Latest news with #DepartmentforTransport
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Major bus routes plan to benefit thousands of passengers in local communities
Thousands of bus passengers who rely on 'lifeline' routes to get to work, school or the doctors' will be protected from sudden cuts to services at short-notice Thousands of bus passengers who rely on 'lifeline' routes to get to work, school or the doctors' will be protected from sudden cuts to services. The Bus Services Bill, which last night passed a key stage in the Commons, will tighten requirements for cancelling bus routes. Under the legislation, local leaders will be given more power to ensure residents' needs are prioritised when planning bus routes. Councils will identify local services that are necessary to the community and will work with bus operators to put in place strict rules before these routes can be changed or cancelled. A ban on local authorities establishing their own bus companies will also be lifted, making it easier for them to control services and shape routes to work better for local people. The minimum period between local areas taking control and being allowed to run services will also be reduced by cutting red tape and making the process simpler. The Government is also investing nearly £38million to bring 319 new zero emission buses to communities across England, while nearly £1billion is being invested in England to improve bus infrastructure with new bus stops and digital timetables. Buses remain the most used form of public transport across England. But the Department for Transport said approximately 300 million miles of bus services operating outside London were slashed from 2010 to 2024. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'We're committed to giving local leaders the power to shape the bus services their communities rely on. "Buses are vital to connect people to job opportunities, hospital appointments and loved ones, supporting economic growth and driving up living standards. "Over the last fourteen years, annual bus mileage outside of London has dropped by around 300 million miles, which has prevented our towns and cities from realising their full economic potential. "Our Bus Services Bill will build back trust in our public transport network by better protecting lifeline bus services from being scrapped at short notice, stranding whole communities. "We're stepping in to boost buses, giving them a real opportunity to flourish under locally controlled, passenger-first operations".
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
New car rule for driveways in England could save you more than £1,000
More drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private electrical car chargepoints - which could save drivers up to £1,100 More drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private electrical car chargepoints. The change, announced by the Department for Transport on Thursday, will save drivers up to £1,100 a year as the Government cuts red tape to make it easier than ever to install electric vehicle (EV) sockets. Around 20-25% driveways - approximately three million - still required a planning request for an EV chargepoint, according to DfT estimates. Every driveway will now be able to get a charge point without submitting a planning permission submission, which can sometimes take as long as nine months. The announcement comes on top of already significant discounts from Government to help drivers install chargepoints outside their house. Support currently allows people renting or owning a flat, and those with on-street parking, to receive up to £350 off the cost of installing a home charger. It also follows some 18,600 sockets having been installed in workplace carparks in the last year alone. Official statistics show that a record of nearly 3,000 public charging devices were added in April alone – with one popping up every 29 minutes. Nearly 80,000 public EV chargepoints are now available in the UK. Ministers said getting the EV transition right and supporting the growth of the electric vehicle market in the UK "will enable Britain to tap into a multibillion-pound industry". For drivers, running an EV can cost as little as 2p per mile. And buying one is also cheaper, with two in five used EVs now under £20,000, and 29 brand new models priced under £30,000. Most new EVs have a range of nearly 300 miles – enough to get from London to Newcastle on one charge. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: 'We're cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution, so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from, and less red tape to deal with. 'We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3bn to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals - creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future as part of our Plan for Change.' Lewis Gardiner, Operations Director, Osprey Charging Network, said: " This is a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground. 'Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs, and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need. "It's the result of months of collaboration between industry and Government, and we're proud to have played a key role in making it happen." Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury's Chief Property and Procurement Officer and MD of Smart Charge, said: 'Everyone at Smart Charge knows how important it is to make EV charging simple, reliable and accessible – both to make transport cleaner and to ensure we're meeting the everyday needs of drivers throughout the UK. 'We welcome this new streamlined approach to installing charge points, which will help accelerate the nation's adoption of EVs."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Widower backs life sentences for cyclists who kill
A widower who has led an eight-year campaign for a change in road safety laws has welcomed proposals that could result in life sentences for death by dangerous cycling. Peter Walker's wife Diana, 76, was on her way home from a shop in May 2016 when she was hit by a cyclist in Pewsey, Wiltshire. She died in hospital on the following day. After campaigning with other bereaved families, Mr Walker, 88, said his "dearest wish" was to spare others from going through the same. The new laws - which could lead to cyclists who kill pedestrians facing life imprisonment - have been at committee stage and the Department for Transport (DfT) said they will be debated "in due course". Mr and Mrs Walker had only recently moved into a retirement home and he had been expecting to spend many more years with his wife, who he said was a "very fit person" and a "wonderful mother". Not only a loss to the family, he said she had been very active in the community too. Mr Walker said she died the day after the incident because she was being kept on life support for organ donation. "I don't want anybody to go through what I've had to go through," he said. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Mr Walker welcomed the proposed law changes but said that "having to wait nearly nine years for something to happen is an absolute disgrace". "It was just to make certain that the police fully investigated an accident on the highway where a cyclist killed a pedestrian," he added. Similar changes drafted by the previous Conservative government were dropped when Parliamentary business was halted following the announcement of the general election in July 2024. Proposed changes to the Crime and Policing Bill mean a cyclist found guilty of killing a pedestrian could face a life sentence, while those who injure walkers could go to jail for five years. The changes would also mean serious injury caused by dangerous cycling - or death by careless or inconsiderate cycling - could incur punishments of five years in jail, fines, or both. A serious injury caused by careless or inconsiderate cycling would result in a two-year sentence, a fine, or both, under the proposals. A DfT spokesperson said: "Dangerous cycling is completely unacceptable. "The Government is proposing new offences and penalties for dangerous cycling, updating legislation that is over 160 years old, to ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law." The government has estimated that four deaths on UK roads last year were caused by cyclists. "The way Wiltshire Police treated Diana's death was horrifying and it's a huge relief that police will now have to treat cycling collisions as a proper highways accident," Mr Walker said. Wiltshire Police said extensive enquires were carried out when Mrs Walker died, but an investigation concluded her death was not an unlawful killing and no action was taken against the cyclist. However, following concerns raised by the coroner at her inquest, the force said crash investigators would be sent to all serious accidents involving cyclists in future. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Man whose wife died in cycle crash 'wins battle' Widower upset at delays over cyclist law changes Husband seeks law change over fatal bike crashes Police probes to follow fatal cycle crash Cyclists who kill could face life sentence Department for Transport Wiltshire Police
North Wales Live
5 days ago
- Automotive
- North Wales Live
The number of motorcyclist deaths on British roads are up 9% in a year
Motorcyclist deaths in Britain increased by 9% last year, Department for Transport (DfT) figures show. Some 343 riders lost their lives in crashes in 2024, up from 315 during the previous 12 months. Motorcyclists made up 21% of road fatalities last year. There was also an increase in pedestrian deaths, up 2% from 405 in 2023 to 413 in 2024. The total number of people killed on Britain's roads last year was 1,633. That was a 1% rise from 1,624 in 2023, but an 8% fall from 1,775 in 2014. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox The DfT said the pattern for motorcyclist fatalities remains relatively stable over the last 10 years. AA president Edmund King said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and sadly we are still losing at least four people a day. "If this level of loss was experienced on any other form of transport, there would be a national inquiry and public outcry. Yet, for some reason, we seem to accept this as the risk of moving around our communities. This should not be the case." Mr King called for the Government's upcoming road safety strategy to include "bold action" such as harsher penalties for not wearing a seatbelt or drug-driving. He also stressed the need to "safeguard newly qualified drivers" to ensure they feel confident on the road before "exposing them to additional risks" such as carrying passengers of a similar age. RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis described the figures as "alarming". He said: "This data is yet more evidence of the need for a renewed focus on saving lives on the roads, so we look forward to the publication of the Government's road safety strategy." Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: "These figures demonstrate a troubling lack of progress in bringing down fatal and serious injuries on our road network. Moreover, 2024 saw a significant increase in the number of motorcyclists that were killed, further highlighting that more needs to be done to protect some of the most vulnerable road users." A DfT spokesperson said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and the safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. We've been clear that more needs to be done in this space, which is why we are committed to delivering a new road safety strategy – the first in over a decade – and will set out next steps on this in due course."
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Planning rules eased for electric vehicle chargers
More drivers and businesses in England no longer need planning permission to install electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, the Department for Transport has announced. The reduction in red tape applies from Thursday to private residential driveways, workplaces and public streets. The move is intended to boost the rollout of chargepoints. There have been reports of it taking up to nine months to obtain planning permission from councils for public installations. Boosting public charging infrastructure is seen as vital to persuade more drivers – particularly those without off-road parking – to switch to electric motoring. A report published by public spending watchdog the National Audit Office in December found the rollout of public EV chargers was 'on track' to meet the 300,000 the DfT estimates will be the minimum needed by 2030. The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030. Future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: 'We're cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from and less red tape to deal with. 'We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3 billion to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals, creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future.' Lewis Gardiner, operations director at Osprey Charging Network, described the announcement as 'a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground'. He added: 'Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.' AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said the Government must do 'all it can' to increase the number of EV chargers, and easing planning regulations 'will help accelerate installations'. He went on: 'The crucial element is ensuring grid connection in a timely manner. 'This is especially important in rural locations and areas where there is no dedicated off-street parking.' RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis welcomed the announcement because encouraging more drivers to make their next car an EV depends on 'removing the obstacles some people face'. But he warned that the 'relatively high cost of public charging … still needs to be tackled'.
