Latest News

Local transport gets £11m investment

3 April 2012 | No comments

Bidders to oversee improvements on rail franchises announced

29 March 2012 | No comments

Improvements for rail passengers under Government franchise plans came a step closer as the bidders to run services were announced by Rail Minister Theresa Villiers today.

DfT announces funding which will see 70 additional hybrid buses on London’s streets

26 March 2012 | No comments

£5m for additional 70 hybrid buses.

£101 million bus boost for passengers

23 March 2012 | No comments

Commuters and bus passengers across England will see more eco-friendly buses on the roads, congestion reduced and services upgraded, thanks to a new £101 million package of improvements approved by Local Transport Minister Norman Baker.

GLA Transport Grant for 2012-13

21 March 2012 | No comments

The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening):

EU Transport Council

15 March 2012 | No comments

The Minister of State for Transport (Theresa Villiers): I will attend the first Transport Council of the Danish Presidency (the Presidency) which will take place in Brussels next Thursday.

New Permanent Secretary for Department for Transport

12 March 2012 | No comments

The Head of the Civil Service, Sir Bob Kerslake, is pleased to announce the appointment of Philip Rutnam as the new Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport. Philip, who is currently Director General Business and Skills, at BIS was chosen following an open competition.

Light Dues

12 March 2012 | No comments

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning):

Ending inflation-busting rail fare rises

9 March 2012 | No comments

Rail fare increases will be capped at the rate of inflation under plans to help hard-pressed passengers by ensuring the rail industry brings down the cost of Britain’s railways.

Electric cars available to test and rent

7 March 2012 | No comments

Electric cars will be available to rent and test at a new energy centre launched this week.

Drivers urged to think biker

5 March 2012 | No comments

A £1.2 million THINK!  campaign urging drivers to see the person behind the motorcycle helmet was  launched today by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

Spiderweb reduces theft on London transport by 14 per cent

1 March 2012 | No comments

Theft and pickpocketing on the Capital’s transport network have seen a 14 per cent reduction in the past six months since the launch of Project Spiderweb.

Extra trains and faster journey times will boost capacity

29 February 2012 | No comments

Passengers are on track to benefit from faster, longer trains and over 12,000 extra seats each day on journeys into London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers announced today.

Crossrail train procurement

28 February 2012 | No comments

The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening): I would like to inform the House that the Invitation to Negotiate for the procurement of rolling stock and associated depot facilities has today been issued by Crossrail Limited.

The Government Car and Despatch Agency: Delivering greater efficiency and reform

27 February 2012 | No comments

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning):

“On 16 January 2012, I announced the significant operating cost reductions we have made in running the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) since May 2010.  The previous Government had Ministerial cars for most Ministers, costing £6.8 million in 09/10.   We are now spending just £3.8 million or 55% percent of that, and the number of Ministers requiring cars has reduced by around half.

“Today, I am announcing our plans for the coming year in which we expect to deliver further operating cost savings of around one-third. This is part of our ongoing commitment to driving efficiency and improving value for money and transparency for tax payers.  It will also allow us to start to reduce the overhead costs associated with the service.

“To reflect the government’s approach to providing vehicles for Ministers’ official travel while maintaining adequate levels of security, I am taking this opportunity to identify a better taxpayer value  service, reduce the vehicle fleet and maximise driver and vehicle utilisation.  This approach will enable us to re-shape the agency and its estate to deliver a leaner and substantially smaller organisation.

We are working closely with Departments to deliver the main elements of this efficiency and reform programme which are:

• the phased closure of the Government mail despatch service by the end of the year. I expect current users to make alternative, cost effective arrangements with their existing service providers or to utilise existing government frameworks to secure new services from the private sector;
• a 50% reduction in the GCDA fleet with a new approach that gives greater control over management of the resource to Departments;
• a review of estate options;
• a review of the GCDA’s agency status and whether, in the light of the much smaller scale of the operation, that continues to offer the best value for money.

The GCDA is working with Departments to help manage the transition to new arrangements. Subject to those discussions, I expect the changes to the car service to be fully operational by April this year and the transition to new mail arrangements to be completed by the end of the year.”

Mayor steps up HGV safety campaign to benefit cyclists and pedestrians

22 February 2012 | No comments

Transport for London (TfL) and Crossrail train 5,400 professional drivers in how to respect cyclists – with thousands more to be trained over the next year. Mayor and TfL enhance Metropolitan Police Service Commercial Vehicle Task Force with new officers.

New senior staff for HS2 Ltd

22 February 2012 | No comments

Following the Government’s decision to proceed with the development of a high speed rail network, the Department for Transport is now starting a recruitment process to strengthen HS2 Ltd’s Board.

Cash boost for electric van man

21 February 2012 | 1 comment

The first vans eligible for the Government’s new Plug-in Car Van Grant, have been announced by Transport Secretary Justine Greening and Business Minister Mark Prisk today.