Tag: Department for Transport

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 11 July 2024.

Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, will visit Greater Manchester today (11 July 2024) to begin the government’s bus revolution, as she pledges to support every community to take back control of buses through franchising or public ownership.

She will meet with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, to discuss how the area’s Bee Network can be replicated across the country to deliver better services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions.

The Transport Secretary will pledge to create and save vital bus routes up and down the country, calling time on the failed system of deregulation that has seen service levels plummet. The plans will also bring an end to the postcode lottery of bus services by providing safeguards over local networks across the country.

Launched in September 2023 as the first bus franchise in England outside London, the integrated Bee Network has delivered for local people by growing passenger numbers and improving the reliability of local bus services. This has already seen passenger numbers grow by 5% in the first area to be franchised, with revenue following suit.

The Transport Secretary will see first-hand how the successes of the Bee Network can be replicated across the country, improving services and handing power back to local people.

The Transport Secretary will also hear directly the challenges faced by Greater Manchester during its franchising journey.

Greater Manchester endured a 6-year slog to deliver local control of bus services due to unnecessary barriers. The government’s plan will remove these barriers so better buses can be delivered faster.

Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said:

Buses are the lifeblood of communities, but the system is broken.

Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that don’t turn up – and some have been cut off altogether.

Change starts now. This new government will give local leaders the tools they need to deliver better buses up and down the country.

Our plan will create and save vital bus routes by giving every community the power to take back control of their bus services through franchising or public ownership.

We are already seeing how the Bee Network is delivering for people across Greater Manchester – we will ensure every community can enjoy the same benefits.

The Bee Network is also boosting Manchester’s Metrolink. In May, it recorded its busiest month in its 32-year history with 4.1 million passengers using the iconic yellow trams, higher than the previous record of 4 million set before the pandemic in 2019.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

Properly integrated public transport is the key to unlocking growth and opportunity across our city-region, improving the lives of our residents, supporting businesses and delivering greater value for money.

The numbers speak for themselves – our Bee Network has more passengers than ever before and is providing a better service for residents.

Greater Manchester has shown that our pioneering approach works and we look forward to working with the government to put power back into the hands of local communities.

The bus plan is part of the new government’s ambition to develop a long-term, national strategy for transport. This will ensure infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time while allowing local people to take back control of their buses, trams and trains.

Graham Vidler, CEO of the Confederation of Passenger Transport said:

The industry stands fully behind the objectives of growing the nation’s vital bus network and improving passengers’ experiences.

We look forward to working hand in hand with the government to deliver change which benefits passengers across the whole country and drives swifter progress towards the UK’s climate targets.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 14 June 2024.

The new trains will allow TfL to increase capacity on the network in the coming years.

The government has today (14 June 2024) confirmed funding for TfL to procure 10 new Elizabeth Line trains from the UK-based train manufacturer, Alstom.

Following careful consideration of TfL’s business case, the government has approved TfL’s request for funding for the additional trains.

The trains are needed due to strong passenger demand, expected growth on the Elizabeth Line, and will allow TfL to increase capacity on the network in the coming years.

The trains will be made at Alstom’s facility in Derby.

In accordance with section 101 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, the government will provide TfL with the capital funding requested for the additional trains only.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 9 May 2024.

Have your say on potential changes to registering historic, classic, rebuilt, and electrically converted vehicles.

Car enthusiasts and industry can now have their say on how to best preserve iconic classic cars like the DMC DeLorean, MkII Jaguar and James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 for decades to come.

Today (9 May 2024), the government is launching a call for evidence to gather views on how classic and historic cars can be preserved for future generations and boost jobs in the £18 billion classic car sector.

Since the 1980s, policies on how classic cars are registered after being restored and upgraded have largely remained the same, and do not account for improving historic vehicles with modern technology.

The call for evidence from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will ask drivers, classic car enthusiasts and the industry to share their proposals to help historic vehicles into the 21st century, while prioritising road safety and retaining accurate vehicle records.

