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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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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