Transport | LocalGov


Cambridgeshire fined £6m after busway fatalities 17/04/2025 Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6m for health and safety breaches which resulted in three fatalities on its guided busway.
Local transport in Wales gets £110m boost 11/04/2025 The Welsh Government has announced an investment of £110m to boost local transport.
Government backs £30m Doncaster airport investment 10/04/2025 The Government has backed the decision by the South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard to invest £30m to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
6,000 EV chargers to be rolled out in Brighton 07/04/2025 More than 6,000 electric vehicle chargers are set to be rolled out across Brighton and Hove in what is said to be the largest project of its kind in the UK.
One-year £28m 'capacity and capability' grant allocated 01/04/2025 The Department for Transport has announced allocations from a one-year grant of around £28m to enable local transport authorities to build 'capacity'.
Bus franchising no ‘panacea’, warn Welsh council chiefs 31/03/2025 Council chiefs in Wales have welcomed plans to transform the way local bus services are planned and delivered but cautioned that its rollout will take time.
TfL bans non-folded e-bikes on network 26/03/2025 Transport for London (TfL) has announced a ban on all non-folded e-bikes on parts of London’s transport network due to the fire risk.
PAC: Inequalities risk being ‘baked into’ charge point roll-out 12/03/2025 Regional divides and inequalities risk being ‘baked into’ the roll-out of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, MPs have warned.
DfT throws Norfolk – and Shropshire – a lifeline 05/03/2025 The Department for Transport (DfT) has said it will not ask Norfolk County Council to return £33m funding towards its shelved £274m link road.
Council chiefs call for £452m for free bus passes 05/03/2025 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to plug the nearly half a billion pound shortfall caused by the funding of free bus passes.
Brighton ditches electric buses for diesel 20/02/2025 Brighton and Hove City Council, which has pledged that the region will be carbon neutral by 20230, has ditched electric buses in favour of diesel power.
‘Britain’s wonkiest road’ set to reopen 18/02/2025 A Wiltshire road that was labelled Britain’s wonkiest after it was broken up in a landslip should reopen this spring, the local authority has said.
Bike space rules could undermine development, Khan told 18/02/2025 The Mayor of London has been warned that current cycle storage requirements for offices could undermine the viability of new developments.
£300m active travel funding allocated 14/02/2025 The Government has confirmed £291m for active travel over the next two years as well as reforms to Active Travel England's (ATE) local funding model.
Questions emerge over frequency of flyover inspections 03/02/2025 A flyover which has been closed due to concerns about the safety of a concrete pillar had not been inspected weekly, despite claims to the contrary.
London drivers receiving invalid fines, AA finds 22/01/2025 Research by the AA has revealed that authorities in London have been issuing drivers with invalid penalty charge notices (PCNs).
Electric buggy pilot launched in London borough 21/01/2025 A pilot scheme allowing residents to hire electric buggies has been launched in the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in an effort to combat traffic congestion.
PAC brands local roads a ‘national embarrassment’ 16/01/2025 MPs have called England’s local roads a ‘national embarrassment’ and slammed the Department for Transport (DfT) for not taking its responsibility for the issue seriously enough.
Campaign groups band together to call for ‘strict’ new rules on LTNs 15/01/2025 Fifteen campaign groups have joined forces for the first time to call for ‘strict’ new rules for councils seeking to introduce low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).
Bus cuts led to a billion more miles by car in 2023 07/01/2025 Cuts to bus provision in England led to an estimated 1.1 billion extra miles driven by cars and taxis in 2023 alone, according to new research.
Manchester makes history with bus franchising 06/01/2025 All of Greater Manchester's bus services have come under local public control following the completion of the combined authority’s phased implementation of a new franchising system.
Legal action launched against controversial Cambridgeshire bus road 06/01/2025 Campaigners have launched a legal challenge against a proposed Cambridgeshire bus route arguing it threatens environmentally significant areas.
‘Negative narrative’ on cycling harming health, travel boss warns 02/01/2025 Anti-cycling coverage in parts of the media is damaging public health, according to Chris Boardman, who leads government efforts to boost active travel in England.
Council launches on-demand bus service 24/12/2024 Leicestershire County Council is set to launch a new on-demand bus service in Melton Mowbray during the first week of 2025.
