Over 130 bus operators outside London will be included in the scheme, which will offer low-cost single tickets from 1st January to 31st March 2023. The project has been backed with £60 million in government funding, with large companies such as National Express and Stagecoach taking part.

Passengers will save nearly a third of the average single fare cost (£2.80), while savings could increase for those living in rural areas that often have higher ticket prices of up to £5.

The government estimates that this will take as many as 2 million cars off the road, reducing congestion and emissions across the country, while saving money for commuters. More travellers using buses will also aid the industry in its recovery from the downturn in passengers during the pandemic.

Richard Holden, buses minister, said: “Brits love buses. They’re the most popular form of public transport in England, making up half of all journeys. So we’re investing £60 million to cap single bus fares at £2 to help families, students and commuters and help get people back on the bus.

“The scheme will also take 2 million car journeys off the road and it’s fantastic to see so many bus operators signing up. So, if you’re in Carlisle or Weston-Super-Mare, Birmingham or Doncaster, make sure you hop on the bus and ‘Get Around for £2’ between 1 January and 31 March.”

The plan is part of the government’s wider Help for Households campaign, which aims to support residents struggling with the cost of living crisis.

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The ‘Travel Like You Know Them’ campaign draws attention to the recent changes in the Highway Code designed to increase the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

The campaign encourages all road users, but particularly motorists, to take responsibility and undertake positive behaviours while on the road; giving space to and protecting those that are at a higher risk.

Launched on the 12th of July, the promotion follows the first phase of the THINK! campaign which began after the Highway Code’s new hierarchy of road users was implemented. According to a recent survey, 87% of people were aware of the changes.

Baroness Vere, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, said: “People tend to see cycles, lorries and cars on the roads rather than thinking of the person using them – but it could be your family member, friend or colleague.

“We have some of the safest roads in the world but I am determined to make them even safer, particularly as more people choose to walk, cycle and ride for their journeys. This campaign encourages everyone to see the person behind the wheel or handlebars, to build more understanding of others on the road, and help keep everyone safe.”

The recent changes to the Highway Code include clarifying cycle positioning, emphasising the priority at junctions for pedestrians and cyclists, guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking, and on opening car doors.”

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The new rules are designed to encourage more pupils and parents to walk or cycle to Hotspur Primary School in Heaton. The pilot scheme will run for 18 months starting from the 13th of June, with the roads being closed between 8 – 9:30 am and 2 – 4 pm.

The School Streets scheme hopes to create more pedestrian and cycling zones around the school. However, vehicle access will still be available for local residents, school staff, emergency services and blue badge holders. The public will be able to offer feedback during the first six months of the trial, and if it’s successful, other schools could follow.

Kevin McVittie, headteacher at Hotspur Primary School, said: “The roads around [the school] can become very congested at the beginning and end of the day, so we really welcome the introduction of the School Streets scheme, as it means it will be much safer for our children and much better for local residents.

“The scheme also builds on the messages about healthy living that we give to children in school by further encouraging walking, cycling or scooting to school.”

Similar schemes were introduced in different areas of the UK earlier in the year. In January, two schools in Milton Keynes trialled closing nearby streets for a six month period, in a bid to improve safety and air quality by discouraging car journeys and encouraging walking or cycling.

Meanwhile, other schools are taking a different approach to combat dangerous driving practices. Cartoon cut-outs were placed outside the gates of a school in Plymouth to try and discourage drivers from illegally parking too close to the entrance.

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2020 saw 10 local bridges collapsing completely, and in 2021 this number increased to 17. Of these 17 full collapses, 12 were in Dorset and 5 were in Denbighshire.

The number of substandard bridges also rose again in 2021 to reach 3,211, according to structural surveys. 

It is estimated that the total cost to bring all 3,211 bridges back to acceptable standards would be as high as £1.16 billion. 

The RAC, in collaboration with the National Bridges Group ADEPT, have surveyed over 196 local councils to identify the areas with the highest number of structural damage. The top 5 areas were:

Devon has the highest number of damaged structures in the country with 229 of its bridges below national standards. 

