New analysis of Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data has found that motorbike numbers have increased by 10.51% since 2015. It also revealed the regions that have seen the largest jump in figures, highlighting where the two-wheelers are seeing the biggest boom in popularity. The second quarter of 2024 saw more than 1.4 … [Read more...]
Newslines 18 February
Specialist motor insurance loss adjuster Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), part of the QuestGates group, has praised police and carmakers as new Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures show UK car thefts down 4.5% and recoveries up 2.3% year-on-year. In terms of the most stolen models, the top three in 2024 were: 1) Ford Fiesta, 2) VW Golf and 3) … [Read more...]
Welsh Government dragging feet over active travel plans
Welsh Government active travel ambitions are ‘a long way from being achieved’, says Audit Wales in a new report. There's been increased spending through the Active Travel Fund but warned that headline active travel rates have not improved in recent years. It said that better evidence was needed to track progress and assess value for money. ‘Active travel’ … [Read more...]
Call for highter fuel duties at pumps
The founder of a public charging network for electric vehicles wants petrol and diesel fuel duties increased. Asif Ghafoor, a veteran of infrastructure delivery and the co-founder and CEO of national charging network Be.EV said the increase would encourage the switch to electric vehicles while covering the shortfall in public finance which has happened … [Read more...]
Welsh learner drivers are best in Britain, say Veygo
Welsh driving-test pass rates beat UK national average, but there are concerns over driving test changes. Veygo, part of the Admiral Insurance group based in Cardiff, showed Park Avenue Test Centre in Aberystwyth, is the top place to take your driving test, with 65% now passing their test at the centre. This marks the highest pass rate on record for the … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: GWM Funky Cat 1st Edition
The UK’s electric car revolution is becoming a bloody affair. From initially resisting the new technology on cost grounds including writing off established investments in petrol and diesel engine technology and having to develop hybrid or pure electric powertrains, along with making tens of thousands of workers redundant, manufacturers have struggled to … [Read more...]
E-scooters should be off Christmas lists
Loss adjuster CMA has seen a steady rise in e-scooter related claims over two years, mostly collisions involving other motorists, but also thefts. The increase is in line with Department for Transport figures showing the number of collisions involving e-scooters rose from 460 in 2020 to 1,352 in 2021. Earlier this month, a boy of 12 was killed in … [Read more...]
Off-road vehicles seized by Welsh police
South Wales Police has seized off-road vehicles as part of Operation Red Mana. The Ely neighbourhood team were joined by officers from the Roads Policing Unit and the anti-social off-road team (#ASORT) and Cardiff Council at the weekend to tackle off-road bikes riding in an anti-social manner in Cardiff. The riders were reported in the Ely and Rumney … [Read more...]
New Welsh speed law threat to deaf
Following the news that speed limits in built-up areas look set to be reduced from 30mph to 20mph in Wales from next year - a UK first that has caused some controversy among some drivers. Ministers say a 20mph speed limit will lower road collisions and traffic noise and encourage people to walk and cycle. However, will this lowered traffic … [Read more...]
Tradelines 27 April
Charging infrastructure will keep pace with the growth in the number of electric vehicles resulting from the EU tightening its clean car rules, shows new analysis. Up to 10.4 million public charging points could be installed across Europe by 2035 if car CO2 targets are strengthened in line with the EU's Green Deal commitments, according to the modelling by … [Read more...]