Christmas Day bus services set to hit record high 23/12/2024 The number of bus and coach services operating on Christmas Day this year is expected to hit a record high of 100,000.
Quarter of extra pothole cash to be held back 20/12/2024 Ministers have confirmed an extra £500m for local road maintenance in England next year, but a quarter of the cash will be held back on the basis of an incentive process that has yet to be worked out.
EV chargepoints ‘on track’ for 2030 goal but challenges remain 13/12/2024 The UK is on track to reach 300,000 public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints by 2030, the national public spending watchdog has found.
UK’s second ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout opens 10/12/2024 A roundabout that gives priority to cyclists and pedestrians has opened in Sheffield.
Birmingham seeks approval for default 20mph limit 02/12/2024 Birmingham City Council has asked the Government to allow it to introduce a default 20mph speed limit.
Major Road Network identified as 'road safety priority' 26/11/2024 The crash rate on major local authority roads in England is four times that on National Highways’ strategic road network (SRN), a new report has found.
CCTV trial launches at London bus stops 25/11/2024 Transport for London (TfL) has launched a trial of CCTV at 20 bus shelters across the capital in a bid to improve safety, particularly for women and girls.
Home-to-school transport costs hit £2.3bn 21/11/2024 County council chiefs have called for a ‘system-wide approach’ to tackling escalating home-to-school transport costs.
Councillors demand action over ship with explosive material 19/11/2024 The decision to allow the MV Ruby, a ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, to return to Great Yarmouth was ‘unacceptable’, councillors warn.
ShuttleID launches 90-day free trial for local authorities 18/11/2024 ShuttleID, the digital school bus pass platform, has launched a new package designed specifically for use with local authorities.
Haigh: Bus services to get £1bn boost 18/11/2024 Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has announced nearly £1bn in funding for bus services across the UK.
Rural transport schemes win £1.2m 06/11/2024 Eight small businesses from across the UK have won a share of £1.2m to improve transport in rural areas.
Planning policy fails to cut car reliance 06/11/2024 A national planning objective to promote sustainable transport has failed to reduce car reliance in new housing developments, research has revealed.
Edinburgh urged to consider drug testing amid HGV safety concerns 31/10/2024 ‘Strong concerns around the potential use of alcohol or drugs while driving’ have emerged in a report into the safety of City of Edinburgh Council’s heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
Council to phase out petrol taxis 31/10/2024 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has set out proposals to phase out the licensing of petrol and diesel taxis.
Budget: Chancellor targets local growth with transport spend 30/10/2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced extra transport cash for regional mayors, but departmental spending remains tight.
Budget: Reeves announces £500m for potholes 30/10/2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced an extra £500m a year for local roads maintenance from next year and an ‘interim’ settlement for the national network to keep strategic projects moving.
Bus fare cap stays for 2025 – at £3 per journey 29/10/2024 Bus fares across the country will rise in the new year as part of a ‘managed exit’ from the £2 fare cap.
Just one in five pothole damage claims successful 17/10/2024 Just one in five claims for pothole-related damage to a vehicle were successful in the past year, research has revealed.
Rutland rolls out £100k charge point pilot 11/10/2024 Rutland County Council has secured over £100,000 to fund a pilot project that will see a minimum of 23 charge points installed across the county.
Bus operator announces £500m electric bus deal 08/10/2024 Bus operator Go Ahead has announced a major £500m investment to deliver more than 1,000 UK-made electric buses.
Pothole-related breakdowns jump by 10,000 07/10/2024 The number of pothole-related breakdowns has increased by 10,000 compared to last year, according to the AA Pothole Index.
Council apologises for flawed approach to travel support 04/10/2024 Sandwell Council has apologised after the local government Ombudsman found flaws in the way it considered a family’s application for travel support.
Brighton cuts parking fees to attract drivers 30/09/2024 Brighton and Hove City Council is set to slash parking fees in bid to attract more drivers and boost income.
Manchester parking fees highest in UK 26/09/2024 Drivers entering Manchester could face an annual fee of up to £538 for parking permits in 2024, the highest in the UK, according to new research.
Mayors back Jamie Oliver’s call to ban junk-food advertising 25/09/2024 Nine UK mayors have signed up to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s campaign to ban junk-food advertising.
