New evidence maps of transport noise have been drawn up to help road and rail operators decide on the best way to tackle noise pollution.

The series of noise maps released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) indicate the impact of road and rail noise in the 23 largest urban areas across England. Target areas where noise is a menace have been identified and the relevant authorities will now be expected to investigate these areas to see what noise mitigation measures can be carried out. 

Authorities can propose measures such as sound barriers alongside roads, better road surfaces, and lower speed limits for drivers. Insulation such as secondary glazing might also be installed in affected homes.

Road and rail transport noise is not just unpleasant. Long term exposure to road noise for example has been linked to increased levels of stress, high blood pressure and even heart attacks. According to a 2008 Transport and Environment (T&E) report, 50,000 fatal heart attacks in Europe each year are attributed to rail and road traffic noise.

In response to this very real menace, the Government has been working to reduce the impact of road and rail noise, publishing yesterday its Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) which sets out noise management policy for the first time. This statement forms the Government’s long term vision to manage noise and improve health and quality of life to comply with the EU’s Noise Directive.

Environment Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: “Noise pollution can have a real impact on people’s lives and their health. We can’t just turn down the volume along major transport routes, which millions of people use every day, but we’re asking for local solutions to make sure the effects of noise are properly managed, in order to improve health and quality of life.”

Under the Environmental Noise Directive, ‘Noise Action Plans’ are to be set up in the following 23 urban areas, or ‘agglomerations’: Birkenhead, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Coventry, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Portsmouth, The Potteries (including Cheshire East, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke on Trent), Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Southend, Teeside,Tyneside, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

The noisiest areas of England were identified through Defra’s series of “noise maps”, which established noise levels through computer modelling. The process of establishing quieter urban areas will begin in July 2010.

Radical changes to the way we work and commute are needed if the UK is to avoid exacerbating congestion on its roads, the CBI said today.

In a new report called ‘Tackling congestion, driving growth – A new approach to roads policy’, the UK’s largest business group association argues that time and money wasted on Britain’s congested roads could be saved, and makes a series of suggestions about how government and business can address this issue.

A CBI survey shows 80 per cent of companies see roads as being ‘vital’ to their business, and 96 per cent of companies want to see fresh thinking from an incoming government and a willingness to tackle rush hour congestion as a matter of priority.

The business association proposes some radical and controversial ideas for tackling congestion-which is not just a economic menace but an environmental one too. Rather likely to upset some businesses, the association proposes that road pricing should be used on new roads, while other proposals include breaking up working patterns and allowing more home working.

The Eddington Transport Study of 2006 found that vehicle traffic has grown by a quarter in just 20 years, estimating that road congestion now costs the economy an estimated £7-8bn a year, and is likely to more than double by 2025 unless more action is taken.

John Cridland, the CBI’s Deputy Director-General, said:“For too long, Britain’s roads have been a cause of frustration and delays for our businesses and commuters. Some government initiatives, such as road-widening schemes or using the hard shoulder on motorways, have been welcome but hardly scratch the surface of the problem.

“Now is the time for fresh thinking on the roads. We need a radical overhaul of how we travel and manage our road system if we are to do more than simply tinker at the edges. Merely slowing the endless rise in congestion is not enough. The CBI would like to see policymakers put the same amount of energy and vision into roads as they are doing on high speed rail.”

The business association says that simply building more roads will not solve the problem. Instead, an overhaul of the way we work is needed. More companies should adopt more flexible patterns of work, and encourage staff to make use of modern communications technologies, such as video conferencing instead of always travelling to meetings.

The CBI’s proposals to cut congestion on the roads include:

Encouraging more staff to stagger their commutes and break out of the usual ‘9 to 5’ routine. Flexible working patterns not only bring higher productivity to firms, they can help cut emissions and have been shown to reduce congestion as more people work remotely or change the times they travel.

Brokering arrangements where commuters making similar journeys take turns driving and share lifts, and introducing shared occupancy motorway lanes. By identifying clusters of employees who live near to each other, reduce congestion by sharing car journeys, or even providing a commuter coach service. Extra lanes on motorways provide a faster route for motorists who choose to pay the toll or are free for cars with more than one person.

Delivering on the government’s promise of giving all homes and businesses access to broadband by 2012. Video conferencing and other technologies are helping people to work in novel ways, and at different times, but the UK is already falling behind other countries on provision of broadband.

Trialling more ‘yellow bus’ schemes to cut school run congestion. A fifth of all vehicles during the morning rush hour are on the ‘school run’, with the average length of journey to school for 11-16 year olds growing from 2.8 miles in 2000 to 3.4 miles in 2006. A national dedicated school bus service used by 12 per cent of pupils would eliminate 130 million journeys, cut rush hour traffic by 2.6 per cent and save 55,000 tonnes of emissions.

