Latest news with #MarkHarper
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
The former West MPs with new roles in the House of Lords
To MPs in the Commons it is known as "the other place".But being elevated to the House of Lords has provided a way back to the political fray for two former West Country Conservative Transport Secretary Mark Harper and ex-Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire were awarded life peerages following their respective defeats at last year's general said: "I'm hoping to be working hard. I'm going to be a working peer, so I shall be here as much as I can when the House is sitting and I'll get stuck in." The new role marks a return to politics for Harper, who lost his Forest of Dean constituency in Gloucestershire by less than 300 votes in July added that in his new position he hoped to contribute to internal Conservative party debates around how to be competitive again and "hopefully win the next general election".Labour's Debbonaire, defeated by the Green Party in Bristol Central, expressed a similar desire to immerse herself in her new role, calling it an "incredible privilege"."It wasn't a hard decision, primarily because I went into politics because I believe in public service, like most politicians of all parties," she said. "It was a new way to serve the public, which is your first and primary duty." She added: "Bringing my skills to work on a daily basis is really, I think, of benefit to my service to the public and the country."Critics have pointed to Debbonaire's previous criticism of the honours system and Labour's former committal to abolishing the House of Debbonaire said that a second chamber was necessary, and the government was following through on commitments to remove hereditary and Debbonaire join another familiar face who has recently taken his seat in the chamber, Bristol's former Mayor, Marvin known as Lord Rees of Easton, the new Labour peer made his maiden speech on 3 are all back in the political fray, spending time in the House debating and voting, but also having other roles elsewhere.
Metro
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Metro
Uber says it's ready to put robotaxis on UK roads by 2027
Uber says it is ready to bring us driverless taxis as soon as they get the green light. The UK government originally planned to let autonomous vehicles loose on the roads by 2026, but has now pushed back the date by a year. It means that by 2027, getting a cab could soon be very different: much less chatty, for example, unless the speakers are wired up to Grok (which might actually happen in a Tesla, to be fair). Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility at Uber, told the BBC: We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us.' Uber already operates driverless taxis in the US, China, the UAE and Singapore, so this is not just some futuristic 'one day'. It won't just be a surprise when one shows up on the kerb. Users will see the robotaxi appear as an option when they try to hail a ride, so getting one is opt-in. This is important, because many users are still uncomfortable with the idea of a self-driving car, fearing that it could malfunction, or simply preferring the human touch. Would you hail a driverless Uber? Unfortunately for customers, although there is no driver to pay,for the moment the fare is still the same. Their typical schedule is 20 hours a day, every day of the week, as they only need to stop for charging and maintenance. Ubers said they work with 18 automated car tech companies, which include Wayve. Self-driving vehicles had been set to be on roads by 2026, with the Automated Vehicles Act becoming law. But the Department of Transport has now said they will implement the legislation in the second half of 2027. The government has said road safety 'is at the heart of the legislation, with automated vehicles expected to improve road safety by reducing human error'. But there are legal issues to iron out, including who is responsible if a self-driving car causes an accident. While they may be safer, they are far from foolproof: last week, Waymo, an American ride-hailing company owned by Google's Alphabet, announced it had recalled over 1,000 of its driverless cars after more than two dozen minor crashes. More Trending The recall notice says their software 'may cause the vehicles to collide with certain roadway barriers, such as chains and gates', though no injuries had so far been reported. Once the UK has driveless cars on the roads, the government believes it could 'unlock opportunities for those who currently can't drive', as well as create 38,000 more skilled jobs by 2035. Mark Harper, then Transport Secretary, said last year: 'Britain stands at the threshold of an automotive revolution and this new law is a milestone moment for our self-driving industry, which has the potential to change the way we travel forever.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Uber has innovated so hard… they invented a bus' MORE: Robot 'goes berserk' and starts flailing arms and legs during demo MORE: Uber makes major change to how customers pay for rides in UK first
Scottish Sun
13-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Urgent warning to drivers using ‘ghost plates' to dodge speed cameras with £100 fine to be enforced