Welsh council cuts free transport to English-language schools 20/09/2024 A Welsh council has made broad cuts to its school transport provision – with some only affecting children taught in English.
No plans for Manchester CAZ despite illegal pollution 19/09/2024 Greater Manchester has created a new clean air strategy with no plans to charge drivers of polluting vehicles, despite a legal direction to reduce air pollution as quickly as possible.
Ministers back Khan to pedestrianise Oxford Street 17/09/2024 The mayor of London has unveiled government-backed plans to pedestrianise the capital's most famous shopping street.
Mayors announce Manchester-Birmingham railway line 13/09/2024 Plans for a railway line improving connections between Birmingham and Manchester ‘at a fraction of the costs’ of the northern leg of HS2 have been announced.
Devolution key to net zero transition, think-tank says 10/09/2024 Devolving powers to cities will be critical to the Government achieving its net zero goals, a think-tank has argued.
Haigh: Councils to be empowered in ‘bus revolution’ 09/09/2024 Local transport authorities are to be given the powers to take control of bus services under legislation being laid before Parliament today.
Brent threatens cycle hire firm with eviction 05/09/2024 Brent Council has threatened the cycle hire firm Lime with eviction due to safety concerns regarding its e-bikes.
Northern leaders form new partnership 05/09/2024 A partnership has been launched between mayors and council leaders representing non-mayoral areas in the North of England.
Gough: Local government under water 04/09/2024 ‘Big changes' to tackle the ‘structural problems' facing local government are needed to help councils survive but ‘priority' is devolution, Kent leader says.
Hampshire CC’s shortfall jumps to £175m 03/09/2024 Hampshire County Council’s projected overall financial shortfall has jumped from £132m to at least £175m.
Cambridgeshire to plead guilty after busway deaths 03/09/2024 Cambridgeshire County Council will plead guilty to two health and safety offences after three people died in collisions on its guided busway.
Council grasps the nettle with ANPR cameras 30/08/2024 Rotherham Council is installing automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at five ‘key sites’ under new powers to enforce moving traffic offences.
Half of councils still without EV charging plan 29/08/2024 More than half of UK councils do not have an on-street residential charging strategy for electric vehicles (EVs), new research has found.
Devon County Council helps electrify one million miles of road 29/08/2024 Devon County Council’s network of public electric vehicle chargers have electrified over one million miles of road travel two years since installation.
Low emission zones generate £1bn 28/08/2024 Local authorities have generated more than £1bn from low emission, clean air and zero emission zones since April 2019, new research has revealed.
Huge variation in on-street EV charger provision 27/08/2024 A new report has revealed significant disparities between council areas in electric vehicle (EV) charging provision for EV owners without off-street parking.
Haigh: Councils should decide on traffic measures 22/08/2024 The transport secretary has pledged to back councils that implement low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph limits, with the new government ‘absolutely determined’ to end the Tories’ ‘culture wars’ approach to transport.
Councils accused of ‘penny pinching’ over transport 19/08/2024 A think-tank has accused councils of ‘penny pinching at the cost of older people’s wellbeing’ over public transport.
Suffolk announces electric car club trial 15/08/2024 A trial of electric community vehicles is set to launch in Suffolk next summer.
Liverpool warns 40,000 drivers caught by new cameras 14/08/2024 Liverpool City Council issued 40,000 warnings to drivers caught committing moving traffic violations by new cameras in the past six months.
Council drops defence of road closure 07/08/2024 Cambridgeshire County Council has agreed it will no longer defend a legal challenge of its decision to close a city road bridge to cars.
ULEZ working even better than expected, Khan says 26/07/2024 City Hall has said the controversial expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the whole of London is ‘working better than expected’.
Plans to boost Teesside Freeport vehicle and access approved 22/07/2024 Plans for new transport facilities to support the growing number of vehicles entering the Teesworks site on Teesside have been given the green light.
King's Speech: Labour to boost public control of buses and trains 17/07/2024 The King has confirmed that the new Government will bring forward legislation to bring bus and rail services more closely under public control, including public ownership of train operators.
King's Speech: Devolution takes centre stage 17/07/2024 The announcement of an English Devolution Bill took centre stage in the King's Speech.