Following Scotland’s lead and appointing ‘Street Works Commissioners’ in the rest of the UK. Street works are vital to renew the UK’s ageing gas and water pipes, or maintain the roads, but they can cause congestion and much frustration among road users. Utilities have improved their performance in recent years, but half of street works are carried out by local authorities which are exempt from late fines and other regulations. So, the rest of the UK should follow the example of Scotland, where an independent Street Works Commissioner has the power to fine local authorities for a failure in duties to co-ordinate or co-operate.

Although the current state of public finances means there is less public money available for investing in the roads, the association says that dire levels of congestion on parts of the road network mean the Government must not cut public spending on infrastructure disproportionately during the recession, and should restore investment once the recovery is underway.

The CBI report makes the following recommendations on infrastructure and investment

Road investment should focus on congestion pinchpoints.Existing bottlenecks should be dealt with as a matter of priority and strategic links built between cities and to freight hubs.

Greater use of private investment would help deliver road improvements. A range of private finance models are already being used to build infrastructure in the UK, and these can help deliver projects on time and on budget.

Road pricing should be considered for building new roads or extra lanes. Experience from overseas suggests the public will support a toll on a new road if it is the only way that road will be built, and that tolls used on new lanes on motorways and A roads can help prevent congestion building up again.

The CBI is also calling for reform to the Highways Agency (HA). A third of all UK passenger journeys and two-thirds of freight journeys are on the motorways and trunk roads, managed by the HA. But the agency only has its budget signed off a year at a time, compared with a five-yearly settlement for Network Rail. Future governments should commit to a longer-term investment strategy for our strategic road network, which would help bring more confidence and certainty to the construction sector.

The Transport Innovation Fund (TiF) designed to introduce congestion charging in cities across the UK has been quietly dropped and replaced by a new Urban Challenge Fund.

Announced at a urban transport summit in London earlier this week, Transport Minister, Sadiq Khan said the planned new fund was designed to support a packages of measures that deliver a wide range of transport improvements.

Under the proposals, cities would only be eligible to receive money from the fund if they can show their transport plans will: improve journey choice, tackle congestion, improve safety, lower carbon emissions or promote healthier lifestyles through better air quality and more walking and cycling.

Sadiq Khan said: “The Urban Challenge Fund is designed to support cities that want to deliver economic, health and environmental improvements at the same time, and are prepared to take the bold decisions needed to make that happen.  This new fund will help to create a cleaner, safer and more prosperous future for generations to come.”

The new fund will replace the Congestion Transport Innovation Fund which was established to support towns and cities in tackling congestion through local road pricing schemes, as planned in cities such as Manchester, Cambridge and York. 

However the new Urban Challenge Fund will not necessarily require congestion charging to enable cities to access grants. Instead any transport plans that can prove that they will not only tackle congestion but offer greater choice for transport users, improve safety, reduce air pollutants and carbon emissions and improve the living environment, may be able to access funding. 

As a result, plans to introduce congestion charging in Cambridge have been placed on hold.

Commenting on the announcement of the new fund, transport charity, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) said that without new money on offer cities will struggle to deliver any real improvements to transport.

CBT Director Stephen Joseph said: "The new emphasis on improving health and public spaces sounds great, but the proposed Urban Challenge Fund has no numbers or timescale attached. The truth is we expect transport funding cuts, not expansion.

"Whether the Fund becomes a reality after the election will be the key test. Without real new money to improve urban transport, councils won’t be able to make any of this a reality. Cities will continue to be oppressed by traffic congestion and pollution.

"City transport needs less talk and more cash. Sadly, today is just about talk, even if its good talk," he said.  

The cost of purchasing low carbon vans is the main barrier to uptake among commercial vehicle buyers, a survey from the Department of Transport (DfT) has revealed.

The Government department sent out questionnaires in the summer of 2009 to owners of ‘low carbon vans’ and owners of ‘non low carbon vans’, although the details are rather vague, the survey did reveal some interesting results.

Firstly it appears that a lack of awareness of greener alternatives was not a problem, with 65 per cent of those non low carbon vans revealing that they are aware of greener options.

The main reason for not purchasing a low carbon van was reported as being ‘purchase costs’ with 68 per cent of respondents naming this as the main deterrent. When asked about what would most incentivise them to make the switch to a low carbon vehicle options reducing purchase costs came top followed by reduced operating costs while others said reassurances over the performance of such vehicles, e.g. improved carrying capacity, improved reliability including battery life of low carbon options such as electric vehicles would most encourage them to make the switch.

Finally the survey reported no difference in the weekly distance travelled by those operating low carbon vans compared to all vans.

