government Archives - Fleet Summit
Posts Tagged :

government

‘Scepticism and lack of trust’ surround Zero Emission Government mandates

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Teletrac Navman’s annual industry survey has revealed less than half of respondents believe the governments will follow through with planned zero emissions mandates, while two-thirds of global fleets are currently operating PHEV, BEV or FCEV vehicles in their fleet.

The 2024 Telematics Survey (TS24) sheds light on the industry’s latest trends and challenges, as well as the viewpoints of global operational leaders on topics including safety, AI adoption, alternative energy and 2024’s biggest obstacles for fleets. Taking data from more than 500  global fleet businesses, the annual report focuses on three key areas: Sustainability, Safety, and Efficiency.

With more than half of fleets (65%) feeling environmental pressure to transition to alternative energy, many are operating a multi-energy fleet or are about to begin their transition while still experiencing a lack of awareness and readily available, trustworthy guidance.

“Fleets of all sizes and scales are already planning and navigating their transition, but we know there simply isn’t enough credible information out there to help simplify what is a complex move for any business. Alternative energy is still such a new concept for many fleet operators and the process of switching can feel overwhelming,” said Alain Samaha, Global President & CEO of Teletrac Navman.

When seeking guidance on transitioning fleets to electric or alternative energy, a quarter of respondents (25%) prefer advice from experts, and 15% would opt for dedicated training courses.

While the switch to alternative energy keeps rising on fleet operators’ agendas and a quarter of TS24 respondents (25%) name tackling rising fuel costs as a key motivation, challenges still remain. The frequency of emerging new technologies, high purchase cost of alternative energy vehicles and limited public charging points available have been identified as the top obstacles for businesses on their way to decarbonisation.

This is highlighted even further as nearly three quarters (72%) of respondents state that ongoing cost pressures will likely delay their transition to EV or alternative energy vehicles. While they feel environmental pressures, over half (56%) do not believe the UK government will go ahead with their planned ban on fossil fuels. In the US, 46% doubt the government will go ahead with the planned ban on fossil fuels – outnumbered by Australia and New Zealand where 69% express doubts.*

Driver safety: Safety and wellbeing top business focus for 2024

Driver safety remains a top priority for fleets, with half of the businesses surveyed currently monitoring and measuring driver behaviour and 30% of respondents planning on investing in driver wellbeing technology this year.

Over two thirds of TS24 respondents (73%) have seen fewer accidents on the job since adopting telematics solutions, and 73% are actively rewarding drivers for better performance.

TS24 also found 71% of respondents have seen improved driver performance through driver rewards programmes.

Incentivising drivers has become crucial for retention, especially in the face of economic challenges such as Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis. This data also aligns with the industry’s focus on driver well-being and a rising interest in recognition and rewards programmes to retain and support drivers.

More than half of the businesses surveyed (62%) recognise the cost-of-living crisis’ impact on their drivers’ mental health, and Teletrac Navman has seen a 110% increase year-on-year in driver appreciation activities, a 54% increase in adopting reward programs, and a 52% increase in the promotion to senior driver.

Rising fuel costs are considered in driver behaviour management as well, with a 33% increase in businesses implementing new driver behaviour programmes in an effort to navigate rising fuel costs since last year.

“The last 12 months have come with their own set of challenges for fleets, and rising insurance and fuel costs have been a leading concern for operators globally,” said Samaha. “This in turn has led to an even higher emphasis on safety, prompting operators to prioritise safe processes and behaviour to manage costs effectively as well as look after staff wellbeing.”

Efficiency and Streamlining

TS24 also found businesses are working towards keeping up with the latest technologies in order to achieve streamlined operations.

With the top costs for fleets listed as fuel, followed by equipment and vehicle maintenance and purchase, almost all TS24 respondents (96%) say they have made measurable savings by implementing telematics, across admin time savings, fuel savings and overall cost savings.

According to the industry-wide survey, asset visibility, meeting compliance regulations and more efficient routing and dispatching are the top three benefits operators have seen since implementing telematics solutions.

Despite the widespread adoption of telematics solutions (98%), less than half of businesses (43%) feel they are using these tools to their full potential.

