The Chancellor’s Spring Statement is disappointing for drivers, says the RAC. RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said, “The announcement that the Chancellor will look at the possibility of reducing VED for businesses that buy cleaner vans is very welcome and we look forward to seeing more detail on this. “But motorists will be very disappointed that the Chancellor hasn’t addressed the … [Read more...]
Welsh infrastructure must be top priority for 2018
Congestion is costing Welsh drivers £1.5 billion a year, and the Welsh Conservatives are calling on the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay to make infrastructure a top priority for 2018. INRIX Inc – a leading international provider of real-time traffic information – has calculated the economic cost per driver due to congestion, with the average driver in Cardiff around £939 a year out of pocket. … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 November
The M4 north of Bridgend was closed for ten hours over Saturday night after a man’s body was discovered on the carriageway. Police said he had been run over by a number of vehicles on the westbound direction but investigations meant both sides were closed until approximately 8am yesterday. Councils in Wales made a £14m profit in parking charges in the last financial year, a new report has … [Read more...]
Wales’ warms up plans for winter
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...]
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...]
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...]
Afternoon and night best times to travel
Well thanks to school holidays, you should avoid setting off on the 1 August if you want to steer clear of traffic hotspots, data shows. The 26 July, 1 August, and 22 August are the busiest for Wales with a tenth of one families each date heading away, and 8am is the worst time with 34% leaving at this time. Surveying parents across the nation, car part suppliers Euro Car Parts can reveal … [Read more...]
Getting more from our roads
There are stark choices facing Europe’s road planners. They need to look to smooth flows and handle demand: add capacity to our current road network or manage the load more efficiently, according to two of the key speakers at the European Road Infrastructure Congress, http://www.eric2016.eu/ taking place this month. In a session entitled “Big data and the future of road infrastructure,” … [Read more...]
Newslines 24 September
The European Road Infrastructure Congress has announced a full, vibrant programme for what is seen as the premier European Highways Conference of the year. World authorities, policymakers, industry representatives, academics and research institutes are to join forces in Leeds next month which will culminate in The Big Debate: The Future of the Road and The Road of the Future. … [Read more...]