What's New

Replacing the agreement signed in May, the Government and the Mayor of London have agreed a second extraordinary funding and financing package for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 31 March 2021.

The Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Document No. 2 on Finance has been updated to reflect new financial standing levels for January 2021. The new levels will be £8200 for the first vehicle and £4550 for each subsequent vehicle.

As we reported in July, the Government has decided that tyres over 10 years old are to be banned from use on heavy vehicles (see “Old lorry tyres to be banned”).

Only a few days ago we reported on the Chancellor’s decision to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) as a result of the Government’s decision to take England into a second lockdown (see Furlough extended as PM sets new national restrictions for England).

As part of its Clean Air Hydrogen Bus Pilot, Birmingham City Council has bought 20 new hydrogen double decker buses.

Having reluctantly conceded that the three tier system in England is not reducing the coronavirus rate of infection, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he sees no alternative but to adopt tougher national measures.

As the Government’s eight weeks of emergency funding for buses came to an end, the TUC highlighted recent reports which suggest that 40% of Yorkshire’s bus services could be lost if funding is not maintained.

The future of local public transport services is at serious risk — including the potential for deep cuts to bus services — without continued Covid-19 financial support from the Government, according to a new report.

Despite the Department for Transport’s long-stated aim to increase bus use, passenger numbers have fallen according to a recent report from the National Audit Office (NAO).

The Government has responded to recent complaints by political leaders in areas being told to move to the highest level of coronavirus restrictions by, in its words, significantly increasing the generosity and reach of its winter support schemes.