The Tanfield Group PLC has received a provisional offer on its electric vehicle division, Smith Electric Vehicles.

The offer is worth £37 million, equivalent to 50 pence per existing share plus a £33.3 million contingent credit fund prior to September 2015.

The non-binding, conditional offer comes from Smith Electric Vehicles US (SERVUS) which wishes to buy up its UK counterpart.

Tanfield’s board has granted SEVUS a four month period of exclusivity for the clarification and negotiation of this offer. The board is examining tax efficient methods that would return as much of the cash/value to shareholders as possible.

Smith Electric Vehicles is known for supplying electric vans and trucks for urban fleet operations to customers across the UK and Europe, including Sainsbury’s, TNT, DHL, TK Maxx and Scottish & Southern Energy.

The firm expects to issue its results for the year ended 31^st December 2009 during the month of April. The UK company made a loss of £11m to the half year ended 30^th June 2009, with it indicated that no improvement in trading conditions was made in the second half of 2009.  The company expects to report net cash at 31 December 2009 of around £5 million.

A further announcement will be made in due course.

A new national car buying survey has been launched on behalf of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (www.lowcvp.org.uk) to identify what information consumers find most useful when buying a new or nearly new car.

Conducted by environmental transport consultancy firm, Ecolane, the new survey aims to attract 1,000 car buyers to complete the survey by the end of March.  The results of the survey will be used to inform and influence UK Government and EU policy.

To take part in the survey you need to either have purchased a new/nearly-new car (up to 2 years old) within the last 12 months, or be a car owner who is intending to buy a new/nearly-new car (up to 2 years old) during the next 12 months.

The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete during which time you will be asked questions about your recent or next car purchase.

Best of all, on completion, you will be entered into a draw for the top prize of a £250 Amazon gift voucher. Three runners up will also each receive a £50 Amazon gift voucher.

The survey can be accessed here: http://live.carbuyersurvey.co.uk

New car emissions fell by their biggest margin yet last year, the latest report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveals.

Helped by the recession and the scrappage scheme, new car sold in the UK in 2009 emitted just 149.5g/km of CO₂, down 5.4 per cent on the 2008 figure and 21.2 per cent better than the 1997 base level. The rate of reduction was the best on record, three times the average rate achieved since data was first measured in 1997.

Technological advancements made by the carmakers helped to reduce the emissions of new cars while a tax incentives, a suppressed economy and the scrappage incentives helped boost the sales of these new breed of greener cars.

Reductions in average emissions were made across all model segments with MPVs (-28.6 per cent) and 4×4s (-27.4 per cent) making the biggest improvement against their 1997 base levels. Minis and specialist sports cars made the biggest reduction over the past year falling 6.7 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively on 2008 figures.

2009 saw the 12^th successive annual drop in average new car CO₂ emissions as the scrappage scheme steered motorists towards selecting more fuel-efficient models. The average car bought under the scheme emitted just 133.3g/km, 26.8 per cent less CO₂ than the average scrapped car.

In total, 27.6 per cent of the cars registered in the UK in 2009 emitted less than 130g/km, the target set in the European CO₂ regulation for 2015. In addition, showing the influence of the CO₂-based road tax system, Band E (131-140g/km) proved the most popular with new car buyers, compared to Band H (166-175g/km) in 1997.

Commenting on the report Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive said: “Vehicle manufacturers have invested heavily in both improving conventional technologies and bringing advanced systems to market that reduce the environmental impact of new vehicles. Whilst scrappage incentives made a positive contribution to fleet renewal in 2009, there is a risk that over the next few years, motorists may be deterred from investing in the latest technology. Developing a long-term and consistent approach to vehicle taxation and environmental incentives will be important in maintaining the current rate of improvement.”

The adoption of the new car CO₂ regulation in December 2009 set a phase-in target for vehicle manufacturers to ensure their average fleet emissions do not exceed 130g/km by 2015.

The full New Car CO₂ Report 2010, published by SMMT, can be accessed on www.smmt.co.uk

It is not just Peugeot that is taking the eco-driving challenge this morning, the Government has launched a new proposal that could see lorry drivers take eco-driving training as part of their qualification for a LGV licence.

The new plans to encourage lorry drivers to take up eco-driver training could save up to 3 million tonnes of CO2 over five years and £300 million in fuel costs, according to Transport Minister Paul Clark.

The plans – which include making eco driver training for LGV drivers a mandatory part of the EU Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) – aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the freight sector. The proposals could enable around 90 per cent of lorry drivers to receive eco-driver training while promotion of the benefits of eco-driving training would help encourage greater take up of the training among employers.