“Businesses are facing many different challenges now, with the ‘great resignation’ leading to the higher turnover of people and therefore the need for more frequent training and handovers. Furthermore, technological advancements may require deeper training, and the varying needs of different departments can result in underuse across the diverse features of platforms,” said Samaha.

While AI technology is beginning to grow in prevalence the market is increasingly recognising the possibilities of data-led and machine learning applications, with 47% of TS24 respondents currently leveraging AI solutions.

“Businesses are slowly but surely embracing new technologies, and there is an anticipation of increased availability of advanced AI tech in the near future, enabling more sophisticated applications and vehicle and driver monitoring,” added Samaha.

Pot hole repair plan unveiled by government

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

A crackdown on disruptive roadworks could cut congestion for millions of drivers and generate up to £100 million extra to resurface roads, as the first key measures from the government’s Plan for Drivers are unveiled.

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, has launched a street works consultation on a series of measures to prevent utility companies from letting roadworks overrun and clogging up traffic as a result.

The consultation seeks to extend the current £10,000 per day fine for overrunning street works into weekends and bank holidays as a deterrent for working on the busiest days for road travel. Currently, utility companies are only fined for disruption on working days. The measures could double fines from £500 up to a maximum of £1,000 for companies that breach conditions of the job, such as working without a permit.

The plans would also direct at least 50% of money from lane rental schemes to be used to improve roads and repair potholes. Lane rental schemes allow local highway authorities to charge companies for the time that street and road works occupy the road.

As a result, the measures could generate up to £100 million extra over 10 years to resurface roads while helping tackle congestion, cutting down journey times and helping drivers get from A to B more easily.

Launching on National Pothole Day, the consultation is part of a series of measures from the government’s Plan for Drivers, a 30-point plan to support people’s freedoms to use their cars, curb over-zealous enforcement measures and back drivers.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “After investing an extra £8.3 billion to resurface roads across England, the largest ever increase in funding for local road improvements, this government continues to back drivers with these new measures from our Plan for Drivers.

“Our new proposals seek to free up our roads from overrunning street works, cut down traffic jams and generate up to £100 million extra to resurface roads up and down the country.

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said: “Being stuck in traffic is infuriating for drivers. Too often traffic jams are caused by overrunning street works.

“This government is backing drivers, with a robust approach to utility companies and others, who dig up our streets. We will seek to massively increase fines for companies that breach conditions and fine works that overrun into weekends and bank holidays while making the rental for such works help generate up to an extra £100 million to improve local roads.”

While it’s essential that gas, water and other utility companies carry out vital maintenance work to provide the services we all rely on, the 2 million street works carried out in England in 2022 to 2023 have cost the economy around £4 billion by causing severe road congestion and disrupting journeys.

The consultation comes after this government introduced a performance-based street works regime to ensure utility companies resurface roads to the best possible standard, and new lane rental schemes where utility companies can be charged up to £2,500 per day for street works.

The measures can also help boost active travel by preventing street works from disrupting walking, wheeling and cycling while also providing opportunities to improve pavements and pedestrian crossings and make repairs to pavements and cycle lanes.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “Overrunning roadworks and poorly reinstated roads from utility companies frustrate drivers and cause unnecessary congestion, and trench defects can damage vehicles and injure those on 2 wheels.

“We are pleased that the government is looking to extend the fines for over-running street works, invest more of the surplus fines in roads and ensure that those who dig up the roads repair them to a high and timely standard.

In addition, the government plans to make all temporary, experimental or permanent restrictions on traffic digital. These so-called traffic regulation orders (TROs) include things like the location of parking spaces, road closures and speed limits.

Making these digital means they must now be added to satnav systems, ensuring drivers have the most up-to-date information, making journeys easier and paving the way for more reliable autonomous vehicles.

RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams, said: “Drivers shouldn’t have to put up with temporary roadworks for any longer than is necessary, so we’re pleased to see the government is looking to do more to guarantee that utility companies minimise disruption by carrying out roadworks as quickly and efficiently as possible. They should also leave roads in better condition than they found them, which unfortunately is hardly ever the case at the moment.”

