DfT publishes Science, Innovation and Technology Plan 2025
A new policy paper has set out the role of science, innovation and technology within the Department for Transport. The plan outlines how DfT will ‘enhance the visibility and effective use of science, innovation and technology across DfT, transport agencies and arm’s length bodies’. The plan’s purpose is to: This plan replaces the DfT 2021 science plan. Of […]
Only a Mather of time: Who is the fast-tracked new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DfT?
Keir Mather’s appointment as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport took many by surprise yesterday. Lilian Greenwood’s departure was surprise enough but the appointment of the Selby MP who was born during Tony Blair’s first stint as Prime Minister was, perhaps, unexpected. Mather is the youngest government minister since William Gladstone was […]
Labour to freeze local council transport funding
The Government is to freeze transport funding for councils ahead of Rachel Reeves’s Budget. Figures released by the DfT on Tuesday revealed every single English local transport authority has had its Local Transport Grant (LTG) funding frozen next year, says the Daily Telegraph. It comes amid continued warnings that the Chancellor intends to raise taxes in October’s Budget […]
Government issues draft Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3)
The Department for Transport’s has issued its third road investment strategy (RIS3), setting out the Government’s priorities for the strategic road network in England from 2026 to 2031. It presents a high-level vision for the network and its role in: The draft RIS3 will also measure performance outcome areas for National Highways, which are responsible for the […]
Aurrigo secures £1m+ grants to advance new autonomous transport innovations
One of the UK’s leading autonomous technology specialists has secured more than £1m of grants to accelerate sustainable airport and transport innovations. Aurrigo International plc, which employs over 110 people at its advanced engineering centre in Coventry, has secured support from The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements programme and Innovate UK’s Launchpad […]
Record entries for DfT Special Recognition Awards
LCRIG (Local Council Roads Innovation Group) have announced that this year’s DfT Special Recognition Awards has received a record number of entries. The overwhelming response highlights the depth of innovation, collaboration, and commitment across the sector. LCRIG says that it is particularly proud of the diverse range of submissions, representing organisations of all sizes and […]
Systems Thinking in Transport Safety: TRL launches new guide
TRL has published its latest guide for the Department for Transport (DfT), ‘Systems Thinking in Transport Safety: Cross Modal Safety Change Programme’. This landmark study acts as an introductory guide to the application of systems thinking in transport safety, showing how a holistic approach to complex systems can help prevent future accidents and save lives. […]
More ambition needed to undo a decade of bus decline, says Transport Committee
A new Transport Committee report, Buses Connecting Communities, is calling on the Government to reform the way local bus services are funded and to adopt a national ambition for a minimum level of public transport connectivity. This would protect residents in England’s towns and villages from becoming increasingly isolated, MPs say. The last decade has seen […]
Council fury as Government revokes A1 dualling consent
The long-saga of the A1 dualling project has taken another twist as the Government is moving to officially revoke the approval that would have allowed for the dualling of a stretch of the road in Northumberland. Labour announced last October that it was scrapping a long-planned upgrade to the busy route having deemed it “unfunded […]
“260 deaths is 260 too many”: Drink-drive crash statistics published by DfT
Over 250 people were killed on Britain’s roads by drunk drivers in 2023, new figures show. Data published by the Department for Transport shows there were 260 fatalities in drink-drive accidents. Whilst this was down on the previous year, it is still higher than a decade ago. The total number of people killed or injured in 2023 by […]