New tech rolled out as councils target rising ghost plate trend MOTOR CRACKDOWN Urgent warning to drivers using 'ghost plates' to dodge speed cameras with £100 fine to be enforced Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DRIVERS are being warned they could face £100 fines as councils crack down on so-called 'ghost plates'—illegal number plates intended to evade speed and bus lane cameras. These plates often use reflective or obscuring materials to avoid detection by traffic enforcement systems. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Drivers caught using ghost plates can expect to be hit with a £100 fine Credit: Getty Images - Getty In Wandsworth, council chiefs are taking action to shut down the loophole. These banned plates, often referred to as 3D or 4D plates, reflect camera flashes and can render a vehicle invisible to enforcement systems. Council bosses have issued a stark warning about rogue motorists using 'ghost plates' to avoid detection. These plates, which are not legal for road use, are being used by some drivers to beat traffic rules and avoid fines. Authorities are now ramping up efforts to stop them. Two years ago, the head of the national Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system revealed that a shocking number of drivers – roughly one in 15 – could easily outsmart the system. On leaving his post, Professor Fraser Sampson wrote to Transport Secretary Mark Harper expressing his frustration over the lack of government action on the issue. To combat the problem, new cameras capable of spotting these 'stealth' number plates have been rolled out in some areas. In Wolverhampton, local enforcement officers were equipped with upgraded technology during a strict clampdown last year. Drivers caught using ghost plates can expect to be hit with a £100 fine. In his letter to Mark Harper, Prof Sampson detailed how motorists were getting around the law using reflective materials, cloned plates, and other deceptive tools to avoid penalties for speeding, low-emission zone breaches, or bus lane violations. According to Prof Sampson, the ANPR system has a 97 per cent success rate in reading plates but still produces 2.4 million incorrect readings daily. That margin of error could mean innocent drivers end up being wrongly fined. Prof Sampson has raised major concerns about the vulnerability of the system, which still depends heavily on readable number plates despite advances in technology. He said: "For all its technological advancement and operational indispensability, the ANPR system still relies ultimately on a piece of plastic affixed to either end of a vehicle. "Served by a wholly unregulated market, what my predecessor termed the humble number plate represents a single and readily assailable point of failure with the ANPR network being easily defeated by the manufacture and sale of stealth plates, cloned registration marks and other rudimentary obscurant tactics." He added: "The result is that the ability to frustrate the ANPR system remains staggeringly simple at a time when proper reliance on it for key public services such as policing, law enforcement and traffic management is increasing daily." What to do if you think you're being scammed The DVLA recommends you do the following: Forward suspicious emails to report@ and The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will investigate it. Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 as this will flag the potential scam to your phone provider. Report scam or misleading adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority. You can report adverts found online, including in search engines, websites or on social media. You can also report scam or misleading adverts to Google or Bing if you found them in search results Contact Action Fraud if you think you've lost money or been hacked because of an online scam or fraud and you're in England or Wales. If you're in Scotland and you've lost money because of an online scam or fraud, report the crime to Police Scotland.
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Urgent warning to drivers using ‘ghost plates' to dodge speed cameras with £100 fine to be enforced
DRIVERS are being warned they could face £100 fines as councils crack down on so-called 'ghost plates'—illegal number plates intended to evade speed and bus lane cameras. These plates often use reflective or obscuring materials to avoid detection by 2 Drivers caught using ghost plates can expect to be hit with a £100 fine Credit: Getty Images - Getty In Wandsworth, council chiefs are taking action to shut down the loophole. These banned plates, often referred to as 3D or 4D plates, reflect camera flashes and can render a vehicle invisible to enforcement systems. Council bosses have issued a stark warning about rogue motorists using ' These plates, which are not legal for road use, are being used by some drivers to beat Read more on Motors Authorities are now ramping up efforts to stop them. Two years ago, the head of the national Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system revealed that a shocking number of drivers – roughly one in 15 – could easily outsmart the system. On leaving his post, Professor Fraser Sampson wrote to Transport Secretary Mark Harper expressing his frustration over the lack of government action on the issue. To combat the problem, new cameras capable of spotting these 'stealth' number plates have been rolled out in some areas. Most read in Motors In Wolverhampton, local enforcement officers were equipped with upgraded technology during a strict clampdown last year. Drivers caught using ghost plates can expect to be hit with a £100 fine. In his letter to Mark Harper, Prof Sampson detailed how motorists were getting around the law using reflective materials, cloned plates, and other deceptive tools to avoid penalties for speeding, low-emission zone