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Government hopes for ‘longer lorries’ economy boost

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Longer lorries will be introduced to UK roads to support the government’s priority to grow the economy, boost productivity, slash road emissions and support supply chains.

Legislation has been laid out to safely roll out the vehicles on roads from May 31st. The longer lorries will be able to transport fast-moving consumer goods and retail products, as well as waste packaging, parcels and pallets.

These new lorries will move the same volume of goods, but will use 8% fewer journeys than current trailers. This will generate an expected £1.4 billion in economic benefits and take one standard-size trailer off the road for every 12 trips.

As part of efforts to grow the economy and cut emissions, government is changing regulations to allow longer trailers on GB roads, which it estimates will save 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

These longer trailers, known as longer semi-trailers (LST) measure up to 2.05 metres longer than a standard semi-trailer and can be towed by a lorry.

The move follows an 11-year trial to ensure LSTs are used safely on roads, and operators will be encouraged to put extra safety checks and training in place. The trial demonstrated that LSTs were involved in around 61% fewer personal injury collisions than conventional lorries.

Vehicles which use LSTs will be subject to the same 44 tonne weight limit as those using standard trailers. These new vehicles are also expected to cause less wear on the roads than conventional lorries due to the type of steering axle used.

Operators will be legally required to ensure appropriate route plans and risk assessments are made to take the unique specifications of LSTs into account.

In addition to these new legal requirements, operators will also be expected to put in place extra safety checks including driver training and scheduling, record keeping, training for transport managers and key staff, and loading of LSTs.

It is expected that LSTs will create almost £1.4 billion in net economic benefits by ensuring more goods are carried on fewer vehicles, supporting productivity and boosting the economy.

The net economic benefits figure has been calculated as part of the LSTconsultation impact assessment.

With over 300 companies in the UK having already taken part in the trial, and almost 3,000 on the road, some of the biggest brands will be rolling out the extended use of these longer semi-trailers including:

  • Greggs
  • Morrisons
  • Stobart
  • Royal Mail
  • Argos

Gavin Kirk, Supply Chain Director at Greggs, said: “We welcome the introduction of LSTs into general use. Since 2013, Greggs has been operating LSTs from our National Distribution Centre in Newcastle. We were early adopters of the trial as we saw significant efficiency benefits from the additional 15% capacity that they afforded us.

“We have converted 20% of our trailer fleet to LSTs, which was the maximum allowable under the trial, and these complement our fleet of double-deck trailers. Our drivers undertook additional training to use these trailers and we have monitored accidents, finding that they are as safe as our standard fleet.

“Due to the increased capacity, we have reduced our annual kilometer (km) travel by 540,000 km, and saved 410 tonnes of carbon per year from LSTs. This supports our wider ESG agenda, the Greggs Pledge.”

The trial revealed the important environmental benefits associated with the introduction of LSTs, including a considerable reduction of 70,000 tonnes of CO2 and 97 tonnes of NOx over the trial.

The average CO2 reduction across the lifetime of the trial is similar to the amount of CO2 captured by roughly 11,600 acres of forest per year.

The savings in NOx emissions averages to the entire annual NOx emissions of around 2,000 diesel cars per year.

Introducing LSTs is an important, easy and affordable measure to continue to reduce CO2 emissions from the haulage industry without significant technological and infrastructure development, as the government continues to work closely with the sector to ensure all new heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are net-zero by 2040.

The move is part of the government’s comprehensive 33 actions to address the shortage of HGV drivers and boost recruitment and retention.

Massive Government investment in Green Hydrogen for electric vehicle transport

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

By WhichEV

One of the loudest, most common arguments against ‘electric vehicles’ comes from people who don’t really understand the competing technologies – but who are certain that ‘Hydrogen is the future’.

It certainly can play a role – especially when it comes to powering electric vehicles.

Confused?  Well, alongside being a highly combustible gas, hydrogen can be combined with oxygen to create electricity and water.

If that’s the case, then why haven’t we moved across to hydrogen already?

Depending on how the hydrogen was generated, it can have a hugely negative impact on the environment.

