Tag: Department for Transport

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 10 May 2023.

Legislation change allowing longer lorries and longer semi-trailers on roads will save 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the air.

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

Legislation will be laid today (10 May 2023) to safely roll out the vehicles on roads from 31 May. 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.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said:

Everyone around the country depends on our haulage sector for their everyday needs – from loo rolls to sausage rolls – and a strong, resilient supply chain is key to the government’s priority to grow the economy.

These new longer lorries will make a big difference for British businesses like Greggs, who will see 15% more baked goods delivered, from tasty pastries to the nation’s much-loved sausage rolls.

It’s fantastic to see this change for our supply chain come into law, resulting in a near £1.4 billion boost to the haulage industry and driving economic growth. Let the good times roll as we reduce congestion, lower emissions and enhance the safety of British roads.

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.

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.

Government’s 33 actions to support Britain’s haulage sector include:

• £52.5 million will be given to improve roadside facilities for lorry drivers
• making 11,000 HGV driver training places available through skills bootcamps
• boosting the number of HGV driver tests
• launching our Future of Freight plan to encourage millions of people to kickstart an exciting career in logistics

As a result, new HGV drivers are taking and passing their driving test in record numbers.

Between March 2022 and May 2022, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carried out 29,384 HGV tests, which is 54% more than the same period in 2019.

Chris Yarsley, Senior Policy Manager at Logistics UK said:

The introduction of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) into general service will increase the scope and scale of the goods which our industry is able to transport, increasing efficiencies and reducing the environmental impact of delivering for the UK’s economy.

Over the past few years of the trial, our members have proved that LSTs provide operators with a cost-efficient, environmentally prudent alternative to conventional vehicles and our members remain committed to rolling them out across the wider industry as soon as possible.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 5 May 2023.

Dipesh Shah, who helped oversee the second road investment strategy, will step down from his role at the end of the year.

Dipesh Shah OBE has announced today (5 May 2023) that he will be leaving his role as Chair of National Highways at the end of his current term of office later this year.

National Highways operates and maintains the 4,500-mile strategic road network.

Dipesh was appointed Chair in September 2020 to help oversee the delivery of the second road investment strategy, as well as supporting a range of key strategic initiatives for the government-owned company.

During this time, Dipesh has worked closely with the National Highways executive and board as well as ministers and officials from the Department for Transport (DfT) to help transform this vital piece of national infrastructure.

DfT will begin the process to recruit a new Chair soon.

Commenting on the announcement, Dipesh said:

I have been privileged and honoured to serve as Chair at National Highways, which plays such a pivotal role in connecting communities across England.

We have achieved much during my tenure and I am grateful to everyone involved with National Highways for their welcome and support.

I advised the Secretary of State for Transport of my plans earlier this year and I will continue to work with colleagues at National Highways to deliver our goals during the remainder of my time as Chair.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

I would like to thank Dipesh for his work as Chair of National Highways over the past 3 years.

Ministers and officials in the Department for Transport have enjoyed working with Dipesh and appreciated his collaborative approach. I wish him the best of luck in his next steps.

Over the second road period from 2020 to 2025, National Highways expects to have sustained up to 64,000 jobs in the construction industry and added £27 billion to the economy, mainly via a £10.5 billion programme to improve the network.

Ten major improvement schemes have been completed since 2020 while 23 are under construction and 25 are in the development phase, helping to improve safety and journey reliability. The company has also outlined a new vision to cut carbon emissions on the network to net zero, as well as progressing towards its target of a 50% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured by 2025.

Nick Harris, National Highways Chief Executive, said:

I would like to thank Dipesh for his dedication and support during his time as Chair. His contribution has always been extremely valuable in helping shape and drive our priorities.

Dipesh’s fixed 3-year tenure is due to end in August. He has agreed a short extension to his current term with the Secretary of State for Transport – taking him up to the end of the year if required – while his successor is recruited.

Dipesh has enjoyed a highly successful career in both the public and private sectors and will be continuing with his other Chair roles outside National Highways as well as taking on additional responsibilities.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 4 May 2023.

At a recent public inquiry, PSV operator Thandi Red Ltd were found to have failed to comply with the Public Service Vehicles (Open Data) (England) Regulations 2020, in particular having failed to provide location data for the vehicles operating the registered services.

The Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands, Miles Dorrington, imposed a financial penalty under section 155 of the Transport Act 2000 of £1500, based on a £100 penalty for each of the vehicles authorised on the operator’s licence.