breaches, or bus lane violations. According to Prof Sampson, the ANPR system has a 97 per cent success rate in reading plates but still produces 2.4 million incorrect readings daily. That margin of error could mean innocent drivers end up being wrongly fined. Prof Sampson has raised major concerns about the vulnerability of the system, which still depends heavily on readable number plates despite advances in technology. He said: "For all its technological advancement and operational indispensability, the ANPR system still relies ultimately on a piece of plastic affixed to either end of a vehicle. "Served by a wholly unregulated market, what my predecessor termed the humble number plate represents a single and readily assailable point of failure with the ANPR network being easily defeated by the manufacture and sale of stealth plates, cloned registration marks and other rudimentary obscurant tactics." He added: "The result is that the ability to frustrate the ANPR system remains staggeringly simple at a time when proper reliance on it for key public services such as policing, law enforcement and traffic management is increasing daily." What to do if you think you're being scammed The DVLA recommends you do the following: Forward suspicious emails to report@ and The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will investigate it. Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 as this will flag the potential scam to your phone provider. Report scam or misleading adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority. You can report adverts found online, including in search engines, websites or on social media. You can also report scam or misleading adverts to Google or Bing if you found them in search results Contact Action Fraud if you think you've lost money or been hacked because of an online scam or fraud and you're in England or Wales. If you're in Scotland and you've lost money because of an online scam or fraud, report the crime to Police Scotland. 2 In Wandsworth, council chiefs are taking action to shut down the loophole Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Drivers warned as action taken to close 'ghost plate' speed camera loophole
Ghost number plates - which are illegal - reflect camera flashes and can make cars invisible to speed cameras and bus lane cameras. They are also referred to as 3D or 4D plates Council bosses have issued a stark warning about rogue motorists using 'ghost plates' to dodge speed cameras. These illegal plates, which reflect camera flashes, render cars invisible to speed and bus lane cameras. Also referred to as 3D or 4D plates, authorities are now ramping up efforts to close this loophole. Two years ago, the head of our national Automatic Number Plate Recognition system revealed that a shocking number of drivers – roughly one in 15 – can easily fool the system. On his departure Professor Fraser Sampson wrote a letter to Transport Secretary Mark Harper expressing his disappointment at the lack of action against these simple yet effective tactics. To tackle this problem, councils have been given new cameras capable of identifying these elusive number plates. In Wolverhampton, local wardens were equipped with this advanced technology as part of a strict enforcement campaign last year. Offenders can anticipate a £100 fine for such violations, reports Wales Online. In his letter to Mark Harper, Prof Sampson detailed how individuals were dodging fines by cloning number plates, using reflective tape and purchasing 'stealth plates', thereby evading charges for speeding or entering low-emission zones. According to Prof Sampson, the system boasts a 97% accuracy rate in reading number plates but can still generate 2.4 million incorrect readings daily. This could lead to innocent drivers being erroneously fined. Prof Sampson has raised concerns about the vulnerability of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, which despite its technological sophistication, still depends on a vehicle's number plate. He remarked: "For all its technological advancement and operational indispensability, the ANPR system still relies ultimately on a piece of plastic affixed to either end of a vehicle. "Served by a wholly unregulated market, what my predecessor termed the humble number plate represents a single and readily assailable point of failure with the ANPR network being easily defeated by the manufacture and sale of stealth plates, cloned registration marks and other rudimentary obscurant tactics." He further warned: "The result is that the ability to frustrate the ANPR system remains staggeringly simple at a time when proper reliance on it for key public services such as policing, law enforcement and traffic management is increasing daily." Additionally, he pointed out the potential for abuse, saying: "Emission zones and other strategic traffic enforcement schemes put motorists in situations where they have to make significant financial choices and it is at least arguable that the incentives for some to 'game' the ANPR systems have never been greater." Prof Sampson pointed out straightforward evasion strategies: "Merely by applying reflective tape to distort part of a registration plate or purchasing stealth plates from online vendors, motorists can confuse and confound current number plate recognition technology and both of these are easily obtainable." A recent estimate suggested that one in fifteen drivers may already be using anti-ANPR technology; it is reasonable to expect this behaviour to increase as the reliance on ANPR for new traffic management schemes continues."