The market has assigned ‘colours’ to hydrogen, where ‘Green Hydrogen’ is great and has little to no impact on the environment. From Blue and Grey, through to Brown and Black hydrogen – there is an increasing amount of pollution caused with its creation.

The UK Government has now received an expert report, created under the direction of an all-party committee – with the express intention of deciding how the UK can integrate Green Hydrogen into its energy future.

You can read more about this topic over at WhichEV here and here.

Initiative to decarbonise UK roads receives £30m funding

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Future roads could be built using asphalt made from grass cuttings and ‘carbon capturing’ cement, supported by £30 million government funding awarded to 7 innovative, net zero projects.

Seven projects spread across the UK, from Lanarkshire to Devon, have been awarded funding today through the Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads competition.

The programme supports projects led by local highways authorities focused on tackling the long-term decarbonisation of highways infrastructure, such as streetlights, and transforming local authorities’ approach to decarbonising roads.

The winning projects include cutting carbon emissions from our streetlights to producing asphalt made from green waste like grass cuttings. Other projects plan to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance of typical UK highway construction, as well as plans to develop a first-of-its-kind system approach to creating a net carbon negative model for green infrastructure delivery.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “The UK is a world leader in technology and innovation and we must use that strength to drive decarbonisation and the next generation of high tech jobs that go alongside it.

“We are supporting this vital agenda to help level-up through £30 million funding for ground-breaking projects and boosting regional connections to support growth.

“The government is determined to create good, well paid jobs – via innovation and investment across the UK – as we accelerate the road to net zero.

The 7 successful local highways authorities and their partners will be provided funding, subject to due diligence, to develop, test, pilot and roll out new technologies to facilitate decarbonisation, including in supply chain emissions. The 7 successful bids are:

  • Highways CO2llaboration Centre for materials decarbonisation, Transport for West Midlands: supporting upskilling and developing a team in the West Midlands to decarbonise highways via 2 initiatives, including a ‘Highways CO2llaboration Centre’, and demonstrator sites showcasing and monitoring innovative decarbonised highway materials
  • UK Centre of Excellence for Material Decarbonisation in Local Roads, North Lanarkshire Council: creating a centre that will develop a materials testing programme identifying and deploying the latest tech for road construction, in addition to testing and deploying recycled materials from other industries to build roads
  • a net carbon-negative model for green infrastructure management, South Gloucestershire Council and West Sussex County Council: aims to develop a first-of-its-kind approach to creating a net carbon negative model for building and delivering green infrastructure, for example recycling biomass from green waste
  • A382 Carbon Negative Project, Devon County Council: aims to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance in typical aspects of highway construction to reduce carbon emissions, and to build a new link road including walking and cycling options
  • Ecosystem of Things, Liverpool City Council: aims to introduce an ‘Ecosystem of Things’, exploring a scalable and transferrable approach to understanding various systems (including design, public spaces, materials/process technology, recycling infrastructure and the legal, contractual and procurement processes) at city level to embed and adopt decarbonisation initiatives
  • decarbonising street lighting, East Riding of Yorkshire Council: plans to work on increasing efficiency for low carbon lighting to make sure they can still be clearly seen by drivers and to create a framework for an alternative manual for highway lighting, signing and road marking
  • Net Zero Corridors, Wessex Partnership: will pioneer net zero roads that are built without creating more carbon emissions overall in Somerset, Cornwall, and Hampshire in 9 ‘net zero corridors’ linking rural and urban areas

Live Labs 2 is designed to ensure innovations are shared across the whole of the UK and bidders were encouraged to create partnerships across the public and private sector, and academia. As such, the winning projects will be working together across 4 interconnected themes, including:

  • a green carbon laboratory: examining the role that non-operational highways ‘green’ assets can play in providing a source of materials and fuels to decarbonise highway operations, for example, using biomass from green waste to create alternative fuels and asphalt additives
  • a future lighting testbed: researching the future of lighting for local roads to determine what is needed in the future and how they can be further decarbonised
  • a UK centre of excellence for materials: providing a centralised hub for research and innovation that would help test construction materials and their use
  • corridor and place-based decarbonisation: working to create decarbonisation across specific, wider regions and corridors covering both urban and rural areas

Live Labs 2 is funded by the Department of Transport (DfT) and organised by The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), which represents ‘directors of place’ who are responsible for providing day-to-day services, such as local highways, as well as strategic long-term delivery.

