What's New

Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off top-up grant worth up to £9000 to help them through to the Spring, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

As the transition period came to an end on 31 December 2020, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) warned international bus and coach services operating in the EU of changes ahead.

The Prime Minister announced a further national lockdown in England on 4 January 2021 with people told to stay at home, except for specific reasons including essential shopping, to work (if it is not reasonable for their job to be done at home), to exercise, to seek medical help or to escape domestic abuse.

On 4 January 2021, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon decided that the situation with regard to increased rates of coronavirus infection warranted the recall of the Scottish Government from its Christmas recess.

The Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) has announced that the previously advised 2021 financial standing levels for standard operator licence holders and applicants have changed.

In mid-December the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that up to £3 million would be made available to provide up to 80,000 more seats on coach services over the planned Christmas travel window (23 to 27 December 2020).

Wiltshire Council has said that it is responding to recent government advice on wearing face coverings on school buses and all secondary school pupils and college students will now need to wear a face covering on dedicated school buses.

The South East Wales Transport Commission is recommending an ambitious network of alternatives in its final report on sustainable transport options for South Wales.

Saying that he was aiming to provide certainty for millions of jobs and businesses, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme is to be extended until the end of April 2021 with the Government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages.

In August 2020, Transport for London (TfL) announced that it would trial changes to the operating hours of more than 80 kilometres of London’s bus lanes (see Mayor proposes 24/7 bus lanes for London’s busiest roads).