Changes could make it easier to register vehicles to fully recognise their value while protecting prospective buyers, modify classic cars to improve their performance and retrofit them with electric powertrains.

With James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5, Inspector Morse’s MkII Jaguar and the Belfast-built DMC DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future’ firmly embedded in popular culture, today’s call for evidence is an opportunity for classic car enthusiasts and the motoring industry to have their say on how these and other motoring icons can remain an example of British excellence in the UK and around the world.

Better preserving classic cars can also help drive tourism to iconic classic car shows such as Goodwood Revival. With the classic car industry employing around 113,000 skilled people and worth £18 billion a year, the call for evidence will help support jobs in the heritage car industry and help grow the economy.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

The way we restore and protect classic cars has not kept up with the times and evolving technologies, which is why we are calling for industry and enthusiasts to have their say on how to best protect these British classics for decades to come.

Alongside our record £8.3 billion increase to resurface local roads and the 30-point Plan for Drivers, today’s call for evidence is the latest part of the government’s plan to back drivers, support skilled jobs, and grow the economy.

The call for evidence is the latest measure to back drivers across the country, following £8.3 billion to resurface roads across England, the biggest ever funding boost to local road maintenance as we tackle potholes and improve local roads.

The government is also delivering for motorists through the Plan for Drivers, including ensuring traffic schemes like Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph speed limits have buy-in from local people, consulting on measures to stop councils treating drivers as ‘cash cows’ and accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints for those choosing to switch.

Drivers will also be able to enjoy smoother journeys following the introduction of new measures to crack down on disruptive street works, with utility companies that allow works to overrun facing increased fines, which could generate up to £100 million extra to improve local roads.

Julie Lennard, DVLA Chief Executive Officer, said:

As evolving technologies continue to improve the way classic, historic and rebuilt vehicles can be modified and restored, we want to ensure that we keep the policies and registration processes for these vehicles up to date.

This is one of the many ways we are looking to make things easier and simpler for our customers and we want to encourage enthusiasts and those individuals and organisations with a keen interest and expertise to share their views with us.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 17 April 2024.

Organisations and academics can apply for TRIG funding to research innovative ideas to improve transport in the UK.

A £1.3 million competition to transform the transport sector, grow the economy and inspire innovation has been launched today (17 April 2024).

The latest round of the government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) is now open, with organisations and academics able to win up to £45,000 in funding.

The TRIG scheme, delivered by Connected Places Catapult, supports businesses and academics working on innovative ideas in the early stages of their research. It aims to improve transport across the country and support skilled UK jobs as part of the government’s plan to help grow the economy.

Previous TRIG winners have gone on to improve the passenger experience across the country through:

• better connecting rural communities with a shuttle bus app
• ensuring people can stay online whilst travelling by sea by expanding 5G data coverage
• using AI technology to provide real-time insights to authorities on how local transport is being used so it can be improved
• trialling the use of hydrogen to make plane and boat journeys greener.

Decarbonisation, Aviation and Technology Minister, Anthony Browne, said:

As part of our plan to improve transport across the country, we’re continuing to back the TRIG competition which has funded hundreds of cutting-edge projects over more than a decade.

Today’s competition launch means projects in their early stages can win tens of thousands of pounds to help improve transport and support skilled UK jobs in the process.

This year’s competition is seeking proposals focused on:

• nation specific transport solutions – a new category for projects that address specific transport challenges in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland to level up the whole of the UK’s transport system and boost connectivity
• local transport decarbonisation – innovative ideas that accelerate the decarbonisation of local transport systems, demonstrating an understanding of the needs of local areas and communities, whilst also having the potential to be scaled up across the UK in the future
• maritime decarbonisation – maritime solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the UK’s maritime sector to support the transition to net zero
• critical and emerging technologies – ideas that utilise critical technologies, such as AI, or any emerging technologies, such as drones, to enable a resilient transport system delivering cheaper, cleaner, and quicker journeys for all
• open call – wider solutions that have the potential to address a UK transport challenge, across the entire network, challenges and technology areas

This follows the success of last year’s TRIG competition, which saw 41 projects win funding, including a project that uses AI to reduce train station overcrowding, and a self-driving parcel delivery boat to reduce road congestion.