Mark Kemp, President of ADEPT, said: “Tackling the carbon impact of our highways’ infrastructure is critical to our path to net zero but hard to address, so I am pleased that bidding was so competitive. Live Labs 2 has a huge ambition – to fundamentally change how we embed decarbonisation into our decision-making and to share our learning with the wider sector to enable behaviour change. Each project will bring local authority led innovation and a collaborative approach to create a long-lasting transformation of business as usual.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn from our successful bidders and taking that into my own organisation.”

This programme follows the previous and successful Live Labs 1, a £22.9 million innovation programme that focused on adoption of digital technology across the local roads sector in England.

Government touts ‘success’ of transport decarbonisation measures

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Electric motorbikes and mopeds will soon become the norm on UK roads, said the Government, as it set out a range of measures to mark a year of success since the Transport Decarbonisation Plan was introduced.

The plan set out the UK’s ‘greenprint’ to create cleaner air, healthier communities and tens of thousands of new green jobs across the UK.

The progress one year on shows almost 7,500 extra electric vehicle chargepoints have been installed, supporting the 900,000 green vehicles that are on UK roads, and over 130 new walking and cycling schemes have been funded.

The production of zero emission vehicles alone has the potential to support 72,000 green jobs worth up to £9.7 billion in gross value added by 2050.

To mark its one-year anniversary, the government is launching a new public consultation to accelerate the transition to zero emission travel by phasing out the sale of new fossil-fuelled motorbikes and moped by 2035, or even earlier for some vehicles.

Alongside the consultations, the Department for Transport is announcing funding for a competition to help industry develop the zero emission motorcycle supply chain in the UK. This will help create a manufacturing base for small, emission free vehicles and could lead to thousands of new jobs across the UK.

Successful applicants for the £350,000 fund, will undertake research to support the production and distribution of new, green vehicles within the sector.

Since the Transport Decarbonisation Plan’s launch last year, the government has worked at pace to deliver many of its ambitious commitments, including bringing forward a Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate to set targets for manufacturers to ensure the supply of electric vehicles meets the soaring demand.

Further progress includes:

  • announcing plans to support the UK market to increase public electric vehicle chargepoints by tenfold, by the end of the decade as part of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, making public charging cheaper and more convenient than refuelling at a petrol station
  • launching the government’s first office dedicated to decarbonising the UK’s maritime industry, known as the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions
  • developing a Jet Zero Strategy, which will be launched this year, setting out the roadmap to achieving net zero aviation
  • a pledge confirmed at the COP26 Summit to dramatically increase the pace of the global transition so that all new cars and vans are zero emission by 2035 in leading markets and by 2040 globally – this declaration now has 180 signatures, including from 39 countries worldwide and 14 major vehicle manufacturers on top of cities, fleets and investors
  • launched a £200 million Zero Emission Road Freight demonstrator programme – supporting industry to develop cost-effective zero emission HGVs and their associated infrastructure
  • supported 7 trial hydrogen transport projects to inform future investment decisions and prime export opportunities – the successful trials could lead to increased use of hydrogen-powered transport to move goods and carry out services
  • creating Active Travel England, led by Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman and providing local authorities with £161 million, to deliver 134 first-rate schemes to develop new footways, cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings across England

Helena Bennett, head of climate policy at Green Alliance, said: “The Transport Decarbonisation Plan laid ambitious foundations for the sector to begin its transition to net zero after 30 years in which emissions have stayed largely unchanged.

“It’s promising to see delivery of some of the plan’s goals begin including announcements on a zero emission vehicle mandate and phase out of polluting HGVs, but there is more to be done to keep the sector on track with climate targets, and it’s more important than ever, given the cost of living crisis, that boosts to public transport and walk and cycling infrastructure are prioritised.”