This case is one of the first referred to a traffic commissioner that includes a failure to comply with regulations that have required data to be provided since 2021. Operators of local services should ensure they meet all obligations in running local services and seek the help from the BODS Helpdesk who can be contacted at:

Email: bodshelpdesk@kpmg.co.uk​

Phone: 0800 028 0930​

The traffic commissioner also considered serious matters related to the maintenance arrangements of the company and said “The repute of the operator is badly tarnished and that of the transport manager is hanging by a thread.” as he reduced the authorisation of the operator’s licence from 20 vehicles to 15 vehicles for 14 days.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 3 May 2023.

Jo Shanmugalingam brings significant experience from across government departments.

The Department for Transport (DfT) Permanent Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has today (3 May 2023) announced that Jo Shanmugalingam, currently a Director General at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), has been appointed as the new Second Permanent Secretary at DfT.

The Second Permanent Secretary, appointed following an open competition, will provide leadership of a number of high-profile areas across DfT, including decarbonising transport, and will start formally at the end of May.

Jo is currently Director General for Science, Innovation and Growth at DSIT. Since taking up this role in 2019, she has led on:

• the government’s overall investment and policy strategy to maximise the value of research and development on the economy and society
• the government’s support for small businesses, including the debt and equity schemes to support small and medium-sized enterprises through the pandemic
• some of the key sectors and technologies of the future

Having previously served as Strategy Director at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), as part of a job-share with Susannah Storey, and Director of Corporate Effectiveness at the Ministry of Defence, Jo started her career at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). She spent 6 years at the Shareholder Executive – now UK Government Investments (UKGI) – where she was responsible for taking the legislation to privatise Royal Mail through Parliament and for the government’s shareholder interests in businesses including National Air Traffic Services Ltd, Post Office Ltd and Ordnance Survey.

Throughout her career, Jo has worked alongside DfT colleagues from air traffic control to industrial strategy and now space launch and regulation.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

I am delighted to be welcoming Jo, who brings a wealth of experience from across government departments. I look forward to working with her to improve transport right across the country, including leading on delivering some of our top ambitions like decarbonisation and levelling up.

Permanent Secretary for the Department for Transport Bernadette Kelly said:

Jo’s appointment is great news for the department – she has demonstrated outstanding skills in leading the government’s work on science and innovation. In this new role, I know she will bring momentum and energy during what is an exciting time for DfT.

Jo Shanmugalingam said:

I’m proud to be appointed Second Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport and to be working with teams who have been delivering important work to keep the country moving during challenging times.

It will be a privilege to help drive forward the government’s work to decarbonise and level up transport for the travelling public.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 27 April 2023.

Councils in England mandated to use a national database that records taxi drivers who have had their licences removed for misconduct.

New measures will safeguard passengers and crack down on unfit taxi and PHV drivers, with tighter checks introduced across local authorities.

Building on existing legislation, councils in England will now be mandated to use a national database to record instances where taxi and PHV drivers have their licences removed for misconduct. This new law will prevent them from simply reapplying for a licence in other areas by alerting the system to concerns about their prior behaviour.

This will ensure passengers can use taxis and PHVs with greater confidence that these modes of transport are safe, helping to strengthen communities and restore pride in towns and high streets across the country.

While the vast majority of taxi and private hire trips are safe and efficient, there have been a small number of reports linking a minority of drivers to incidents of sexual harassment, abuse and poor driving.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

The safety of passengers, especially women and girls, is paramount. That’s why I’m bringing in tough new measures to ensure that when you catch a cab, you can be confident your driver will take you from A to B safely and without incident.

While the vast majority of drivers are hardworking and honest, we’re taking steps to remove the few who abuse their position and pose a risk to passengers.

The step will bring into full force the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safety and Road Safety) Act 2022 and is being backed by the family of Sian O’Callaghan, who was tragically murdered by a PHV driver in Swindon in 2011, aged 22. Her family has since been campaigning for tougher measures to protect passengers.

Sian’s family said:

To see this law being implemented and rolled out today across all local authorities is testament to Sian. It was in her nature to help others and this means so much to us personally.

Her name is now linked to a drastic improvement in passengers’ safety within taxis and PHVs, while also better protecting hard-working, law-abiding drivers themselves.

