DfT announces £15m funding for councils to repair and upgrade traffic signals

As part of this year’s Highway Maintenance settlement for English local authorities outside of London, the Department for Transport has announced a £15 million allocation specifically to supplement existing local authority spending on the upgrade and maintenance of traffic signals and associated equipment. This new money for the 2021/22 financial year is available to authorities […]

University of Nottingham’s Prof Sarah Sharples to become Chief Scientific Adviser at the DfT

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People at the University of Notingham, Professor Sarah Sharples, will become Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport in July 2021. As Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Sharples will advise government Ministers and civil servants on all aspects of policy on science and technology, identify and share […]

TfL secures funding till May

The government and Mayor of London have agreed to extend the current Transport for London funding deal, which was due to run out on 31 March 2021. The extended deal will continue to support the capital and the transport network until 18 May 2021, when the government says a new funding deal will be put […]

Government provides £33 million of emergency funding for light rail and trams

A further £33 million of emergency coronavirus (COVID-19) funding has been provided to support light rail and tram operators during the pandemic. Operators will receive emergency funding of up to £33 million over the next 11 weeks, building on over £160 million in funding that has already been announced by the UK government for light rail and […]

Oxford to Cambridge expressway is cancelled

The Department of Transport (DfT) has cancelled the Oxford-Cambridge (Ox-Cam) expressway, after analysis confirmed the proposed project was not cost-effective. Highways England had been developing potential options for a road link between Oxford and Milton Keynes. However, following close work with local partners since 2014, recent analysis shows that the benefits the road would deliver are […]

UK’s first ever hydrogen transport hub given £3 million investment

The UK’s first-ever hydrogen transport hub could be operational by 2025 with the unveiling of an official ‘masterplan’ and £3 million in government funding. A first of its kind, the transport hub – being built in Tees Valley – will bring together leading figures from government, industry and academia to focus research, testing and trials across all […]

National bus strategy for England published

Following yesterday’s news of a new national bus strategy, reported by Highway News, the documents are now available to view online. The strategy outlines ambitious reform of how bus services are planned and delivered. It will deliver better bus services for passengers across England, through ambitious and far-reaching reform of how services are planned and […]

DfT explores National Parking Platform requirements

The Department for Transport has launched a Discovery project to understand the need for the introduction of a National Parking Platform. The project sets out to “explore the opportunity to improve the parking experience for customers and enable greater efficiencies and opportunities for operators and service providers through data sharing, via a National Parking Platform”. […]

More bailout talks for TfL

Transport for London is hoping to agree a new funding deal with Central Government this week, as it faces running out of money at the end of the month. The capital’s transport body has been here twice before, needing a total of £3.3 billion so far to fund the gap caused in part by the […]

DfT to have second HQ in Birmingham and ‘northern hub’ in Leeds

The Department of Transport (DfT) has announced the creation of a second HQ in Birmingham and a northern hub in Leeds, as part of a plan to create 650 roles in the cities. The move is part of the government’s commitment to diversifying the Civil Service, ensuring decisions are rooted in the communities it serves, it […]

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