29/06/2020
Mandatory MOT testing is to be reintroduced from 1 August 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifted, Roads Minister Baroness Vere has announced.
- Mandatory MOT tests for car, motorcycle and van owners in England, Scotland and Wales to be reintroduced to keep roads safe
- Drivers encouraged to book a test in advance to ensure vehicles are in a roadworthy condition
- Vehicle owners with an MOT due date before 1 August will still receive a 6-month exemption
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, drivers were granted a 6-month exemption from MOT testing in March to help slow the spread of the virus. However, as restrictions are eased when safe to do so, all drivers whose car, motorcycle or van is due for an MOT test from 1 August will be required to get a test certificate to continue driving their vehicle.
MOT tests are important for road safety and ensure that vehicle parts, including tyres, seatbelts, brakes, lights and exhausts, are in proper working order.
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26/06/2020
With the wider return to school in Wales from Monday 29 June, some School Crossing Patrols will be back in operation, helping to ensure the safety of children, parents and carers as they walk to school.
The way the service operates will have changed to enable social distancing to keep everyone safe.
- Look out for markings on the path and make sure you keep a 2m distance from the School Crossing Patrol and other people at all times
- Listen carefully to the School Crossing Patrol, they will give instructions on crossing safely
- Only cross when the School Crossing Patrols tells you it’s safe to do so
- Drivers are reminded to stop for the School Crossing Patrol allowing plenty of room for the SCP to retain a 2m gap between themselves and the crossing users
Enjoy the walk to school and stay safe.
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22/06/2020
Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport has announced funding of £15.4m to local authorities to introduce measures to improve the safety and conditions for sustainable and active travel modes in their area in response to the Covid-19 crisis and to achieve sustained changes in travel behaviour in the future:
"The Welsh Government received a total of 209 proposals for measures from all local authorities in response to the invitation for expressions of interest. This clearly demonstrates the need, and willingness of local authorities, to introduce measures to protect public health and safety and to enable people to choose the healthiest and most sustainable transport modes for shorter journeys now and in the future. During the lockdown period there were large increases in walking and cycling among individuals and families, both for exercise and to make necessary journeys. We now need to act to maintain these healthy and climate friendly travel behaviours and prevent a return to heavily car-dependent travel choices.
"Among the diverse measures planned at the local level, I have asked local authorities to clearly prioritise delivery of those schemes which can be completed within the next three to four months and have the greatest impact in their local area.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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