The act, introduced last year, was spearheaded by Darlington MP Peter Gibson and has been supported by Ms O’Callaghan’s family and the personal safety charity, Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Suky Bhaker, CEO, Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said:

We welcome today’s announcement of tighter checks on drivers as an important milestone in steps to achieve this. It is vital that licensing authorities have access to all relevant information to decide if a driver meets licensing safety requirements.

The existing database is already used voluntarily by some local authorities, but only 74% of councils in England are using it.

From today (27 April 2023), use of the database will be compulsory for every driver licence application and the Department for Transport will monitor its use closely. Councils that fail to do the necessary checks could face legal action.

Hosted by the National Anti-Fraud Network, the system records all instances where taxi and PHV driver licences have been refused, suspended or revoked on either safeguarding or road safety grounds.

Improving information-sharing between licensing authorities prevents drivers who could do harm from getting a licence elsewhere without being challenged.

Steve Wright MBE, Chair of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, said:

This measure will help join up enforcement and compliance nationally between licensing authorities to prevent the unacceptable movement from one authority to another of those who are unfit to be in the sector.

The benefits of the database are already clear to licensing authorities using the system. In Luton, the platform revealed an applicant who previously had their licence removed due to safeguarding concerns. Despite the driver failing to disclose this in their application, the system ensured the licensing authority was aware and the request was rejected as a result.

Elsewhere, the database prevented a driver who had previously assaulted another taxi driver in Southampton from regaining a licence in Winchester.

Today’s announcement forms part of the government’s commitment to support survivors and prioritise, prevent and strengthen the pursuit of those who abuse their position of trust. Alongside the new Grooming Gangs Taskforce to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, this measure will weed out unfit drivers and safeguard passengers who rely on these services.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 April 2023.

Some vehicle testing and enforcement services might be affected by strike action at times during April 2023, May 2023 and June 2023.

Some Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) and Prospect unions are planning to take strike action during April 2023, May 2023 and June 2023. This includes:

• vehicle standards assessors
• specialist vehicle standards assessors
• traffic examiners
• vehicle examiners

The strike action is part of national industrial action by the PCS and Prospect unions over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.

When the strike will be held

The strikes will affect different parts of Great Britain at different times.

Dates	Areas affected	Unions taking strike action
Monday 17 April and Tuesday 18 April	North-east England and Scotland	PCS
Thursday 20 April and Friday 21 April	North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber	PCS
Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April	East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London	PCS
Thursday 27 April	London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales	PCS
Friday 28 April	All areas of Great Britain	PCS
Wednesday 10 May	All areas of Great Britain	Prospect
Wednesday 7 June	All areas of Great Britain	Prospect

The strike action on Wednesday 10 May and Wednesday 7 June 2023 is likely to affect DVSA’s vehicle services including:

• MOTs for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and trailers
• MOT demonstration tests (specialist tests for people qualifying as an MOT tester)
• vehicle approval tests

DVSA does not expect the strike action on other days to affect MOTs for HGVs, buses and trailers, but will not know for certain until the strike action takes place.

MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles

MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles are not affected by the strike action. They will be taking place as planned.

Services for MOT testers

If you’re an MOT tester with an MOT demonstration test booked on the dates of the strike action, you should still go for your appointment, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.

Not all vehicle examiners are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

DVSA will automatically rearrange your demonstration test if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

MOTs for HGVs, buses and trailers

You should go to your vehicle test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action.

Not all DVSA staff are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

If your MOT cannot go ahead

You will need to book another appointment with an MOT centre if your test cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

Find an MOT centre for HGVs, buses and trailers.

Tell DVSA if you cannot book a new test if both of these apply to you:

• you have contacted your local test centres and have been unable to book a test
• your MOT expires this month or has already expired

Report that you cannot book an HGV, bus or trailer MOT.

If you manage an ATF

Contact your network business manager if a vehicle standards assessor has not attended your site within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.

To help customers with a test booked, DVSA encourages you to contact them directly once you know if their test will be affected.

Vehicle approval tests

You should go to your vehicle approval test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.

Not all specialist vehicle standards assessors are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

If your vehicle approval test cannot go ahead DVSA will automatically rebook your vehicle approval test for you if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

You’ll be sent the new details. You do not need to contact DVSA.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 April 2023.

Some driving tests might be affected by strike action at times during April 2023.

Some driving examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are planning to take strike action at times during April 2023.

The strike action is part of national industrial action by the PCS union over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.

