In the Senedd today, there will a debate on a petition signed by over 21,000 people demanding the Labour Government does not push ahead with its disastrous plan to reduce the default speed limit on Wales’ roads from 30mph to 20mph. Commenting on the petition, Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister, Natasha Asghar MS said, "The people of Wales are clear, they don’t want default 20mph speed … [Read more...]
Wales wins by miles with smiles
Driving is smiles better in Wales. The happiest drivers in the country have been announced with motorists in Wales topping the list, a new study reveals. Experts at LeaseCar.uk have crunched the numbers for each region based on factors which are important to drivers when it comes to having an enjoyable trip. Highest amount of traffic levels, most amount of roads (miles), total number of … [Read more...]
Mounting opposition to “green-washing” attack on motoring
Low traffic neighbourhoods, so called “clean air zones” and new, underused cycle lanes are all deeply unpopular. So much so that a new petition has recently appeared on the UK Parliament website (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/633504) demanding a revision to the statutory guidance that brought them in. Within days of posting, it has attracted over 1,200 signatories. Instead of there … [Read more...]
Newport M4 50mph limits now enforced
Drivers caught exceeding 50mph on the M4 around Newport face fines from today when cameras are switched on a year after being installed. The limit between junctions 24 and 28 of the motorway around Newport was lowered to 50mph to tackle pollution caused by congestion as traffic bunched up. The Welsh government said it marked the final stage of a plan to improve air quality … [Read more...]
“Brittle” Menai Bridge needs urgent repairs
Parts of the Menai Bridge are in a brittle state and have deteriorated in the last three years, Senydd members were told this week. Deputy Minister, Lee Waters delivered an Oral Statement providing the latest updates on the Menai Bridge in which he said the structure was the responsibility of a private company, UK Highways A55 Ltd, under agreemenets for maintenance of the A55 Trunk Road across … [Read more...]
Over 19M expected on Bank Holidays roads this week
The extra-long Jubilee bank holiday weekend will see drivers make an estimated 19.5m leisure journeys by car, research from RAC Breakdown suggests. In the region of 3.6m leisure trips by car are expected to be made on the Friday bank holiday 3 June, according to a study of 1,460 drivers’ travel plans, as day-trippers combine with families making their way back home at the end of the half term … [Read more...]
Brakes go on smart motorways, for now
No more smart motorways will be built for now amid safety concerns but current sections will not be returned to hard shoulders. Using the hard shoulder as a permanent live traffic lane increases capacity, but critics say it's unsafe and has led to deaths. Five years of safety and economic data for the schemes will be collected from the motorways built before … [Read more...]
Opinion: Size matters in congestion & emissions battle
The motor industry is facing doom and gloom or opportunity and expansion, depending on your viewpoint, writes Robin Roberts. Whatever happens with Brexit at the end of this month and its implications for Britain, a bigger sea change for the industry has been underway for some time. Environmental issues have driven the move towards electrification of vehicles and for the bigger stuff it’s … [Read more...]
Easter getaway begins today for some
This year’s Easter getaway will start two weeks early as millions of families take to the road when many English schools break up at the end of this week. Figures from the RAC suggest some 14m leisure trips will be taken by car between this Friday – the day when most schools finish for Easter – and the end of the weekend. Friday itself is expected to be busiest with some 5.3m individual … [Read more...]
Congestion is threat to business growth
Congestion is increasingly becoming a critical business issue according to the latest research from the Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer. Delivery drivers say that, on average, 16% of their working day is lost due to congestion, which means, based on a (very conservative) 8 hour working day this equates to 1 hour 17 minutes a day, or more than 6 hours across a typical working week, adding … [Read more...]