Plans are in place to help keep Wales moving during the winter months, with over 216,000 tonnes of salt and thirteen new frontline salt spreaders ready. In 2015 stocks at some local authorities reached crisis point but this winter Economy Secretary Ken Skates is keen to ensure Wales is fully prepared, whatever the weather. Mr Skates said, “I’ve been on record more than once commending … [Read more...]
Tradelines 1 November
Congestion on the UK’s major roads which carry two-thirds of all traffic has increased in the last year according to more than half of the motorists surveyed for the 2017 RAC Report on Motoring . Fifty-six per cent of the 1,727 drivers questioned for the annual study said they believe traffic has got worse on motorways, high-speed dual carriageways and A-roads – a worrying finding considering … [Read more...]
Pothole problems are deep in Wales
Pothole problems on Welsh roads are deeper than they look. Wales based insurer Confued.com made a Freedom of Information request to leading councils in the area and came up with some road shocks. a total of 20,378 potholes were reported to the region’s councils in 2016. Each local authority was asked for the minimum depth of a road defect to be considered a pothole, and this figure was … [Read more...]
Dangerous days and nights for drivers lie ahead
Dwindling highway maintenance budgets have led to an enormous reduction in cash for pothole repairs. The impact of this, compounded with rising traffic levels, is putting drivers at risk, warns new analysis from AA Tyres, the AA’s mobile tyre fitting service. The research reveals that annual road maintenance budgets have been cut by £220 million since 2014. During the same period, however, … [Read more...]
Fragile network contributes to jams
The latest roads congestion report by Inrix this week has highlighted the growing problem through the UK. RAC roads policy spokesman Nick Lyes said, “Congestion is a major cause of frustration for motorists and delays undoubtedly have a significant negative impact on the UK’s economy. “We now have record numbers of vehicles and a road network that struggles to cope with the increased volume … [Read more...]
New drive to cut road accidents in Wales
Although we have some of the safest roads in the world, every death or serious injury is one too many, said Economy Secretary Ken Skates. The Cabinet Secretary was speaking at Road Safety in Wales event in Cardiff, which looked ahead to how new and emerging technologies will impact on safety on Welsh roads and how behaviour change models can be applied to reduce casualties, in particular among … [Read more...]
Convoys carry safety concerns, says IAM RoadSmart
Self-driving lorry convoys of close running HGVs need very careful planning, said road safety body IAM RoadSmart. Britain’s biggest independent road safety charity is advising there must be more reassurances on issues such as cyber attacks as well as basic road safety needs such as telling other drivers which trucks are in the platoon. The trial announced by the Department of Transport is … [Read more...]
Older buses face biggest challenge over NO2 emissions
For a number of local authorities, the UK plan for tackling roadside NO2 concentrations presents a significant challenge, requiring them to improve poor air quality as quickly as possible. Whilst the latest ultra-clean Euro VI buses and advanced electrified options comfortably meet clean emission requirements, a significant majority of the older, existing bus fleet are seen as being a … [Read more...]
Commuters queuing for longer, says union
GMB says average journey times to work have slowed down over the last five years. The union's study is based on the latest official statistics and shows that the average commute from home to work increased from 27 to 29 minutes between 2011 and 2016. For the UK’s 16 million drivers, this equated to up to 14 extra hours behind the wheel last year, or 230 million hours shared between all … [Read more...]
Expect a lesson in easy driving next week
School’s out for summer, and no doubt commuters are enjoying a break from the usual rush-hour traffic – as parents, teachers and other workers have ditched their morning drive to work. Recent research by Confused.com reveals more than two in five (42%) motorists who use their car to get to work are staying home at some point during the school summer holidays. This will relieve the … [Read more...]