05/05/2020
Last week marked 5 years since the Well-being of the Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 became Welsh law. A world first, which has changed the way Wales plans for the future. What helps set Wales apart is the work of the independent Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe in supporting this change and keeping the focus on the long term. On 4th May 2020, as part of her statutory duties, the Future Generations Commissioner published the first Future Generations Report on what has been achieved so far.
Built into the cycle of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (WFG Act) are the publication of two 5-yearly reports, one from the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and other from the Auditor General for Wales (AGW). These are required by law to be published one day and one year before a general election and together they give a periodic stock-take of the implementation of the Act.
These reports are both published against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of those public bodies subject to the Act are at the frontline of the challenges we face in dealing with Coronavirus. Both the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and the Auditor General have reflected this context and made it clear that they will not be expecting Government and public bodies to provide a response to these reports in the short term.
Read More >
04/05/2020
Five weeks since Government restrictions were imposed, South Wales Police is continuing to see a small minority of individuals flouting lockdown guidelines.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Valentine, who is leading the force’s COVID-19 response, has stressed that the majority of the public are playing their part and following the rules, but that a small minority continue to put themselves and others at risk by flouting the legislation.
ACC Valentine said, “It is simply unacceptable that some people appear to believe the legislation does not apply to them. Every single person in society has a part to play in helping stop the spread of Coronavirus.
Read More >
29/04/2020
Young people aged up to 18 are invited to design a poster that will promote the safe use of active travel, the benefits of 20 mph speed limits on communities or to encourage safer driver behaviour across Wales. The winning entries will be shared on Road Safety Wales Partner social media channels.
Competition Guidelines
- Posters should ideally be A4 in size and of landscape orientation, not portrait.
- Artwork can be created using digital or non-digital formats.
- Only one entry per person is permitted.
- Entries should be submitted to Road Safety Wales, 2 Cwrt-y-Parc, Parc Ty Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5GH or communication@roadsafetywales.org.uk.
- All artwork must be original and not subject to copyright laws or discriminate toward any individual, company or organisation (such as showing alcohol or cigarette brands).
- The winning entries will be judged on originality, creativity, impact and the message being portrayed.
Winning entries will receive a cheque for £50 from Road Safety Wales and up to 5 winners will be selected after the competition closes on Friday 12th June 2020.
Read More >
29/04/2020
Driving for Better Business, the programme to help employers reduce road risk, has created an essential ‘Transport Toolkit’ of free online resources to help businesses and fleets through the coronavirus pandemic.
The resources provide guidance for a range of situations, including fleets working at capacity on essential operations through the crisis, to vehicle maintenance, furloughed staff and the importance of maintaining established policies.
Peter Golding, founder and managing director at FleetCheck, said, “Working in conjunction with Driving for Better Business, we’ve taken the subjects that are being raised most frequently by our customers and produced videos available to everyone that provide pertinent advice in a fast, easy to understand format.
Read More >
24/04/2020
In a statement, GoSafe Partnership Manager, Teresa Ciano, highlights a concerning number of cases where vehicles are being driven at speeds exceeding limits to a higher extent.
Recent examples include:
- 114mph in a 70mph limit on the A55 (Rhuallt Hill)
- 105mph in a 60mph limit on the A5 (Halton, Wrexham)
- 104mph in a 70mph limit on the A48 (Pensarn, Carmarthen)
“Clearly, this irresponsible and risky driving is putting our key workers at risk along with members of the public who are making essential journeys to assist loved ones, attend work and keep the country going during the international crisis.
Read More >
20/04/2020
Council highways teams in Swansea have carried out more than 110 emergency road repairs recently, despite the impact of the Coronavirus crisis on normal services, new figures have revealed.
Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure Management, said, "Over the past few weeks all council services have been transformed to respond to the unprecedented demands of dealing with the pandemic.
"But even though there is a lot less traffic than normal our highways team is still there for Swansea. They have been out checking for defects and ordering in emergency repairs where necessary to ensure those who need to use the roads can do so safely.
Read More >
15/04/2020
The strategic aim of GoSafe is to make people safer on Welsh roads by reducing casualties and saving lives.
With the country currently in the throes of a pandemic, the road safety risks GoSafe works tirelessly to reduce have not been removed and the enforcement of camera sites is still key to GoSafe’s work in protecting the public and saving lives.
Enforcement vans offer an isolated work environment and where staff are fit, well and able to carry out their role, they will carry on. Now more than ever GoSafe must ensure road casualties do not increase and that the public can continue to travel safely, within Government guidelines.
Read More >
09/04/2020
The Crash Detectives team from Gwent Police recently visited Police HQ to receive a commendation from Chief Constable Pam Kelly for their commitment and dedication.
Chief Constable Pam Kelly said, “I have the pleasure of awarding a commendation for ‘Outstanding Commitment and Dedication to Collision Investigations in Gwent’ to our Collision Investigation Officers and Staff.
“I am immensely proud of the Collision Investigation Unit here in Gwent – the team display professionalism day in, day out and recently we have had the opportunity to showcase this work to the public with our BBC One Wales series, The Crash Detectives.
Read More >
06/04/2020
The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a consultation about decarbonising transport. The plan sets out six priorities that the Government will be consulting on over the next 5-6 months, with a final report published this autumn.
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, said, “The scale of the challenge demands a step change in both the breadth and scale of ambition, and we have a duty to act quickly and decisively to reduce emissions.
“Through the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, 2020 will be the year we set out the policies and plans needed to tackle transport emissions. This document marks the start of this process. It gives a clear view of where we are today and the size of emissions reduction we need.”
Read More >
02/04/2020
TyreSafe has issued a timely warning to motorists that the introduction of a six-month exemption on MOTs does not mean the law governing the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm has been suspended.
Tread depth is essential to keep a vehicle in contact with the road in wet conditions. Without this crucial contact, a vehicle will be more difficult to control and take longer to stop. At present, a tyre being driven below 1.6mm is illegal and if found by the police could result in a fine of up to £2,500 and three-points being added to a driver’s licence – per tyre.
In the battle to halt the Coronavirus pandemic, the government announced that from the 30th March 2020, vehicle owners have been granted a six-month exemption from MOT testing to enable vital services such as deliveries to continue, frontline workers to get to work, and people to get essential food and medicine.
Read More >
