DfT writes letter to local authorities on local highway maintenance funding
Antonia Williams, Director General, Roads Transport Group, Department for Transport, has issued a letter addressed to the Chief Executives of local highway authorities in England, highlighting highways maintenance incentive funding requirements for 2026 to 2027. The full letter can be read here, but it begins: “Dear chief executive, The Department for Transport (DfT) has previously […]
Councils face new rules for spending pothole funding
Councils will face new rules on how they spend funding to fix potholes and maintain local roads, under new requirements set out by the government. Under the new measures, local highway authorities that fail to demonstrate they are maintaining roads effectively could lose around a third of their £1.6 billion funding for the next year. […]
Lawyers call for legal reform to access driverless vehicle data in injury claims
Lawyers have called for new legislation to ensure people injured in collisions involving driverless vehicles can access the onboard data required to support compensation claims, as the Department for Transport continues developing safety regulations, says TaxiPoint. The intervention comes as the DfT consults on the future regulatory framework for automated vehicles, with industry adoption accelerating from […]
No safety driver required: DfT publishes guidance on AV pilot scheme with focus on first responders
The Department for Transport’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles has announced that starting from spring this year companies will be able to apply to run commercial services using self-driving vehicles without a safety driver on roads in England, Scotland and Wales. This guidance is to help first responders (blue light services) to prepare for […]
Better Connected: DfT publishes its strategy for integrated transport
Tap-and-go travel across buses, trains, and trams will benefit more cities and towns across England after the Government announced more local powers for contactless travel in its national integrated transport strategy. Better Connected sets out a long-term framework for delivering a more joined up, accessible and user-focused transport system across England. Local leaders are being given the tools to replicate joined-up […]
ITS UK welcomes DfT’s new Transport Data Action Plan
ITS UK has welcomed the publication of the new Transport Data Action Plan today. Max Sugarman, the organisation’s Chief Executive, said: “As our transport system becomes increasingly reliant on technology, and the use of digital tools and AI within the sector increases, it is vital that industry and Government are aligned on how to make […]
Government backs recommendations for ‘stop anywhere’ buses to make women feel safer
New government guidance will be issued to councils nationwide to help them consider how to make their streets safer for women and girls, Active Travel England (ATE) has today announced. New polling by YouGov has found that almost 9 in 10 women have felt unsafe while walking at night, while 7 in 10 have changed […]
Bus Users UK welcomes £73.2m investment in zero emission buses
Bus Users UK has commended the announcement from the Department for Transport that £73.2m is being made available to deliver 484 new zero emission buses across England. The investment will replace older diesel vehicles, cut harmful emissions and improve journeys for passengers travelling for work, education, healthcare and leisure. Buses are already cleaner per passenger […]
Campaigners call for withdrawal of new floating bus stop guidance
Updated government guidance on the rollout of floating bus stops is “shambolic” and should be withdrawn, campaigners have said. The design, which has a cycle lane between the stop and the kerb, is intended to allow bus passengers to get on and off safely while cyclists continue moving, according to the BBC. Sarah Gayton, street […]
Protesters calls for Hammersmith Bridge to fully reopen
Protesters have called for Hammersmith Bridge to be reopened to vehicle traffic seven years on from its closure. The 138-year-old bridge linking Hammersmith with Barnes, in south-west London, closed to motor vehicles when cracks appeared in its pedestals in 2019. Only cyclists and pedestrians are currently allowed to cross the Grade II listed structure, says the BBC. […]