News

A group of 20 Welsh organisations is calling for a change in the country’s transport policy. Sustainable Transport Cymru is calling for a bold shift in policy to effectively tackle climate change. Among the changes proposed by the body are an Oyster card-style system, car sharing initiatives, traffic claiming measures, new cycling and...

Honda has confirmed plans for its latest hybrid vehicles, which are expected to be added to its range next year. The firm’s Honda CR-Z is slated for a February 2010 release in Japan, with details of a launch in Britain to be announced later this year. Takanobu Ito, the company’s chief executive, said: "I think everyone is going to go the...

Over 1m tonnes of the bitumen used each year to build and repair roads may be soon be replaced by recycled cooking fat. Bitumen is the oil-based substance that binds together aggregate to produce asphalt – the material with which we pave our roads. The increasing price oil has prompted the development of cheaper, sustainable alternatives...

Drivers in Leicestershire are putting lives in danger by failing to stop at traffic lights, according to the Leicester Mercury. The newspaper carried out a study which involved sitting at three of the city centre’s junctions for an hour each, in which time it saw 78 vehicles pass through red lights. A spokesman for the Royal Society for the...

A new type of laser spark plug will make cars more fuel efficient and easier to start in cold conditions according to the scientists at Liverpool University and engineers at Ford who have developed a new ignition system for petrol-powered engines. A spokesperson for breakdown company the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The...

A new car that features a built-in mini-bar is likely to make the roads significantly safer; the concept design features a wrap-around seven-seat sofa, table, television and, crucially, the ability to drive itself. Fresh from its work on the Google phone, the American industrial design firm Mike and Maaike has unveiled its vision of...

South Gloucestershire Council must deal quickly with local air pollution that may be posing a threat to public health according to a local politician. Following air quality monitoring between January 2007 and April 2008 three locations were found to exceed acceptable levels of nitrogen dioxide and these may now be designated as ‘air quality...

CO2 emissions from international shipping now total 870 million tonnes, which equates to more than Britain’s entire current carbon emissions. A meeting in London next week will allow the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) an opportunity to reduce emissions from international shipping, before the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in...

A British-designed solar-powered car that is to compete in a 3,000km race across Australia uses half as much power as some kettles. The 60mph “Endeavour” solar racing car uses 6-square-metre covering of high-efficiency silicon cells to power a modest 2 horsepower electric motor. It was created by Cambridge University students. In order to...

Britons should take a driving test which involves a range of new elements, Graeme Trudgill, from the The British Insurance Brokers’ Association, has claimed. He commented that there should be reforms in this examination, with "more relevant" additions;“There should be tests for hazard perception, situational judgement...