The Freight Transport Association is launching a pioneering new service aimed at supporting operators who want to join the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's voluntary Earned Recognition Scheme. The Earned Recognition Data Hub will bring together both vehicle maintenance and driver data from multiple sources and has been designed to be a low-cost, … [Read more...]
Call for shake up of HGV testing system
Heavy truck and bus operators want a shake up of the vehicle testing system. The Freight Transport Associaton say there are not enough Government testers for an increasingly busy sector and it wants to see more trusted companies allowed to carry out their own examinations for roadworthiness. Alternatively it is suggesting privatization of HGV testing … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 April
An Uber-style community transport app for NHS patients in the Valleys is being considered by the Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys. The app for patients who need to travel to hospital for appointments and treatment would bring together all providers of community transport to share vehicles and reduce wasted trips. Car thieves have … [Read more...]
Newslines 17 April
A police HGV has been brought in to catch drivers in Wales on mobile phones, dangerous driving or not wearing seatbelts. The de-restricted tractor unit gives a better view of drivers in cars, buses and commercial vehicles and has been used by English forces for three years. The severe wintery weather saw Welsh councils spend over £2.38 M on gritting … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 March
A year before Brexit kicks in, it is essential that both industry and government do all they can to secure new model production in Britain, said the SMMT. Thousands of jobs depend on a good deal for the auto sector, it said, as new figures from the Production Outlook, predict there will be modest fall in UK vehicle production to 1.729 million in 2018 and … [Read more...]
Drivers being gassed by thieves
The Road Haulage Association is concerned about reports that criminals are ‘gassing’ lorry drivers before stealing goods from their trucks. In one incident a haulier was parked overnight on an industrial estate in the West Midlands and woke up the next morning to find that thieves had slashed the curtain on one side of the lorry and stolen cargo valued at … [Read more...]
Tradelines 28 March
Government plans for rail freight are unclear, says the Freight Transport Association. Proposals in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline but don’t contain targets for moving heavy goods on lines which are facing tough challenges compared to expanding use of HGVs. Leading garage equipment distributor and official UK agent of ATLAS automotive repair, … [Read more...]
Lots to sort in BREXIT talks, says FTA
The announcement of a Brexit transitional period ending in December 2020 will be a welcome relief for manufacturing and retail businesses exporting and importing from the EU, according to the Freight Transport Association. However, FTA has warned that there is still much to agree on the detail of the UK's departure from the European Union, and the EU's … [Read more...]
Wales’ bus lanes could share with HGVs
A plan to let HGVs use bus lanes has been suggested by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales, Nick Jones. He has put the proposal in his annual report to Welsh Government and said the road transport industry is “essential for the ecnomy and provision of services.” The move would improve traffic flow in some locations but has been … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 February
The Confused.com London Motor Show will be hosting the world’s first Tesla-based producton Shooting Brake by QWest of Norfolk. Carbon fibre coachbuilding specialist QWest will touch down at the “automotive event of the year” from 17-20 May armed with its latest creation, which is based on the reputable Model S (90D) and to which it adds over 7cuft of … [Read more...]
