) has decided to keep experimental Cycleway changes installed during the pandemic on a permanent basis. The section between Lambeth Bridge and Chelsea Bridge forms part of the major Cycleway 8 (C8) route, which enables thousands of people each week to cycle safely between Battersea, Chelsea and Lambeth and onwards into central London. The Cycleway changes were installed to […]
Ringway trials the UK’s first electric multi-purpose highway maintenance HGV truck
Highway maintenance contractor Ringway and its long-term strategic fleet partner Econ, have successfully trialled the first electric multi-purpose highway maintenance HGV truck in the UK. Econ has developed a new Electric Quick Change Body (E-QCB) system, built on the newly launched 19-tonne Volvo FE Electric 4×2 chassis. The Econ E-QCB can be supplied with three […]
Government faces legal challenge on cut to cycling investment
The government is facing a legal challenge from a campaign group over its cut to investment in walking and cycling in England. Lawyers acting on behalf of Transport Action Network (TAN), have written to the Department for Transport (DfT) to formally seek a judicial review of the cuts announced in March by Mark Harper, the transport secretary, reports […]