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Exclusive: Adapted single-deckers with seats removed and oxygen onboard will transfer patientsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNHS staff are preparing to transport patients using two London buses that have been converted into makeshift ambulances, in another sign of the strain Covid is putting on the capital’s health services.Most of the seats on the single-decker buses have been removed so that each can...

Plans to get rid of hard shoulders have heightened motorway safety fears but the government is determined to press ahead For the most part, in the UK, this simply means a motorway without a hard shoulder, allowing traffic to utilise the additional lane. There are two main types: all-lane running, where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted to become the inside lane, and...

Hauliers stranded in their cabs on UK roads say they are being used as political pawnsSee all our coronavirus coverageJuan Andrés had braced himself for what promised to be an atypical holiday season. But the lorry driver from southern Spain never imagined that Christmas Day would be spent in his cab tucking into a ham and cheese sandwich – among provisions handed out by...

A Kent football team made 200 pizzas and delivered them to stranded lorry drivers on the M20 and Manston airport on Tuesday night.Hot meals were also provided by a Sikh charity and delivered by Gravesend's Gurdwara Sikh community as thousands of lorry drivers waited for information after France closed its border with the UK for fear of a new variant of Covid-19 Continue reading...

About 1,500 lorries are stuck in Kent after France imposed a ban on any accompanied freight or cargo entering the country from Britain because of the new coronavirus variant discovered in the UK. The move triggered government crisis plans at Dover and other major pinch points, with some drivers redirected to a nearby airfield to ease congestion on the roadsCovid: France to reopen UK border for...

Capital’s mayor asks TfL to begin a feasibility study for plan to raise £500m a yearDrivers could face a £3.50 daily charge to enter Greater London under proposals from the mayor of London to address the capital’s funding crisis.Sadiq Khan has asked Transport for London to start feasibility studies for the plan to raise £500m a year. Continue reading...

International hauliers will need ‘Kent access permit’ to get into county from 1 JanuaryA de-facto Brexit border is to be introduced for lorry drivers entering Kent to travel on to the EU, Michael Gove has confirmed.The minister for the Cabinet Office and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster told the Commons that lorry drivers would need a “Kent access permit” to get into the...

Head of EU exit at the port says money needs to be ‘issued rather than talked about’Dover port is not Brexit ready because it is still waiting for government funds to be released for vital infrastructure for the new border operations, it has been revealed.It comes as it emerged that the government was considering forcing drivers to obtain a special Brexit passport before entering...

Pupils treated for ‘potentially life-changing injuries’ after double-decker hit bridgeThree children required surgery for “potentially life-changing injuries” after a double-decker school bus crashed into a railway bridge.The top of the bus was ripped off almost completely when the vehicle hit the bridge in Wellhouse Lane, Winchester, on Thursday. Continue reading...

But ONS finds four in five businesses stating that their risk of closing down is lowOne in eight members of the UK workforce, equating to more than three million people, were under furlough as the government’s wage subsidy scheme began to be phased out, the latest official data shows.The regular update on the economy from the Office for National Statistics found that 12% of...

Data reveals police recorded seven incidents of motorists in UK driving over 130mphCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTwo-thirds of Britain’s police forces caught people driving in excess of 100mph during the first three weeks of the coronavirus lockdown, new data has shown. The extreme speeds were not confined to motorways, as drivers also took the drop in traffic as an invitation to break...

Funding will increase capacity and frequency of services as Covid-19 changes way we travelRoads, railways, buses and trams are to receive a £283m funding package to improve public safety and protect services, the transport secretary has announced.Grant Shapps said the funding – £254m for buses and £29m for trams and light rail – would increase both frequency and capacity of services while ensuring there...

Experiment finds species try to avoid audible road sounds The thunder of road traffic is likely to drive away bats, according to a study, which found vehicle noise caused bat activity to decrease by two-thirds.While environmental assessments of new roads focus on the danger of habitat fragmentation, or bats colliding with traffic, the first ever controlled field experiment to investigate the impact of vehicle...

London orbital motorway is likely to be affected for a considerable time, say policeThe M25 has been shut after a serious collision involving a crane that overturned and crashed over both sides of the carriageway.The incident happened at junction 27 with the M11 in Essex on Friday evening. It has caused huge tailbacks in both directions including more than 10 miles on the clockwise...

One person seriously injured after double-decker bus overturns in fieldUp to eight people have potentially serious injuries after a double-decker bus overturned in a field after a crash in Devon, police said.The incident occurred on the A385 between Totnes and Paignton, near Lombcrombe Cross. Continue reading...