Local authorities have cut 90% of bus services in England since 2020, new research shows
More than 90% of council-run bus services have been cut across England since 2010, according to research by the i newspaper. It said a combined 16 million miles of bus routes had vanished up to March 2023 across the 10 worst-affected areas, which are topped by Cumbria and Hull. The other areas which have seen […]
More than half of the local road network has less than 15 years’ structural life left, says 2024 ALARM survey
More than half of the local road network in England and Wales is reported to have less than 15 years’ structural life left as the amount needed to fix the backlog of carriageway repairs increases to a record high of £16.3 billion. This year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report, published today (19 […]
Many local authorities are failing to take enough action to reduce emissions from the transport sector, says co-director of Climate Emergency UK
Too many local authorities are failing to take enough action to reduce emissions from the transport sector, according to Isaac Beevor, co-director of Climate Emergency UK. The organisation launched the Council Climate Action Scorecards last week, the first ever holistic assessment of all UK local authorities’ climate action. “At Climate Emergency UK we truly believe in the […]
LGA: Don’t take transport powers away from councils
It is councils – who know their communities best – that should be trusted to make local transport decisions not Whitehall, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). Responding to the Government’s plan for motorists, Cllr Darren Rodwell, Transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils want to work with the Government to make […]
Rise in flash flood compensation claims
Local authorities in England are grappling with hundreds of compensation claims for flash floods, as central government budget cuts leave councils struggling to upkeep local roads and ageing drainage systems. Between January 2020 and December 2022, councils received 740 claims from property owners for flood damage caused by sudden downpours. Councils accepted liability in 128 […]
Local Authorities invited to Quantum Computing Workshop
The Department for Transport is hosting two workshops next months for Local Authority Heads of Innovation, Principal Engineers or those working in Technology in the Highways area to discuss prioritising quantum technologies in transport. Quantum technologies are emerging technologies that use subatomic particles to provide transformative solutions, many of which are in the transport sector. […]
Local authorities say they haven’t got enough funding or powers to fulfil government’s strategy on air pollution
Local authorities in England have not been given the funding or powers to fulfil the government’s strategy on air pollution, and air quality in English towns and cities is likely to suffer as a result, local governments and charities have said. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published its latest plan late on 28 April. […]
Boundary Marketing & PR launches PR and communications service for local authorities
Boundary Marketing & PR, the only marketing company dedicated to the highways and transport industry, is to launch a new PR and communications service for local authorities. The service has been designed to help local authorities to engage more effectively with the public to explain why highway and transport works are important and how they […]
Plans unveiled to improve local authority action on air quality
A consultation on delivering cleaner air in towns, cities and rural areas across England has been launched today (11 April). The Government is seeking views on a revised Air Quality Strategy which outlines how councils in England should use their existing powers and responsibilities more effectively to deliver improvements to air quality. The draft strategy includes: Following […]
New analysis finds Government funding intended to transform buses is disadvantaging rural communities
New analysis from Campaign for Better Transport has highlighted how the competitive nature of Government funding for local transport is disadvantaging rural local authorities and failing rural communities. The transport charity found that the Government’s system of asking local transport authorities to compete against each other for funding is consistently producing the same winners and […]