Applications for this year’s competition open today and close on the 21 May 2024.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 11 April 2024.

Proposals could improve job opportunities for people aged 18 to 20, ease driver shortages and provide more reliable bus and coach services across England.

Young people could soon find more careers in transport, following government proposals to lower the minimum age requirements for bus and coach drivers and speed up training for bus, coach and lorry drivers.

Today (11 April 2024), Roads Minister Guy Opperman has launched a consultation to remove a restriction that currently states that 18 to 20-year-old bus and coach drivers can only drive routes up to 50km.

While they can already drive an articulated lorry with no distance limit, currently a fully trained 18 to 20-year-old driver can’t operate a coach from London to Manchester, or the scenic Coastliner bus route across Leeds-York-Yorkshire coast, due to the 50km restriction. These proposals are looking to change that.

With more bus and coach drivers safely trained to drive on our roads, bus operators could be able to run more services, especially in rural areas where bus routes tend to be longer.

This will bring more reliable services and help passengers travel with confidence.

This comes on top of further proposals for prospective bus, coach and heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers to start theory and off-road training right away, rather than having to wait to have their provisional licence, meaning they can get started on their training journey immediately.

More qualified lorry drivers will support a stronger haulage sector, helping ensure medical supplies reach hospitals, parcels are delivered on time and supermarket shelves are always stocked.

If the proposals are introduced, all prospective bus, coach and HGV drivers will be held to the same training requirements as before to ensure Britain’s roads remain among the safest in the world, which will mean drivers can complete training and get working more quickly.

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said:

Being a bus, coach or lorry driver can be an excellent career for young people and these proposals could help get younger talent into transport, encouraging diversity in the sector.

This could be a win-win, not only improving job opportunities for those leaving school but also going some way to continue to ease driver shortages, delivering more reliable bus and coach services and a more resilient supply chain as part of our plan to grow the economy.

With industry data estimating the national bus driver shortage to be 6.6% and the coach driver shortage at 13.6%, the measures could open up a brilliant career in transport for younger people, tackle driver shortages and help improve the reliability of bus and coach services, growing the economy to deliver a brighter future for all.

Graham Vidler, Chief Executive, Confederation of Passenger Transport, said:

We warmly welcome this consultation on 2 key proposals championed by CPT to address the challenge of driver shortages faced by the coach and bus sector.

Allowing new recruits to get on with off-road training while awaiting their provisional licence will ensure more trainees complete the course and become safe, qualified bus or coach drivers. As 18-year-olds are allowed to drive an articulated lorry already, there is a clear case for allowing them also to drive all types of coach and bus services.

In particular, the proposals could help family-run British businesses like Stanley Travel recruit more drivers, providing more services and greater choice for local travellers.

Andrew Scott, Director of Stanley Travel, said:

As a medium-sized, family-run coach company, we’re always looking to attract younger bus and coach drivers to our sector.

We fully welcome these proposals which would remove the entry barriers to the industry, help us run more services to provide customers with greater choice, and open up fantastic careers as a coach driver for young people.

The consultation comes only a few weeks after local councils in England have been allocated £143 million to roll out almost a thousand zero-emission buses and deliver cleaner, smoother and better bus journeys for all.

The department has also invested over £3.5 billion since 2020 to protect and improve bus services, in addition to £1 billion to improve bus services in the North and the Midlands and extend the £2 bus fare cap to the end of this year, both thanks to reallocated HS2 funding.

Lorry drivers are already benefitting from better working conditions following a total of £31 million in joint government and industry investment to improve truckstops up and down the country by delivering better rest areas, improved welfare facilities and more secure lorry parking.