What types of tests might be affected

The strike action might affect:

• car driving tests
• motorcycle tests
• lorry, bus, coach and minibus driving tests (these are known as vocational tests)
• tractor or specialist vehicle driving tests
• approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 (driving ability) or part 3 (instructional ability) tests
• ADI standards checks
• moped and motorcycle compulsory basic training (CBT) checks – but not the training courses themselves

The strike action will not affect theory tests.

Driving tests with private test providers

Your test will not be affected by the strike action if you’re taking it with a private test provider. This includes some:

• Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) part 3a (off-road exercise) tests
• Driver CPC part 4 (practical demonstration) tests

When the strikes will be held

The strikes will affect driving test centres in different parts of Great Britain at different times.

Dates	Areas affected
Monday 17 April and Tuesday 18 April	North-east England and Scotland
Thursday 20 April and Friday 21 April	North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber
Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April	East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London
Thursday 27 April	London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales
Friday 28 April	All areas of Great Britain

Check which driving test centres are affected

The PCS union has told DVSA the strike action will affect driving examiners employed at the driving test centres listed on this page.

Tests might also be affected at other driving test centres that are not listed. DVSA will not know this until the day of the strike action.

North-east England and Scotland

These areas include these test centres:

Aberdeen North, Aberdeen South (Cove), Airdrie, Ayr, Bishopbriggs, Blyth, Darlington, Darlington LGV, Dumfries, Dundee, Durham, Edinburgh (Currie), Edinburgh (Musselburgh), Elgin, Gateshead, Glasgow (Anniesland), Glasgow (Baillieston), Glasgow (Shieldhall), Gosforth, Grangemouth, Greenock, Hamilton, Hartlepool, Inverness (Seafield Road), Irvine, Kilmarnock LGV, Kirkcaldy, Livingston, Middlesborough, Paisley, Perth (Arran Road), Peterhead, Stirling and Sunderland.

Tests at other driving test centres in these areas might also be affected.

North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber

These areas include these test centres:

Atherton (Manchester), Barnsley, Barrow In Furness, Beverley LGV, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton (Manchester), Bradford (Heaton), Bradford (Thornbury), Bredbury (Manchester), Bridlington, Bury (Manchester), Carlisle, Carlisle LGV, Chadderton, Cheetham Hill (Manchester), Chester, Chorley, Crewe, Doncaster, Grimsby Coldwater, Halifax, Heckmondwike, Heysham, Horsforth, Huddersfield, Hull, Kendal (Oxenholme Road), Knaresborough, Leeds, Macclesfield, Nelson, Norris Green (Liverpool), Northallerton, Pontefract, Preston, Rochdale (Manchester), Rotherham, Sale (Manchester), Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Sheffield (Handsworth), Sheffield (Middlewood Road), Southport (Liverpool), Speke (Liverpool), St Helens (Liverpool), Steeton, Upton, Wakefield, Wallasey, Walton LGV, Warrington, West Didsbury (Manchester), Widnes (Liverpool), Workington and York.

Tests at other driving test centres in these areas might also be affected.

East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London

These areas include these test centres:

Ashfield, Barking (Tanner Street), Barnet (London), Basildon, Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Kings Heath), Birmingham (Kingstanding), Birmingham (Shirley), Birmingham (South Yardley), Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield), Bishops Stortford, Borehamwood (London), Boston, Brentwood (London), Burton on Trent, Bury St Edmunds, Buxton, Cambridge (Brookmount Court), Chelmsford (Hanbury Road), Chesterfield, Colchester, Coventry, Derby (Alvaston), Dudley, Featherstone, Goodmayes (London), Grantham (Somerby), Hinckley, Hornchurch (London), Ipswich, Kettering, Kings Lynn, Leicester (Cannock Street), Leicester (Wigston), Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road), Letchworth, Lichfield, Lincoln, Loughborough, Loughton (London), Lowestoft (Mobbs Way), Ludlow, Northampton, Norwich (Jupiter Road), Norwich (Peachman Way), Nottingham (Chilwell), Nottingham (Colwick), Nuneaton, Peterborough, Peterborough LGV, Redditch, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Southend-on-Sea, St Albans, Stafford, Stevenage, Stoke on Trent (Cobridge), Stoke on Trent (Newcastle under Lyme), Telford, Tilbury, Warwick (Wedgenock House), Watford, Watnall, Wednesbury, Weedon LGV, Wolverhampton, Worcester and Worksop.