The government is also aiming to improve health and make walking and cycling the natural first choice for shorter journeys by publishing its second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. It sets out estimated investment, already committed from various funds, of almost £4 billion into active travel across the government until 2025, including £2 billion announced for active travel in 2020.

This investment will deliver measures including high-quality walking and cycling routes, safer road junctions, cycle training and a Walk to School Outreach initiative.

SMMT calls for vehicle decarbonisation plans before government bans

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called on government to work with industry to develop a plan that facilitates the transition to zero emission HGVs, before it commits an end of sale date for conventionally fuelled trucks.

All of Europe’s major truck manufacturers have agreed that new HGVs will be fossil fuel-free by 2040, and are investing billions in new powertrains to replace diesel, the most commonly used HGV fuel.

However, at present there is no clear technology that can provide full zero emission operations for all weights and uses of HGVs.

The need to support powertrain research and infrastructure development has been underlined by a new report, Fuelling the Fleet: Delivering Commercial Vehicle Decarbonisation. SMMT analysis has revealed that the commercial, technological and operational barriers currently associated with new technologies such as batteries and hydrogen meant that in 2020, only 0.2% of HGVs were alternatively fuelled – contrasted with cars, which reached this proportion in 2007.

Battery electric van usage, meanwhile, reached 0.3% in 2020 – the same proportion as cars in 2019. Uptake rates for electric vans have continued to grow rapidly, reflecting how battery power can effectively replace fossil fuels in this vehicle class, but just 2.6% of new vans registered between January and July 2021 were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), compared to 8.2% of cars.

Established manufacturers have already brought a range of fossil fuel-free HGVs and vans to market, while several new players have also entered the market with dedicated zero-emission commercial vehicle portfolios. With new technology comes new opportunities and the UK, as a manufacturer, of vans, trucks and other HGVs must accelerate the transition to fossil fuel free commercial vehicles and their component parts.

To achieve this, the SMMT says the government should develop a roadmap that supports UK manufacturers and the supply chain, creating a strong domestic market and helping companies seize the opportunities that emerge.

Specifically, it says the UK needs a dedicated public HGV charging network, as only operators who can afford to invest in expensive depot infrastructure and operate on a back to base model can currently make the switch. This network needs to be rolled out urgently – ACEA forecasts that by 2030, the UK will need 8,200 public HGV charging points, equivalent to more than two new charge points opening every single day until the end of the decade. Alternative technological solutions, such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, face an even tougher challenge with only 11 refuelling locations across the country.

Decarbonising the commercial vehicle sector will therefore need more support from government and other stakeholders outside the automotive industry. New technologies need new skills, so the workforce that maintains these essential vehicles must have access and support for the training courses essential to high voltage and other system work. Above all, the industry needs a stable, long-term regulatory and fiscal strategy to deliver a vibrant zero emission HGV market so that manufacturers and operators can confidently plan and prepare for the future.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The industry is committed to be fossil fuel free, but there is not yet a clear technology path for every weight class and every use case. Before it sets a deadline for the sector, the government must support the technological development and market proposition and provide the right framework, so hauliers don’t defer their decarbonising decision to the last minute. Plans before bans is the key.

“Vans face fewer obstacles in this decarbonisation journey than HGVs but adoption rates remain low, driven by the lack of charging points and higher operating costs relative to diesel. The new models are there, with many more coming, but without investment in incentives and infrastructure, the commercial vehicle sector will struggle to meet our shared ambition to reach net zero.”

The great 2021 pothole backfill begins

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Councils across England have been allocated their share of £500 million for highways maintenance, with the funding expected to fix the equivalent of 10 million potholes across the country.

It is the second of 5 equal instalments from the £2.5 billion Potholes Fund, providing £500 million a year between 2020/21 and 2024/25, announced by the Chancellor in the 2020 Budget – and is part of wider funding the DfTprovides for road maintenance, totalling over £1.1 billion across England in 2021/22.

With the average pothole costing around £50 to fill in, the funding will ensure that the equivalent of 10 million potholes can be rectified, making thousands of local roads both safer and easier to drive and cycle on.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “We know potholes are more than just a nuisance – they can be dangerous to drivers and cyclists alike, and cause damage to thousands of vehicles every year.