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC, said: “Whilst the increase in substandard bridges year-on-year is not huge, the picture over the last five years looks more like flatlining than sustained improvement, and with the threat of more severe weather events linked to climate change that must be a worry for the overall resilience of our highway network.” 

Council engineering experts warn that there will be a shortage of qualified staff to carry out inspections and bridge repairs.

Kevin Dentith, chair of the ADEPT group, said: “The incidence of bridge collapses that lead to personal injury and traffic disruption is thankfully low but unless more engineers and technicians are encouraged to join the industry and highway authorities receive appropriate funding from the Department for Transport we are at risk of seeing a higher number of bridge collapses than those identified in this year’s RAC Foundation survey.”

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The on-the-job training system has been created by training provider Seetec Outsource in collaboration with Breedon Group. The partnership hopes that by offering more urban route work, they can tackle the ongoing HGV crisis by attracting young drivers to this career.

According to official government data, the number of people employed as HGV drivers in any industry fell by 53,000 from January 2016 to June 2021.

So far, 30 drivers from across Britain have joined the Urban Driver scheme, which will focus on short-haul journeys in towns and cities that rarely require overnight routes. By concentrating on a better work-life balance, its founders hope they will appeal to anyone who may have previously dismissed traditional HGV work.

Lloyd DeVal, director of sector skills at Seetec, said: “Breedon is a great example of a large organisation that has embraced the flexibility and empowerment that apprenticeships bring to the workplace.

“The Urban Driver apprenticeship clearly demonstrates how apprenticeships are helping to tackle an ageing workforce, the pandemic and changing restrictions following Brexit.”

The scheme will allow its employees to reach a Class 2 licence for vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 32 tonnes in just four to six months.

Seetec also commented that the apprenticeship is now more important than ever as up to a quarter of lorry drivers are expected to leave the industry over the next three years, according to a recent survey of HGV drivers.

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Future developments could involve adding CCTV and wireless technology to the UK’s street lights. This would provide information on speed limits, diversions and traffic alerts, enabling more efficient journey planning.

The trial was part of National Highways’ aim to incorporate technology that can communicate messages more effectively across the network, supporting a wider autonomous vehicle infrastructure. 

In addition to these benefits, the project saw more environmentally-friendly LEDs replace the previous lighting. As well as being greener for the planet, the new bulbs are designed to disperse clearer light.

Lisa Maric, innovations lead for the Midlands at National Highways, said: “These are exciting times as we progress on our ‘digital roads’ journey with the growth of digital technology and the move to electric, connected and autonomous vehicles that will fundamentally change how we use roads in the future.

“National Highways is committed to ensuring we are at the forefront of this digital revolution and are preparing the way for the greener and safer roads of tomorrow.

“Initial trials such as Illuminate will help us identify new innovations, technology and methods to meet our digital goals. We were pleased with how Illuminate performed as a proof of concept and the useful knowledge gained as we continue to plan for the roads of the future.”

Recent technological advancements have allowed this progression in street lighting. The increased bandwidth of 5G internet supports the transfer of more information, while the internet of things (IoT) is set to play an important role in the future of autonomous vehicles.

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Motorists will be advised to avoid driving too close to the animals, which roam freely throughout New Forest in Hampshire, as well as Exmoor and Dartmoor in Devon.

The change was requested by The British Horse Society and is welcomed by campaigners in the New Forest who have long called for measures to help reduce animal road deaths. The council has also backed petitions for speed cameras to be installed to combat this issue in the national park.

The current advice in the Highway Code states that road users should slow down to 10mph while passing a horse on the road and leave at least a two-metre gap.

The latest regulation will be included following an 18-month review of the code, with the final version due to be finalised on the 29th of January 2022. The Department for Transport said: “We agreed such wild animals are more prevalent in those areas which warranted a specific mention”.