Paul Clark said: “We are absolutely committed to reducing emissions from across the transport sector. Given that 20 per cent of all transport emissions come from road freight, these drivers must be a priority.

“With initiatives like this I am confident we will succeed in creating a greener and cleaner industry fit to meet the environmental challenges we face.”

A consultation into the proposed plans opens today and runs for around 16 weeks. It can be accessed from the Department for Transport (DfT) website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-11/

The measures support a commitment by the DfT to save an additional 85 million tonnes of CO2 from domestic transport from 2018-2022.

The consultation also considers the possibility of making the eco-driving training a mandatory part of bus drivers CPC.

Emissions from freight movements stem primarily from the road sector, with Large Goods vehicles (LGVs) representing 20 per cent of total domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions. 

Durham became the host of an electric car seminar this week as AA president Edmund King was joined by representatives from the council and regional regeneration agency One North East.

Speaking at the event, the AA president told local councillors that electric vehicles will have to overcome some significant issues if they are to be widely accepted.

The seminar called ‘Electric Vehicles- Not just milk floats!’ was set up to explore the effects the development and introduction of electric vehicles will have on County Durham.

In his speech, King said that local authorities will prove essential to help progress by encouraging pioneers and early adopters, incentivising electric vehicle use by offering free parking for example, installing charge points and by considering how electric vehicles use can be incorporated in new building projects.

According to King,  plug-in hybrids and range extended vehicles are likely to help fill the gaps between petrol, diesel and a market shift to full electric vehicles. However electric vehicles have to overcome an image problem as in many people’s minds electric vehicles are seen as low speed and low power vehicle with limited range. As many people’s first encounter with an electric vehicle was milk float or a basic quadricycle; consumers will need to be convinced of the viability of electric modes of transport he explained.

The North East was named recently as an Low Carbon Economic Area (LCEA) by the Government and won one of the first Plugged-in Places Grants to pay for the installation of 1,300 electric vehicle charging points.

Commenting, Edmund King said: “We need to make that giant leap from the milk float to the real electric car. We need pioneers to help turn these electric dreams into an electric reality.

“We are delighted that Plugged-in Places funding is going to the North East to help with the charging infrastructure. We need early adopters to lead the charge towards a low carbon vehicle future and so I will be encouraging Durham Country Councillors to get on board with us.”

As part of the event four electric smart cars were available for council members to sample .The vehicles are now planned to be used over a three week period by the County Council and its partners as part of a research and development project being monitored by Newcastle University.  

Councillor Neil Foster, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said:  “County Durham has the perfect opportunity to recognise the potential economic and environmental opportunities that present themselves by embracing this new technology and supporting the region in becoming a leader in this new technology.” 

Good news green car fans! TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has become the media partner for the Green Machines Expo, part of the forthcoming UK Aware event.

This partnership means that TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk team will be there at the event, ready to talk all things green cars. But even better, our affiliation with the event means that YOU, our readers can buy discounted tickets for the event which take place on April 16 and 17, 2010 at the London Olympia.

The expo is set to be the UK’s largest display of low carbon cars. As part of the UK Aware show, its not just green cars on display; the show covers all aspects of green and ethical living and is expected to attract over 15,000 people. It will bring together 200 exhibitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world class guest speakers.

This could be your only chance in the UK this year to see a full display of low carbon transport solutions and innovative prototypes, thanks to the cancellation of the 2010 British International Motor Show. Exhibitors will be showcasing thousands of products and services ranging from cars to computers, from fashion to food and from travel to advice services.

All attractions at UK AWARE 2010 are included with entry ticket purchase and will include entry into the very special ‘Green Machines Expo’ with 50 greener vehicles on display from over 30 manufacturers.

Now in its third year, UK Aware attractions include; ‘The Green Business Start-up Surgery’ – an oasis of solutions for budding green entrepreneurs, a clothes swapping party-where  anyone to get a completely new to you wardrobe without damaging the environment or spending a penny, a kids area- with shows and interactive activities designed to inspire young minds and ‘Morsbags’- an oasis of creative surprises and haberdashery delights.

Profits from ticket sales for UK AWARE 2010 will be donated to charity although the exact charity has yet to be confirmed. Tickets for the event are priced at £15 on the door (cash only) and advanced tickets are available from the UK Aware website priced at £10 plus a small booking fee. But purchase them through TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk and you get entry into UK Aware and the Green Machines Expo for just £6 each!

Faye Sunderland and Richard Lawton from TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk will be there on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th April, so feel free to come and chat to us as we will be on hand to talk about all things low carbon-from electric cars to hybrids, range-extended to biofuel, solar to hydrogen.

To purchase tickets follow the link here. For more information, visit the UK Aware website. A full list of exhibitors will be confirmed nearer the time.