MotorMad

Lorry Overtaking Ban to Start on M42

Lorries are to be banned from overtaking on a three-mile stretch of the M42 to cut congestion in an 18-month pilot project by the Highways Agency. Starting on 10 October, the scheme is supposed to cut traffic jams and the risk of accidents caused by slow-moving vehicles between the northbound junctions 10 and 11.

Police Cars Get Fingerprint Readers

Police patrol cars in Northamptonshire are being fitted with mobile fingerprint readers as part of a trial that could be used by all UK police forces if successful. Northamptonshire Police are using the mobile fingerprint readers to help identify drivers pulled over during automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) checks. ANPR captures passing vehicles' number plates and checks them against the Police National Computer to spot any suspect vehicles.

Report Slams Highways Agency

The Highways Agency is failing to tackle congestion on the UK’s motorways and major trunk roads, according to a new report. The damning conclusions of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee follow a critical assessment of the Highways Agency by the National Audit Office last November. The committee criticises the agency for adopting measures they think are risky, even though have proved effective in other countries. Where it has trialled new approaches, such as opening hard shoulders to traffic during peak hours, its implementation has been too limited, which has led to inconclusive results.

Cars to get fuel efficiency labels

A new fuel efficiency label scheme, showing buyers of new cars just how environmentally friendly their vehicle is, has been launched by the Government. Cars will get one of six labels - ranging from red, to indicate the least "green" vehicle, up to green, to show the least-polluting car.

Pay-as you-drive Road Charge Plans

A proposed nationwide pay-as-you-go road charge has caused a strong reaction from transport experts and campaigners. Charges ranging from 2p a mile on rural roads to £1.30 a mile for the privilige of driving on a busy route in rush hour - could replace road tax and fuel duty under the government's plans. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has insisted that his proposals for road-charging were not intended to drive motorists out of their cars.

Criminal Monitoring by Number Plates

Thousands of cars in Scotland will be tracked by cameras if their drivers are criminals. The speed cameras will track the motorists by their number plates in an attempt to prevent and detect murders, abductions and assaults. It is a controversial new plan to monitor dangerous individuals such as sex offenders and violent ex-prisoners. Concerns that the UK is becoming too surveillance camera oriented have been raised, but the police say that this scheme will greatly benefit public safety.
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Brown Puts the Brakes on Fuel

The Government is hoping to regain the confidence of motorists by halting fuel prices for six months. Drivers already pay £42 billion on motoring taxes whilst only £6 billion is spent on roads. Good news as low-income motorists already spend 24 per cent of their household outgoings on motoring.

Lorries Come First

Britain’s new "jam buster" Derek Turner formally takes up his position as director of traffic operations at the Highways Agency next month, but has wasted little time in causing controversy. He wants to stop motorists using Britain's overcrowded motorways for short journeys and give priority to lorries and vehicles on long-distance journeys.

Crush The Tax Dodgers

In the Yorkshire/ Humberside area, a hotline telephone number (08000 325 202) has been launched. This is so people can report untaxed vehicles to help the DVLA clamp down on car tax cheats. Teams of DVLA enforcement officers will respond to the tip-offs and all information will be treated confidentially. The DVLA says there are 104,000 road tax dodgers in Yorkshire and Humberside who cost the country £10.4m in lost revenue.

BBC X-Ray Report on DVLA

The DVLA was featured last night on BBC Wales’s X-Ray. It appears that poor record-keeping is causing many motorists a headache. It seems vehicle owners’ names, addresses, postcodes, and car models and colours are sometimes inaccurately recorded at the DVLA.