Declan Pang, Road Haulage Association (RHA) Director of Public Affairs and Policy, England, said:

We have long supported proposals to attract younger people into the role and address the ageing coach driver workforce, which is a barrier to the sector’s growth.

The age restrictions have constrained the sector’s ability to attract young people and, considering someone can drive an HGV from 18 years old, puts the coach sector at a disadvantage.

These proposals could improve prospects for coach operators and we look forward to seeing them implemented.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 4 March 2024.

38 truck stops in England will be upgraded with new showers and restaurants, more secure fencing around rest areas and new parking spaces for HGVs.

Lorry drivers across England will benefit from more parking spaces, better welfare facilities and safer rest areas thanks to £16.5 million in joint government and industry investment.

Today (4 March 2024), the Roads Minister confirmed that 38 truckstops across England will invest £6 million from the Department for Transport (DfT), with a further £10.5 million coming from industry, to significantly improve their facilities for lorry drivers.

The upgrades will include new showers and restaurants, as well as better lighting and secure fencing around rest areas so drivers can feel safer and sleep with greater peace of mind. The measures will also create around 430 new parking spaces for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to free up local roads.

Today’s measures are part of our plan to grow the economy by improving working conditions for lorry drivers, supporting new jobs in the haulage industry and attracting more people towards a brilliant career in logistics, to deliver a brighter future for all.

The crucial improvements will also help decarbonise the haulage sector by installing new chargepoints to power electric HGVs and solar panels on lorry driver facilities to make them as sustainable as possible.

The measures follow £15 million in joint government and industry funding for similar improvements announced in September last year as part of the fund’s first application window. This takes the total joint investment from the department and the sector to improve lorry roadside facilities to up to £31 million.

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said:

Our lorry drivers are the backbone of a successful economy, ensuring food, goods and crucial medical supplies can get where they need to be, all over the country.

That’s why it’s only right we leave no stone unturned when it comes to supporting our lorry drivers as part of our plan to grow the economy, and today’s £16.5 million in joint government and industry funding will provide them with the safe, spacious and modern facilities they deserve.

From the Ashford International Truck Stop in Kent to Bardon Truck Park in Leicestershire and Immingham Lorry Park in Lincolnshire, the funding will be spread across England to ensure all lorry drivers across England can benefit from better roadside facilities and better working conditions.

The new investment comes from the government’s HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme, a joint investment between government and industry to support the haulage sector and provide lorry drivers with modern, secure facilities all across the country.

The scheme draws on the national survey on lorry parking, 2022, which provides important evidence as to what improvements are needed and where to boost the nation’s roadside infrastructure. With hauliers required to take mandatory breaks and rest periods, building better roadside facilities will improve the quality of HGV drivers’ rest and recovery, ensuring everyone can feel safe on our roads.

Britain’s roads are already among the safest in the world and the government is committed to helping the sector improve driver welfare, boost drivers’ security and continue to guarantee road safety.

Declan Pang, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), said:

We are delighted to see the government’s match funded grant scheme being awarded to projects which will make a tangible difference to the experiences of lorry drivers and provide much needed additional parking capacity to address the well-known shortage of spaces.

We are pleased to see facilities operators contribute funding and commit to improving security and conditions at the sites they operate. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the funding will have across the range of projects.

Lorry drivers are also benefitting from smoother and improved roads thanks to the largest ever funding increase of £8.3 billion to resurface over 5,000 miles of local roads all the way through to 2034, made possible by reallocated High Speed 2 (HS2) funding.

Today’s announcement comes after £200 million to roll out up to 370 zero emission trucks and a further £2 million given to small and medium-sized businesses in a separate competition to boost innovation and green tech in freight to decarbonise the sector.

The government has also invested £645,000 to support the brilliant Generation Logistics campaign from the CILT and Logistics UK, which is raising awareness of the logistics sector and its career opportunities to boost recruitment and retention of a more skilled and diverse workforce.

