The morning rush hour phenomenon last seen nearly six months ago has returned with traffic levels back to levels seen in January, analysis of hundreds of thousands of trips taken by RAC Insurance customers has revealed. Alarmingly, the figures appear to show that the UK’s morning rush hour is caused more by people dropping children off at schools and nurseries than it is by commuters heading to … [Read more...]
Newslines 1 September
Drivers caught by cameras watching bus lanes in Cardiff had to fork out over £1.85M last year, said comparethemarket insurance. But that contrasts with nearly £8.4M in penalty charges imposed in Manchester and around £14M for London boroughs. As they move closer together the next generation small cars from Fiat Chrysler will be developed from the floorpans used by PSA Group marques. That … [Read more...]
Councils urged not to hide approach to school masks
Shadow Minister for Education Suzy Davies MS has called for a consistent approach from local authorities to pupils wearing facemasks on school transport. Some councils have made wearing masks mandatory, some have not, and some have yet to publish their rules. Welsh Conservative Mrs Davies said, “Parents and pupils across Wales are in some cases being left in the dark because of inconsistent and … [Read more...]
Big ‘staycation’ getaway expected this week
An estimated 18m leisure trips will be taken by car this weekend, 1.8m more than last year as drivers seek to make the most of what is the last bank holiday before Christmas in most of the UK, says RAC Breakdown. Despite the summery weather taking a leave of absence, the figures suggest traffic could be bumper-to-bumper on some popular routes as families and friends embark on long weekends, bank … [Read more...]
A plan for saving automotive jobs in Wales
Welsh Government and councils must prioritise supporting Tata Steel Port Talbot and Toyota Deeside, according to a far reaching report prepared for the Welsh Automotive Forum. The report by Ian Henry, head of Autoanalysis, follows similar studies he has carried out for WAF in recent years but his final conclusions have been published against a background of a global economic … [Read more...]
Classics become contemporary as sales boom
Owning, restoring and driving a classic car is a common dream, but it requires significant investment at every stage – in both time and money. Such desirable, high-value vehicles are inevitably also a common target for professional thieves meeting demand for vintage cars and their parts in the UK and across Europe. Stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker, is sharing tips to help first-time … [Read more...]
Behind the Wheel: Driving towards a cliff
Tens of thousands of more jobs are likely to disappear from the UK automotive sector before the end of the year, writes Robin Roberts. Some 11,349 jobs so far axed following lockdown will grow and despite this week’s 11% rise in new car registrations the outlook is bleak. That’s because the first upturn in showroom sales came at the end of three months when all showrooms were in … [Read more...]
£2 Billion cycle-plan ignores vital deliveries
London’s protected cycleways will be rolled out to other English cities in a £2 Billion programme, but it’s already raised concerns in the logistics sector. In response to the government’s package of announcements made 28 July 2020 on urban road use, Natalie Chapman, Head of Urban Policy at Logistics UK, formerly FTA, said, “The government’s plans present an opportunity to make cycling a more … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 July
Safety organisations and police fear a rapid rise in riders' injuries and deaths after seeing up to 50,000 motorbikes a weekend on Welsh roads after lockdown ended. It is thought to be a reaction against cuts to public transport and the rising costs of using cars, trains or buses. Police have towed away cars illegally parked in Snowdonia while owners went into the mountains. Civil enforcement … [Read more...]
Tradelines 22 July
Two years since its market introduction, the Lamborghini Urus Super SUV, has reached the important milestone of the 10,000th car. The model with chassis number 10,000 is destined for Russia and is a landmark for the company which has seen its fortunes turn around as a result. Car insurance premiums decreased by £6 during June and now stand at an average of £709, which will be welcomed … [Read more...]