Tests at other driving test centres in these areas might also be affected.

London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales

These areas include these test centres:

Aberystwyth (Park Avenue), Ashford (Kent), Aylesbury, Banbury, Bangor, Barnstaple, Basingstoke, Belvedere (London), Bletchley, Bodmin, Bridgend, Bristol (Avonmouth), Bristol (Brislington), Bristol (Kingswood), Bromley (London), Burgess Hill, Caernarfon LGV, Camborne, Canterbury, Cardiff (Llanishen), Cardigan, Carmarthen, Cheltenham, Chertsey (London), Chichester, Chingford (London), Chippenham, Crawley, Dorchester, Eastbourne, Enfield (Brancroft Way), Enfield (Innova Business Park), Erith (London), Exeter, Exeter LGV, Farnborough, Folkestone, Gillingham, Gillingham LGV, Gloucester, Greenford (London), Guildford, Hastings (Ore), Hendon (London), Herne Bay, Hither Green (London), Isleworth (Fleming Way), Lancing, Launceston, Lee On The Solent, Llanelli, Llantrisant, Maidstone, Merthyr Tydfil, Mill Hill (London), Monmouth, Morden (London), Newbury (Hambridge Lane), Newport (Gwent), Newport (Isle Of Wight), Newton Abbot, Oxford (Cowley), Pembroke Dock, Pinner (London), Plymouth, Plymouth LGV, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Rhyl, Sevenoaks, Sidcup (London), Slough (London), Southall (London), Southampton (Maybush), Southampton LGV, Swansea, Swindon, Taunton, Tolworth (London), Tottenham, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge (London), Wanstead (London), Weston-Super-Mare, Winchester, Wood Green (London), Wrexham, Wrexham LGV, Yeading (London) and Yeovil.

If you want to change your driving test date now

Not all examiners are PCS union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

However, you can change your test to another date if you want to.

You must give at least 3 clear working days’ notice to change your test date, or you’ll have to pay again.

What to do if you do not change your test

You should go to your driving test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.

DVSA will call you to tell you what to do if you’re taking an instructor test including:

• ADI part 2 (driving ability) tests
• ADI part 3 (instructional ability) tests
• ADI standards checks

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 17 April 2023.

Plans to speed up the design, manufacture, and rollout of zero emission aircraft and infrastructure at UK airports.

Ministers and aviation chiefs have revealed an action plan for the next 2 years in the race to reach Jet Zero by 2050, as the government continues with ambitious plans to decarbonise faster than any other G7 country, grow the economy, and support hundreds of thousands of well-paid green jobs.

The Jet Zero Council – made up of industry, academic and government leaders – met today (17 April 2023) at Farnborough Airport. Through its 2-year plan, the council committed to continue working to speed up the design, manufacture, and rollout of zero emission aircraft and vital infrastructure at UK airports.

The plan sets out how the council will help to accelerate the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), by continuing to invest millions of pounds in first-of-a-kind SAF plants, supporting crucial scientific research on a larger scale, and helping to drive down production costs.

Farnborough Airport also played host to the Sustainable Skies World Summit today, which gathers experts and leaders from the worlds of aviation, government, energy, and engineering. UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper delivered the global Summit’s keynote speech, where he stressed the importance of the partnership between government, industry and academia in the international challenge to reaching Jet Zero.

The government has also welcomed the report Developing a UK SAF industry by Philip New, former CEO of the Energy Systems Catapult and BP Alternative Energy. The independent evaluation – commissioned by the Department for Transport – assesses what conditions are necessary to create a successful UK SAF industry.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

This government is a determined partner to the aviation industry – helping accelerate new technology and fuels, modernise their operations, and work internationally to remove barriers to progress.

Together, we can set aviation up for success, continue harnessing its huge social and economic benefits, and ensure it remains a core part of the UK’s sustainable economic future.

Emma Gilthorpe, Jet Zero Council CEO, said:

It’s fantastic for the Jet Zero Council to be meeting today at Sustainable Skies, maintaining the momentum built by government and industry on our vital journey to decarbonising aviation.

The 2-year plan published today, building on recent government commitments to secure demand for SAF in the UK, will ensure we continue to accelerate progress and achieve the Jet Zero Council’s objectives of delivering 10% SAF in the UK fuel mix by 2030 and zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation.