This latest investment comes on top of the government’s Plan for Drivers to put drivers back in the driving seat, which includes a crackdown on disruptive roadworks and better digital information to boost sat-nav accuracy, and new measures to make it easier to switch to electric vehicles and install more chargepoints.

Ron Perry, owner of Dan Perry & Sons, said:

The DfT welfare grant scheme goes a long way towards realising our ambitious project of delivering modern, secure and appealing facilities for lorry drivers to park overnight.

Without the grant from the department, this project simply would not be viable for us. We very much look forward to delivering the improvements so that we can provide lorry drivers the fantastic facilities they deserve.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 29 February 2024.

Millions of people will benefit from more frequent rail services from central Birmingham and upgraded stations across the Midlands.

Work on the Midlands Rail Hub is set to begin after ministers provided an initial £123 million funding injection.

The transformational upgrade project is part of the government’s plan to improve transport across the region and beyond, boosting the capacity and frequency of rail services for passengers while upgrading stations across the Midlands.

More than 50 stations – covering 7 million people across the region – will benefit from the plans, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding. The first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub will mean an additional train every hour in both directions between central Birmingham and locations including:

• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Cheltenham
• Worcester

This first wave of funding will enable design work to begin on creating space for extra services. This includes preparing detailed designs for the infrastructure improvements required, finalising operating plans for the new services, while continuing to move the rest of the programme forward.

The investment comes as part of the government’s Network North transport plan, which committed £1.75 billion to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub in full.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

The Midlands Rail Hub will bring huge benefits to passengers in the region and beyond, so it’s great to be in Birmingham with Mayor Andy Street to kick start this important project.

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s plan to invest in transport projects with reallocated HS2 funding, helping to grow the economy and better connect communities across the Midlands.

More London to Birmingham services will be extended from Moor Street to Snow Hill station meaning the Chiltern line will also serve Birmingham’s Snow Hill business district.

In addition, Kings Norton station will be made more accessible, while platforms at Snow Hill, Moor Street, and Kings Norton stations will be upgraded. Passengers will also have greater access to HS2 services via Curzon Street station, meaning easier travel across the country.

When delivered in full, the hub will see services on most routes increase by between 50% and 100%. Birmingham’s Cross-City line will be given a ‘turn-up-and-go’ service with a train every 10 minutes.

The number of trains between Birmingham and Leicester will be doubled from 2 to 4 per hour, while additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham, and the new Birmingham to Worcester trains extended to Hereford.

Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands and chair of the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), said:

The Midlands Rail Hub will deliver a revolution in public transport for our region opening up more capacity on the routes in and out of central Birmingham which will allow us to run more services to more places both locally and nationally.

Midlands Rail Hub will also provide an opportunity for us to open more new stations and lines across our network as well as deliver faster journey times into central Birmingham from the new Camp Hill line stations that are currently under construction at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road.

This investment will not only better connect communities to convenient and rapid public transport services but also attract further investment into our region, delivering jobs, growth and greater prosperity.

It’s important not to forget that this new funding comes on top of the billions of pounds worth of transport investment we have already secured for the West Midlands. That funding is really significant and will help turbo-charge our plans to improve public transport across the region, connecting local people to education, training, health and leisure services as well as job opportunities.

Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive of Midlands Connect, said:

This announcement marks a major milestone in this transformational, nationally significant project.

The Midlands Rail Hub programme is the result of years of collaboration and determination by cross-party leaders from all corners of the Midlands.

Today’s £123 million announcement is a clear sign of government’s trust in our partnership – getting us closer to finally delivering much need east-west connectivity across the region.

We will continue to work with government to progress the plans and ensure, as set out in Network North, Midlands Rail Hub is delivered in full, extending the benefits to towns and cities like Hereford, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.

The Midlands Rail Hub announcement comes as the British Business Bank launched its £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II today (29 February 2024), unlocking additional funding to help smaller businesses in the Midlands prosper and thrive.

