17/06/2020
The Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority, which comprises the ten local authorities in South-East Wales, has announced notification of its successful application for a share of the Welsh Government Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Transformation Fund.
The award, which at £1.3m, constitutes the highest award made in Wales, follows a bid made by Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council in February 2020 on behalf of the region, to assist with the delivery of electric vehicle infrastructure for public use, taxis and private hire specific, and buses at various locations including transport hubs throughout the region.
This funding, being made available by the Welsh Government, is intended to assist in transforming the network to ULEV and help reach their targets of zero emissions from buses and taxis by 2028.
Read More >
15/06/2020
All local authorities were invited to submit applications for funding and 21 applications were received from 13 local authorities.
The Resilient Roads Fund of £16.9 million will support 18 schemes across 13 local authorities, and will be spent on schemes to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, including addressing disruptions caused on the highway network by the severe weather.
Transport Minister Ken Skates said, "This fund will help local authorities pay for much needed work. This includes over £6 million to construct a further section of the Old Colwyn coastal defence scheme, which will protect the highway and active travel route from adverse weather.
Read More >
15/06/2020
Ride to Work Day, which is celebrated every year on the third Monday in June, is an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of motorcycle commuting, and to show that biking can be a practical alternative to commuting by car.
The message is even more relevant this year as the Government is advising people to avoid public transport to reduce the risk of a second Coronavirus peak.
By taking to two wheels, Ride to Work Day supporters are doing their bit to cut congestion for all road users. Also, a motorcycle or scooter is the perfect vehicle for socially-distanced transport; bikers even come equipped with their own gloves and face coverings.
Read More >
11/06/2020
Teresa Ciano, Partnership Manager for GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, recently spoke to Rebecca Morris, of Road Safety Support, about the situation on the roads in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The interview includes an update on road use during lockdown, reflects on driver behaviour during unprecedented times and explains how GoSafe is working with the community to tackle increased levels of speeding and improve safety on routes across the country.
Watch the interview here and visit GoSafe.org.uk for further information on the work of GoSafe.
Read More >
09/06/2020
An Ambulance Service stalwart is celebrating a half-century of saving lives in North Wales.
Fifty years ago, an 18-year-old Barry Davies from Drury, Flintshire, joined the Ambulance Service inspired by a childhood in the St John Ambulance Cadets. Barry, now 68, began his career as an Ambulance Technician and has seen the organisation evolve from a small-scale local operation to Wales’ national ambulance service.
Barry said, “I’ve watched our ambulance service evolve from Clwyd Ambulance Service to the North Wales Ambulance Service to the Welsh Ambulance Service it is today.
Read More >
08/06/2020
Creating one-way walking systems to safeguard the public, setting up welcome points to explain how moving round the city centre will work and opening up Cardiff Castle's grounds to create a ‘new' public square for local businesses to use are just some of the schemes Cardiff Council is considering as it prepares to exit lockdown.
The measures include:
Welcome Points - installed at the main pedestrian access points to the city. Welcome Points will offer information to the visitor/shopper/worker on how the city centre works, how to visit in a safe way, how to reach particular destinations, a walking plan, hand-washing facilities, cycle-parking facilities and a member of staff to assist. Signage and street ambassadors will also be available throughout the city centre to assist visitors and re-enforce the information provided at the welcome point.
One-way pedestrian movement - Pedestrians (shopper/workers/visitors) within the city centre will need to follow signed/marked routes to ensure social distancing is observed. A plan is being developed to cover all city centre streets, dependent upon footfall and the availability of safe (socially distanced) walking space.
Car Parking - many of the existing city centre car parks will need to operate at a reduced capacity in order to enable people to leave and return to their cars in a safe manner. A combined (public/private) approach to the availability of city centre car parking is being developed. To support this a comprehensive network of Park and Ride/Park and Stride/Park and Cycle facilities need to be developed to manage car access away from the centre, but to allow easy walking/cycling/bus access for the ‘last mile' of the journey.
Accessing the City Centre - An integrated city transport plan will help people access the city centre via car, public transport and active travel (walking or cycling).The transport plan could see the city centre put into ‘event mode'. This would see road closures similar to those put in place for major rugby internationals in the Principality Stadium.
Read More >
02/06/2020
The Welsh Government has awarded £3.358m of highways and transportation funding to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for 2020/21.
In May 2020, the Council agreed a £25.02m Highways Capital Programme for 2020/21, bringing the total investment in highways and transportation since 2015/16 to £146m. The latest Capital Programme shows that improving the highway network continues to be a Council investment priority.
The Council has recently received confirmation of its successful applications to Welsh Government for grant funding within the current financial year. This includes £2.73m across the Local Transport Fund (LTF) and the Local Transport Network Fund (LTNF), £419,500 from the Safe Routes in Communities Fund and £201,710 in Road Safety Grants, which includes:
Read More >
01/06/2020
From today, two households in Wales, in the same local area will be able to meet outdoors. Social distancing of two metres and strict hand hygiene practices must remain to control the spread of the virus and the Welsh Government has emphasised that 'local' means not generally travelling more than five miles from home.
While active travel locally by foot and cycle is the very best option, an increased level of traffic is very likely. With greatly reduced car and motorcycle use throughout the ‘Stay at Home’ phase, it will now be essential that good driving habits are dusted off for a limited return to the road.
Teresa Ciano, Chair of Road Safety Wales, stressed the importance of the public’s role in ensuring safety, “It is crucial that driver and rider behaviour is such that collisions and road casualties are avoided. There is now an even greater responsibility to keep the burden of road injury off the NHS to ensure the service can continue to cope with its vital fight against coronavirus.
Read More >
28/05/2020
Wrexham Council has submitted a list of works totalling £3 million that could be carried out to improve Active Travel across the county borough if funds are made available by the Welsh Government.
Active Travel focuses on walking and cycling as a means of travelling on such as to work or school. It’s been high on our agenda for several years with works including the development of Active Travel Maps and a number of sessions of public consultation and engagement seeing a range of projects currently being developed for implementation.
The Welsh Government has recently written to Local Authorities requesting Expressions of Interest for sustainable transport measures.
Read More >
22/05/2020
From today (Friday 22nd May) the maximum fine for repeated breaches of the coronavirus lockdown rules in Wales will rise from £120 to £1,920, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced today.
The increased fines are being introduced ahead of the bank holiday weekend and they follow a request from the four police forces in Wales and the Police and Crime Commissioners for increased penalties to help deter people from repeatedly breaching the stay-at-home regulations.
Evidence from the four police forces show a small minority of people are breaking the coronavirus regulations, particularly by traveling to well-known beauty spots throughout Wales, even though they have been closed since the end of March.
Read More >