The Philip New report sets out a number of recommendations to help stimulate SAF production in the UK.

The government response to the report details the extensive work that is already underway to meet many of the recommendations, whilst highlighting what additional action could be taken to drive further investment in UK SAF production.

The UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The Jet Zero Strategy sets out how we can achieve net zero emissions from UK aviation by 2050, importantly without directly limiting demand for aviation, and the £165 million Advanced Fuel Fund is also kickstarting production, with 5 projects already chosen to receive funding.

Turning to potential barriers to investment, the government recognises that many investors are looking for longer-term revenue certainty that the SAF mandate will not provide.

The government is therefore committing to work with the aviation industry on the best ways to decarbonise, including options for additional revenue certainty for a UK SAF industry.

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps said:

Having launched the Jet Zero Strategy last summer, I am thrilled to now support the launch of today’s new 2-year action plan to future-proof the aviation industry and accelerate the delivery of new green jobs.

Boosting investment in sustainable aviation fuels is at the heart of these plans today, marking a landmark step in spearheading the technologies that will keep passengers flying guilt-free.

Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

“There is no time to waste in creating a sustainable, decarbonised aviation sector fit for the future. By working in partnership with industry, we are determined to accelerate the development of innovative zero emission technology and secure the long-term success of our vital UK manufacturing sector and its global exports.”

Developing new low or zero emission aircraft technology is an important part of the Jet Zero strategy. The government is co-investing, with industry, in innovative aerospace technology, through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme which has a £685 million R&D budget over the Spending Review period (2022/23 to 2024/25).

Through this Programme, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has committed to fund the ‘UK Hydrogen Capability Network – Phase 0 Project’.

Led by Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) this 12-month study will work closely with industry to define the operating model for a group of open access research and development facilities designed to accelerate the development of liquid hydrogen propulsion aircraft technologies, capabilities and skills in the UK. It will also explore options for the supply of green liquid hydrogen.

The study was inspired by the BEIS funded Fly Zero project, which published its conclusion in March 2022.

This study brought together experts from across the UK to explore the design, technical and commercial challenges in realising zero-carbon emission commercial aviation by 2030. It concluded that green liquid hydrogen offers the greatest potential to power a new generation of zero-carbon emission aircraft and recommended further work to explore collaborative R&D facilities.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 15 April 2023.

New smart motorways to be removed from government road-building plans due to financial pressures and lack of confidence felt by drivers.

Plans for new smart motorways will be cancelled, delivering on the Prime Minister’s summer campaign pledge.

New smart motorways – including the 11 already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy (2020 to 2025) and the 3 earmarked for construction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) – will be removed from government road-building plans, given financial pressures and in recognition of the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers.

Initial estimations suggest constructing future smart motorway schemes would have cost more than £1 billion and cancelling these schemes will allow more time to track public confidence in smart motorways over a longer period.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

All drivers deserve to have confidence in the roads they use to get around the country.

That’s why last year I pledged to stop the building of all new smart motorways, and today I’m making good on that promise.

Many people across the country rely on driving to get to work, to take their children to school and go about their daily lives and I want them to be able to do so with full confidence that the roads they drive on are safe.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

We want the public to know that this government is listening to their concerns.

Today’s announcement means no new smart motorways will be built, recognising the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and the cost pressures due to inflation.

Independent road safety campaigner, Meera Naran, whose 8-year-old son Dev, died in a motorway collision on the M6 in 2018, said:

Since successfully campaigning for the 18-point action plan, £900 million commitment and the pause in the roll out in January 2022, there has been a lot of joined up thinking in mutually coming to this decision.

I thank ministers and executives for inviting me to work alongside them in memory of Dev, towards a mutual goal and for their commitment over the years.

The government and National Highways continue to invest £900 million in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways.

This includes progressing plans on installing 150 extra emergency areas across the network in line with the commitments made in response to the Transport Select Committee, as well as further improving the performance of stopped vehicle detection technology on every all lane running smart motorway.

The government will also continue to give motorists clear advice when using existing smart motorways.

While no new stretches of road will be converted into smart motorways, the M56 J6-8 and M6 J21a-26 will be completed given they are already over three quarters constructed.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 14 April 2023.

The 20-vehicle bus and coach operator licence of Millmans Coaches Ltd, t/as Grey Cars and Coaches of Torbay has been revoked by Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney following reports of serious mechanical defects.