The fund will drive sustainable economic growth by supporting new and growing businesses across the whole of the Midlands, increasing the access and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in the region. It includes a range of finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million to help small and medium-sized businesses start up, scale up, or stay ahead.

The Midlands Rail Hub announcement also comes shortly after the government announced the Midlands will receive £2.2 billion from April 2025 to improve local transport connections in areas outside the city regions. The investment will give local authorities long-term certainty to invest in transport improvements such as building new roads and installing or expanding mass transit systems.

Over the 7 years as a whole, this funding will be on average at least 9 times more than these local authorities currently receive through the local integrated transport block, which is the current mechanism for funding local transport improvements in their areas.

Subject to future decisions, this first phase of the Rail Hub could be completed by the early 2030s.

The press release issued by the Department of Transport on 26 February 2024.

Unprecedented transport budget targeted at smaller cities, towns and rural areas will fund projects that matter most to local communities.

Millions of people in the North and the Midlands will benefit from better public transport, reduced congestion and upgraded local bus and train stations thanks to the new £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund announced today (Monday 26 February).

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have confirmed that the North will receive £2.5 billion and the Midlands will receive £2.2 billion from April 2025 to improve local transport connections that so many people rely on every day, particularly across smaller cities, towns, and rural areas.

This investment – announced as part of Network North – will deliver an unprecedented long-term funding uplift across the North and Midlands over seven years. It’s the first transport budget of its kind that’s specifically targeted at smaller cities, towns and rural areas and empowers local people and local leaders to invest in the transport projects that matter most to their communities – helping create jobs, grow the economy, and level up the country.

Over the 7 years as a whole this funding will be on average at least 9 times more than these local authorities currently receive through the local integrated transport block which is the current mechanism for funding local transport improvements in their areas.

The Local Transport Fund will be made available from 2025 to give local authorities enough time to develop their funding plans and prepare to hit the ground running to ensure they are delivered as soon as possible.

It comes as the Prime Minister is set to chair a Cabinet meeting in Yorkshire today where he is expected to call on ministers and MPs to hold local authorities to account to ensure the funding is used appropriately and that the voices of local people are heard when decisions are made on where this funding goes and how this funding is spent.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

We have a clear plan to level up our country with greater transport links that people need and deliver the right long term change for a brighter future.

Through reallocating HS2 funding, we’re not only investing billions of pounds directly back into our smaller cities, towns and rural areas across the North and Midlands, but we are also empowering their local leaders to invest in the transport projects that matter most to their communities – this is levelling up in action.

The Local Transport Fund will deliver a new era of transport connectivity. This unprecedented investment will benefit more people, in more places, more quickly than HS2 ever would have done, and comes alongside the billions of pound worth of funding we’ve already invested into our roads, buses and local transport services across the country.

This investment will give local authorities long term certainty to invest in transformative and ambitious transport improvements from 2025 through to 2032 including:

• building new roads and improving junctions
• installing or expanding mass transit systems
• improving roads by filling in potholes and better street lighting for personal safety
• improving journey times for car and bus users by tackling congestion
• increasing the number of EV chargepoints
• refurbishing bus and rail stations
• improving our streets so they are safer to walk children to school and increasing accessibility for all

To ensure local authorities can make the most of this unprecedented funding, the department will publish advice for local councils and transport authorities to help them develop ambitious plans to improve local transport infrastructure in their areas.

Councils will work with local MPs and will be held to account by the government as well as their communities to make sure the money is spent promptly and effectively. Local councils will be expected to publish their delivery plans for which projects they wish to invest in.

The funding comes as devolution deals now cover nearly 34 million, or 60% of the English population – up from 41% since the first major levelling up plan 2 years ago, as the government continues to empower local leaders.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Today’s £4.7 billion investment is truly game-changing for the smaller cities, towns, and rural communities across the North and the Midlands and is only possible because this government has a plan to improve local transport and is willing to take tough decisions like reallocating funding from the second phase of HS2.

