News

18/02/2021

Anglesey's Active Travel Network Map Consultation

The consultation for the Isle of Anglesey’s Active Travel Network Map is now open, to help identify barriers and improvements to Active Travel walking and cycling routes.

Isle of Anglesey County Council is consulting on the Active Travel Network Map as part of its duties under the Active Travel Act 2013 (Wales).

The purpose of this phase of the consultation is to seek suggestions from the public to identify barriers and improvements to the cycling and walking network to access employment, education and key services which will increase the modal shift to more sustainable travel.

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17/02/2021

Behind The Scenes With North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit

The North Wales Police region covers an exceptionally wide area - nearly a third of Wales’ land, and the problems that arise are very diverse from area to area - from the cities in the East to the countryside of the West.

With in-car, custody and body cameras, a TV crew followed the Roads Policing Unit in their incredible day-to-day work.

Sgt Raymond Williams has been with the unit for 10 years and for him, making a difference is what motivates him in his job. He said, "If I get so much personal satisfaction from being able to make a difference to someone in the darkest time of their lives, that's worth a lot more than money in the bank."

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15/02/2021

Road Safety Improvements Throughout Cilfynydd

Work is due to begin to deliver a Safe Routes in Communities scheme for Cilfynydd - to relocate a pedestrian crossing, improve footways at several locations and introduce a 20mph speed limit through the village.

Work to deliver the scheme, which is wholly funded by the Welsh Government via a Safe Routes in Communities grant, will begin today, Monday February 15th and will last up to eight weeks. It follows Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s consultation with residents, which ran from December to January. Further information, including detailed plans of the proposals, remains available to view on the Council’s website.

The scheme comprises of three main elements, which include:

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12/02/2021

Brake Before the Bend

Wales by Bike is highlighting how country roads can give the exhilaration some motorcyclists crave, even when commuting to work during lockdown, but pointing out that these roads often have sharp or blind bends that can hide countless potential hazards.

Bushes, trees and buildings can block the rider's view and obscure oncoming hazards, and there is also the potential of being faced with animals in the road when entering or exiting a bend.

Consider this: you may have used the same route a thousand times, you know how sharp the next corner is, you even know the location of a pothole that you've noticed getting bigger over the past few weeks. But, unfortunately you’ll never ever know 100% what’s around the next corner until you get there.

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11/02/2021

Results of Christmas Anti-Drink/Drug Drive Campaign Revealed

Despite coronavirus restrictions and a national lockdown in December, Welsh police forces breathalysed almost 5,000 motorists.

Of the 4,906 breath tests administered, 181 (3.7%) motorists failed, or failed to provide a specimen, and will lose their licences.

Officers also carried out 469 DrugWipe tests, with 274 (58.4%) failing, leading to 377 arrests.

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09/02/2021

Big Funding Boost For Healthy Travel

The Welsh Government has unveiled a £55 million funding package for councils to encourage people to take up healthier travel for short local journeys. The record funding boost represents an eleven-fold increase in the dedicated budget for investment in Active Travel in the last five years.

Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, said, “We want to make it easier for people to make everyday journeys in ways that benefit their health and the environment.”

The 2021 to 2022 budget has allocated more than £55 million to be spent on active travel, an increase of £20 million from last year - up from £5 million in 2016 at the start of this Welsh Government term.

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08/02/2021

129 Arrests Made Across North Wales During The Christmas Anti Drink And Drug Drive Campaign

The month-long campaign, which took place throughout December, ran in conjunction with a UK-wide operation led by the National Police Chief’s Council. In north Wales a total of 129 motorists were arrested, with 47 people failing breath tests and 82 people providing positive drugs tests.

Chief Inspector Jon Aspinall of the Force’s Operational Support Services said, “Despite fewer people being caught drink or drug driving over the 2020 Christmas period, we must acknowledge that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be a significant factor.

“With more people working from home, roads being quieter and no big party nights, less people were taking unnecessary risks.

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04/02/2021

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service: Winter Driving

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is calling on all residents to take extra care when driving this winter, with 138 Road Traffic Collisions having already been recorded across the Service area.

Road Safety Manager, Station Manager Spencer Lewis, said, “With the numbers of RTC recorded this winter so far, it's imperative that we take more care on the roads to help reduce this number. Driving during poor wintry conditions requires a different approach and by making some simple changes to driving habits, drivers can reduce their chances of being involved in a collision. 

He added, “At this time of year, driving conditions can be treacherous. I urge motorists to be prepared to drive with care and adjust their driving to suit the conditions.”

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01/02/2021

10-year Tyre Ban Now in Force

From today (1 February), tyres aged over 10 years are banned on the front steered axles of lorries, buses and coaches along with all single wheels of minibuses (9-16 passengers seats).

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is enforcing the new legislation at roadside checks along with vehicle annual tests.

Updated sanctions policy

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28/01/2021

Touchless Technology to be Trialled at Six Pedestrian Crossings

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council will begin to install touchless technology at six busy pedestrian crossings, in a trial funded by the Welsh Government as part of its support for sustainable transport measures in response to COVID-19.

The new setup will allow pedestrians to activate each of the signal controlled crossings by moving their hand under a sensor, instead of pushing a button. This detection technology is more reliable and efficient than the current button activation, and will help reduce the spread of coronavirus during the pandemic.

The technology will be trialled over four weeks, with installations beginning in the week commencing Monday, January 25. Stickers and signage will be placed at each crossing to inform pedestrians. These will be in place before the technology comes into use. If no issues arise during the trial, the technology could be implemented at all signal-controlled crossings in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The following six locations will be used for the initial trial exercise:

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