The new advice states “Feral or semi-feral ponies which are found in areas such as the New Forest, Exmoor or Dartmoor require the same consideration as ridden horses when approaching or passing”. 

Gilly Jones, of the New Forest Roads Awareness group, said she was “extremely pleased” at the addition to the Highway Code. “It’s certainly a first – it’s still about raising the awareness of feral and semi-feral ponies and it’s very positive what we can achieve with agencies working together.

“We’re still getting a horrific number of speeding drivers who lack a basic knowledge about driving in the forest”, she continued.

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3i Infrastructure, a London Stock Exchange-listed business, has obtained a 92% stake in SRL, cementing its position as a controlling shareholder. SRL has plans for growth following the deal, hoping to expand into new markets, as well as create fresh products.

SRL is already thought to be the UK and Ireland’s largest provider of temporary Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which provide innovative solutions for traffic management. The company states that the “narrowing of the technological divide between temporary and permanent technology” is at the core of its new developments. 

The business has undergone various changes in the last few years, including a management buyout in 2019. Since then, a diverse range of products has been introduced to the market, such as a modern variable message sign (VMS) fleet, work-zone protection barriers, CCTV, and portable Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) technology.

SRL is currently being led by CEO Adrian Murphy, who was a new addition to the company in April. 

Speaking about the future of the business, Mr Murphy said: “SRL has achieved stunning growth since 2019, and the buyout will enable the company to continue along this trajectory, bringing industry-leading, innovative mobile ITS solutions for hire and sale to our expanding market, along with further developments to our renowned customer service offer.

“In the meantime, so far as our customers are concerned, on an operational level, it will be 100% business-as-usual.”

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Despite the addition of 120 gritters to this year’s roads, the driver crisis may prevent them from being used to their full potential over the winter months. The caution comes from the Local Government Association (LGA), which is the national body for the UK’s local authorities.

In recent months, some councils have had difficulty keeping waste collection services running due to the current shortage of HGV drivers. Councillor David Renard, transport spokesperson for the LGA commented on the impact this could have on gritters:

“While most councils have been able to keep services running, some may find that their gritting services are affected in the same way that some have seen waste collection services impacted. As they do every year, councils will be working proactively to plan ahead and ensure that their winter services are as resilient as they can be.”

The LGA has commented that the training of new drivers offers the best long term solution to the problem, ensuring local councils can replenish their staff as necessary in future. Until this happens, the issue of driver shortages is likely to prove a challenge over the winter.

“Fast inflating HGV driver salaries in the private sector risks exacerbating issues in the public sector, with the rises potentially creating a retention as well as a recruitment problem for councils and their contractors.

“We want to work with (the) Government to address these short term staffing issues to ensure people across the country can continue to receive the services they rely upon.”

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The organisation leading the study is set to receive a reported £2m, which falls under the £20m allocated to zero-emission road freight trials under the DfT’s plan. Decarbonising lorries will help to build a more environmentally friendly road network across the UK.

Heavy goods vehicles are currently responsible for almost a 5th (18%) of all road CO2 emissions, despite making up just 1.2% of traffic. By 2040, all new diesel and petrol lorries in Britain are due to be banned, meaning a new system is needed to provide alternative power for these large vehicles. 

The ‘e-highway’ will involve the installation of overhead wires on up to 19 miles of the M180. The technology, similar to that which powers trains and trams, will charge a battery that has been fitted into each lorry as it’s being driven. Lorries cannot run on a single charge like electric cars, because they require too much power.

Similar plans have been trialled in Germany and Sweden on a smaller scale. If the study goes ahead, this will be the first large-scale deployment of such technology worldwide. The vehicles and their power cables could be on British roads as early as 2024.

William Wilson, CEO of Siemens Mobility Limited, said: “Investing in proven technologies like e-highways can help us go further and faster to decarbonise the UK’s transport network, and support jobs and growth to level up the country.

“By building on successful trials from other countries like Germany, our ERS consortium M180 trial will help the UK move a step closer to replacing more polluting trucks with clean, efficient electric HGVs.”

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