This funding boost will make a real difference to millions of people, empowering local authorities to drive economic growth, transform communities, and improve the daily transport connections that people rely on for years to come.

Today’s funding is directed to the North and Midlands because the majority of HS2 savings are specifically from those regions. The Local Transport Fund is also specifically for communities in the North and Midlands which are outside City Regions which receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).

The new funding allocations means neighbouring authorities who were not eligible for CRSTS can now drive forward similar infrastructure improvements, and all local authorities in the North and Midlands will now have long-term settlements from Network North to boost local transport.

The North East is separately receiving £3.7 billion from CRSTS from now until 2032, which includes an uplift of more than £1 billion from Network North, boosting local transport across the Tees Valley and the North East.

Lord Patrick McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said:

We welcome this funding for our local transport areas as a sign of progress towards transforming the north to a more inclusive, sustainable and better-connected region. By having greater clarity on the funding that’s available, and consolidating funding streams, it helps remove inertia and accelerates delivery on the ground.

TfN look forward to working with government and local leaders, because we know that the travelling public will get better results the more locally the decisions are made on how those services should be provided.

Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive of Midlands Connect, said:

This funding represents a significant investment in our region’s infrastructure. The Midlands contributes more than £90billion to the UK economy, and to boost that even more, we need reliable transport networks and investment in new technology.

We welcome this announcement and the improvements it will bring for our communities and businesses across the Midlands, and we will continue to work with government and support our local authorities, to ensure these vital Network North transport upgrades are delivered.

This investment demonstrates our commitment to reinvest all of the £19.8 billion from the Northern leg of HS2 in the North and all of the £9.6 billion from the Midlands leg in the Midlands, while the £6.5 billion saved through the new approach at Euston will be spread across every other region in the country.

As part of Network North, we have also committed to delivering the Midlands Rail Hub by increasing investment to £1.75 billion to improve journey times, capacity and frequency of services across the East and West Midlands. We will also enable the West Yorkshire Mayor to take forward a £2.5 billion mass-transit metro in West Yorkshire.

We’ve committed £12 billion towards better connecting Manchester to Liverpool. This would allow the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail as previously planned, including high-speed lines. But we will work with local leaders to agree whether they wish to suggest other ways to achieve the objectives with that £12 billion.

£100 million will also be shared across the North and Midlands to support the development and rollout of contactless and smart ticketing, supporting seamless travel by enabling contactless or smartcard payment.

Savings at Euston ensure the rest of the country receives extra transport investment too from our decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2. Every part of the country is set to benefit from the decision to reallocate funding from HS2. We’re already delivering the biggest ever increase in funding for local road improvements with an extra £8.3 billion, enough to resurface more than 5,000 miles of local roads across England, with the first tranche of funding already being delivered right from this financial year. As part of this, we’re providing an additional £2.8 billion to resurface roads in the East, South-East and South-West England and London.

We’ve also invested over £200 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap in England outside London until the end of 2024 and will spend £1 billion to improve bus services in the North and the Midlands, with £150 million delivered from April this year. Since the £2 bus fare cap was introduced across England on 1 January 2023, millions of passengers have benefited from lower fares.

Taken together, these investments are all part of the government’s plan to build a brighter future for generations to come by levelling up transport infrastructure across the country.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 22 February 2024.

Proposed regime would continue to limit flights that take off and land at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted between 11:30pm and 6am.

Residents and businesses are being asked for views on continuing the existing night flight regime for 3 of the UK’s busiest airports as part of a consultation launched today (22 February 2024).

Starting from October 2025, the proposed regime would continue to limit the number of flights that take off and land at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick between 11:30pm and 6am every day.

Whether travelling to visit loved ones, making connecting flights for business or simply preferring to fly at night to get a head start on the day, these night flights can be crucial for many passengers.