Wales publishes 20mph guidance 17/07/2024 The Welsh Government has published guidance on reverting speed limits in built-up areas to 30mph, less than a year after introducing a default 20mph limit.
£1m boost to road patching in East Sussex 16/07/2024 East Sussex County Council has committed an extra £1m to road patching, but acknowledged it would cost more than £300m to bring all its roads up to scratch.
Brabin seeks public's views on tram plans 16/07/2024 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has launched a public consultation on options for two tram lines in the Leeds-Bradford area.
Highway leaders warn of ‘roadwork gridlock’ 15/07/2024 Nearly two thirds of local highway authority (LHA) leaders believe that we are headed for a road and street work crisis by 2030, new research has revealed.
Councillors back £88,000 parking revamp 12/07/2024 Unreliable parking ticket machines in Rugby will be replaced as part of the council’s mission to regenerate the town centre.
DfT begins ‘bus revolution’ 10/07/2024 The new transport secretary has confirmed that every local area will be able to take control of its buses through franchising or public ownership.
Council pays family £1,500 after school transport failure 04/07/2024 A family in Surrey has been paid £1,500 in compensation after the county council failed to provide school transport for a child with medical needs.
Leeds council proposes SEND transport overhaul 02/07/2024 Leeds City Council has proposed reducing transport support for post-16 learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Nine tonnes of bird poo removed from Tyne Bridge 27/06/2024 A multi-million pound revamp of the Tyne Bridge has seen nine tonnes of pigeon poo removed from the Grade II-listed structure.
TfL lets the wildflowers bloom 25/06/2024 Transport for London (TfL) says it has delivered its pledge of doubling wildflower verges in roadside areas to encourage biodiversity.
Oxford air pollution falls faster than across UK 25/06/2024 Air pollution in Oxford dropped quicker than the national average during the first full year of the city’s zero emission zone (ZEZ), but levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at two sites breached the legally binding limit.
Hampshire set to quit transport partnership 24/06/2024 Officers have recommended that Hampshire County Council withdraws from a transport partnership involving three other local authorities.
Wandsworth to ban riders ‘abandoning’ e-bikes in busy areas 24/06/2024 A London borough council has announced plans to ban riders leaving e-bikes on pavements in busy town centres.
Lib Dem £300m pothole pledge ‘won’t scratch the surface’ 20/06/2024 The Liberal Democrats have committed to spending £300m over the next Parliament to fill 1.2 million potholes a year.
Lack of funding hindering road safety, councils say 19/06/2024 Limited funding and inadequate data are major barriers to road safety planning and measurement, local authorities have reported.
Levelling up progress ‘glacial’, think tank says 19/06/2024 Progress on levelling up in England has been ‘glacial’ and – according to some metrics – inequality has got worse, a new analysis by the IFS has revealed.
Requests for driver details rise 18/06/2024 Councils and parking companies are increasingly requesting details about a car’s registered keeper, which allows them to fine drivers, according to a car sales firm.
Council has ‘no plans’ to cancel fines despite error 17/06/2024 Fines issued to drivers for using bus lanes will not be revoked despite containing a mistake, Southwark Council has said.
£23m extension sees ‘iconic’ trams return to Blackpool station 13/06/2024 Passenger trams have been connected to Blackpool’s main rail station for the first time in more than 60 years.
Councils looking after record 576k children with SEND 13/06/2024 Local authorities are looking after record numbers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), council chiefs warn.
Labour pledges to fix one million potholes 12/06/2024 One million potholes a year will be fixed if Labour are elected on 4 July, the shadow transport secretary says.
Conservatives pledge business rates retention expansion 11/06/2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to create business rates retention zones as he launched the Conservatives’ General Election manifesto today.
Council to consider Uber return after six-year ban 10/06/2024 Councillors in York will discuss whether to license Uber to operate in the city after refusing to renew the firm’s licence six years ago.
Tories announce plan to scrap outer London Ulez 10/06/2024 The Conservatives plan to scrap outer London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) if re-elected, Transport Sectary Mark Harper revealed over the weekend.
Half of cyclists say road conditions are dangerous 10/06/2024 A major local government insurer has warned that months of rain may have caused ‘some of the worst ever road conditions’.