“The funding allocated today will help councils ensure roads in their area are kept up to standard, and that the potholes that blight road users can be dealt with promptly.”

The DfT claims it has already invested heavily in pothole filling since 2015, including the £296 million Pothole Action Fund, which ran from 2015/16 to 2020/21. It also topped up highway maintenance investment in 2018 with a one-off £420 million boost to all highway authorities in England, including London.

The government says it’s committed to supporting motorists through schemes like the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2), investing £27 billion in the biggest ever roads programme – with £10 billion of the record-breaking sum specifically for road maintenance, operations and renewals.

Government drive to simplify EV charging network to combat ‘range anxiety’

 899 599 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Small businesses and those in leasehold and rented accommodation are set to benefit from up to £50 million to install electric vehicle chargepoints.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which provides up to £350 towards a chargepoint, will continue next year and be expanded to target people in rented and leasehold accommodation.

At the same time, the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) will be opened up to small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the charity sector, providing a boost as staff return to work. The changes will also mean that small accommodation businesses, such as B&Bs can benefit from the funding, boosting rural areas, and tackling the ‘range anxiety’ associated with long journeys.

This investment comes as the department launches a consultation on improving the charging experience – simplifying payments and increasing reliability – which it says takes the country a step closer to delivering on the commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.

Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said: “Whether you’re on the school run or travelling to work, or don’t have access to a private parking space, today’s announcement will bring us one step closer to building and operating a public chargepoint network that is affordable, reliable and accessible for all drivers.

“As the UK accelerates towards net-zero emissions by 2050, we are determined to deliver a world-leading electric vehicle charging network, as we build back greener and support economic growth across the country.”

The consultation suggests simplifying payment at chargepoints, meaning electric vehicle drivers can use contactless payment but do not have to download an app. It also seeks to make chargepoints more reliable and to force operators to provide a 24/7 call helpline for drivers.

Drivers should also be able to find and access chargepoints easily, so the government is proposing that operators should make location data, power rating and price information more accessible for drivers. This it says is essential for ensuring costs are fair, for driving competition, and for increasing the confidence of both existing electric vehicle drivers and those considering making the switch.

The government says its proposals will ensure that it’s as easy – or even easier – for drivers to charge their car as it is to refuel a petrol or diesel vehicle.

The new investment follows £20 million in funding announced last week for councils to improve the on-street charging infrastructure in their local areas.

CEO of Co Charger, Joel Teague, said: “From a Co Charger point of view, this announcement is particularly welcome because it will put more chargepoints into homes and businesses where they can be shared with their neighbourhoods. Dependable, affordable charging while at home or work is essential for people to make the switch to electric motoring, and by sharing these newly funded chargepoints communities will be able to meet that need.”

Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chair, Mike Cherry, said: “It’s great to see the Department for Transport putting businesses front and centre as part of the UK’s mission to achieve net-zero by 2050.

“Small businesses want to play a critical role in helping the UK reach its green targets, and electric vehicles are the future. That’s why this is important news for the nation, particularly rural areas which are often left behind.”

Government to open 45 ‘Information & Advice’ sites for hauliers

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

By Department for Transport

We’re approaching the end of the Transition Period and there will be important changes to border and traffic management arrangements. The UK Government is working hard to make sure commercial drivers and hauliers are prepared for the changes at the end of the year. 

We’re opening more than 40 ‘Information and Advice Sites’ across the UK at key locations on the road network. Five test sites will open at the start of November with the other 40 sites opening in mid-November. 

Staff at the sites will be able to discuss these changes, provide training on new IT systems, and explain how hauliers can best prepare for the end of the year. Support will also be available to commercial drivers in a range of languages as well as materials that can be downloaded digitally in 14 languages.  

The sites will be COVID secure and there will also be a dedicated online haulier portal to make sure drivers and haulier managers have access to all information and 1-1 support they might need. 

Keep an eye on the news section of www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport in the coming weeks for further details on the sites.

  • 1
  • 2