Night flights are also a vital part of global aviation and provide significant economic benefit to the UK, helping keep the flow of people, goods and services moving and supporting thousands of jobs as a result.

The consultation will seek views on proposals and give the industry a vital say on what would work best for them as they recover from the pandemic. It would also let local communities share any concerns about noise pollution or wider feedback on how the airports operate at night.

However, as new technology continues to transform and innovate the aviation industry, aircraft are becoming quieter and will be less intrusive to the areas surrounding these big airports.

The consultation comes with a recommendation of continuing the same quotas and limits on night flights, allowing the 3 noise-designated airports to continue their post-pandemic recovery and providing the best balance for both businesses and residents.

Also published today is updated guidance on night flight dispensations to help airports and airlines, as well as local communities, better understand the process for applying special considerations to permit flights outside of usual restrictions.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 21 February 2024.

Plug-in Taxi Grant provides funding of £6,000 per electric taxi vehicle and is extended until April 2025.

More green taxis will take to the UK’s roads thanks to an extension to the Plug-in Taxi Grant announced today (21 February 2024), following its initial success.

Cab drivers will be able to keep up momentum through extended funding until 5 April 2025 at a rate of £6,000 per vehicle, providing certainty to those who are looking to make the switch to electric in the next year.

Since its introduction in 2017, the Plug-in Taxi Grant has been met with enthusiasm, providing more than £50 million to support the purchase of over 9,000 zero emission cabs – supporting skilled British jobs in the car industry and helping to decarbonise the taxi fleet.

As a result of the grant driving change in industry, over 54% (8,299) of London’s licensed taxis are now electric, with the number of electric taxis increasing by 24% in the last year alone as more drivers utilise government funding.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said:

Taxis are a vital part of our transport network, so it’s great to be supporting our iconic black cab industry with further funding to help decarbonise their vehicles, part of this government’s plan to back drivers.

From Redbridge to White City, it’s now more likely than ever that your black cab will be green, with the majority of taxis sold in London now being electric. The grant has been a huge success so far, and I’m pleased our funding will be continued for another year to help cabbies make the switch to new vehicles.

The electric taxi market has grown rapidly since the grant’s introduction, with sales overtaking the number of diesel taxis sold in London in 2022, marking a milestone for the sector. Nationally, more than one in ten (12%) taxis are now zero emission capable.

The government is continuing to target incentives where they have the most impact while delivering value for money for the taxpayer, which is why a reduced grant level of £6,000 has been chosen to support the market as it matures further.

Chris Allen, Managing Director at London EV Company said:

Today’s announcement is a positive signal to the taxi trade that the government remains committed to supporting the electrification of our iconic industry and provides important support for drivers for another 12 months.

LEVC is continually innovating to deliver the latest in clean, accessible mobility solutions. We will continue to work with government to deliver for drivers and passengers across the UK.

Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association said:

London’s licensed taxi drivers are proud to be leading the way in adopting zero emission electric taxis. Our members have invested record sums in these clean, green vehicles and the PiTG has played a vital role in making this possible.

Today’s announcement provides the certainty and support hard working taxi drivers and fleets need to continue investing in the future of this important sector and delivering the high-quality, accessible service London’s iconic black cabs are known for, all whilst helping to clean up our air and working towards net zero.

Since 2011 the government has provided over £1.9 billion in grant funding to decarbonise our roads, supporting the purchase of over 350,000 zero emission vehicles.

These measures follow the department’s recent announcement that the rollout of EV chargepoints is being accelerated through our Plan for Drivers. There are now over 55,000 public chargepoints across the country, with the number of chargepoints rising 46% over the last year.

Grants are also available to help the transition through the government’s workplace charging scheme (WCS) for businesses and schools, as well as people in flats and rented accommodation through the electric vehicle chargepoint grant.

In addition, the on-street residential chargepoint scheme is open to all UK local authorities, while £381 of Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding is already being delivered to English local authorities.