‘Green’ number plates ‘can be illegally bought by petrol and diesel owners due to checks loophole’

‘Green’ number plates meant for electric vehicles ‘can be illegally bought by petrol and diesel owners for just £20 due to checks loophole’ Transport Secretary Grant Shapps launched green number plates late last year  The plates, on sale for under £20, give drivers free access to clean air zones But the AA has found major … Read more

Government says it is up to France to save Eurostar

Government says it is up to France to save Eurostar as cross-Channel rail operator begs for taxpayer cash after losing 95 per cent of passengers due to Covid Grant Shapps says UK wants Eurostar ‘to survive’ but ‘it’s not our company’  Over half of the shares of the cross-channel rail service are owned by France  … Read more

First look at new Union Jack number plates as EU flag vanishes from UK cars

First look at new Union Jack number plates as EU flag vanishes from UK cars in the wake of Brexit European Union flags have been removed from new number plates and licences Transport Secretary Grant Schapps tweeted an image of new design for cars Makeover ‘signifies beginning of new chapter for the UK’, says the … Read more

Train lines reopening unlocks new frontiers for the housing market

For the people of the Blyth Valley, it’s payback time. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced a £34million fund to start to reinstate the passenger rail line between Newcastle and Ashington. This is seen by many as a reward for being the first constituency to breach the ‘red wall’ of seats extending across the Midlands … Read more

Smart motorways UK: Roads bosses vow to speed up safety push after coroner’s ruling

Road chiefs have pledged to accelerate the rollout of potentially lifesaving safety measures on smart motorways following crisis talks with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The minister ordered Highways England to bring forward the deadline for installing vital technology which can detect when vehicles are marooned and prevent collisions. More CCTV is to be rolled out to … Read more

‘Smart’ motorways are ‘inherently unsafe’ and ‘should be abandoned’, Yorkshire police chief says 

Smart motorways are ‘inherently unsafe’ and ‘should be abandoned’, a police and crime commissioner says. Dr Alan Billings, PCC for South Yorkshire, has written to the Government saying the abolition of the hard shoulder should be ‘abandoned’ before more people die.  In a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Dr Billings accused Highways England of … Read more

Grant Shapps pushes plan for driverless cars 

Britons could be the first drivers allowed to take their hands off the wheel on motorways to watch films, send texts or check emails as Grant Shapps pushes plan for driverless cars New lanekeeping technology introduced was introduced to Britain on Friday Introduction is stage three of five needed to see self-driving cars on the road   Grant … Read more

Two rail lines shut in 1960s will reopen as transport officials pledge £800million

Two rail lines shut in 1960s will reopen as transport officials put £800million towards Bicester-Bletchley and Newcastle-Ashington projects Department for Transport said £760m will support next phase of East West Rail Reinstates services between Bicester, Oxfordshire and Bletchley shut in 1968 £34m boost is also going to old line between Newcastle and Ashington  By Daily Mail … Read more

Brexit: Retailers may BURN products returned by EU internet shoppers

What are the extra charges and paperwork and why were they introduced? Shipping goods either way across the UK-EU border now takes longer and is more expensive since the UK left the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market.  Since January 1 a new customs regime has been in place that treats the UK as an … Read more

High Street retailers and luxury brands are BURNING or dumping EU products

High street retailers and luxury brands are burning or dumping products returned by EU customers due to the cost and trouble of bringing them back into the country – as online shoppers in Britain see prices rise by a third for items from Europe.  The Brexit trade deal has seen many customers rejecting goods that … Read more