News

Cycling in south-east England is set to receive a boost this week when West Sussex County Council starts work to convert the A259 pavement into a shared-use cycle route. Derek Whittington, county council cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: “This is part of the county council’s plan to implement 20 km of new cycle...

A report by the United Nations has highlighted the danger posed to the environment by certain types of biofuel, the worst of which can emit twenty times more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels. The most environmentally-damaging type of biofuel is a biodiesel from palm oil when grown in tropical peatland forests that have been cleared for...

A new city car, which promises to be the most efficient electric vehicle in the world, has been created by a designer best known for his work on the McLaren F1 and Mercedes SLR ‘supercars’. Gordon Murray has received government funding to develop his T.25 petrol-powered city car into a highly-efficient electric vehicle, which is claimed...

Blackpool Council is set to receive a £750,000 cash injection to boost cycling in the region. The money is being awarded as part of the government’s £10 million Cycling Demonstration Towns initiative. "By getting more people cycling, we can help tackle congestion and pollution, as well as helping to promote health and fitness," said...

Two-metre long tapering protrusions known as ‘boat tails’ could soon be mounted on the back of lorries as a means of dramatically reducing their fuel consumption CO2 emissions. Computer modelling and wind tunnel testing of the boat tail concept was followed by a year of extensive road tests carried out by PART (Platform for Aerodynamic Road...

The idea that a wholesale switch to electric cars would automatically reduce CO2 emissions and dependence on oil is one of a number of myths dispelled by a major new report. The report, ‘How to avoid an electric shock: Electric cars from hype to reality’ was conducted by the European lobby group Transport & Environment, an organisation...

Half a century after the advent of the three-point seatbelt, Ford has developed a version that incorporates an airbag. The inflatable seat belt works by spreading the force of impact across a significantly greater area of the torso than a conventional seat belt. Airbags are used in an increasing number of applications – they have been...

Police are urging cyclists to take extra care with their bikes in Somerset. The warning comes following a series of bike thefts in the region. According to officials, in the past week alone, a number of bike thefts have been reported where thieves have broken into people’s homes. Commenting on the problem, Sgt Adrian Fallows, from Chipping...

Cyclists in Cambridge are being encouraged to step up their security measures due to soaring bike thefts. Police in the region are responding to the growing problem by urging people on two-wheels to mark their bike. It is suspected that the rise is down to thieves targeting the thousands of new students who arrive in the city around this...

Schoolchildren are being urged to get on their bikes in York. As part of the council’s ‘Bike It’ scheme, an array of assemblies, classroom sessions and activities are to be held in 12 schools across the region to promote the benefits of cycling. The initiative is being led by newly appointed Bike It officer Jim Cole. "I’m delighted to be...