Zero-emissions Zone in Oxford – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news October 19, 2017haulage companies in cambridgeshire

The city of Oxford has announced they will ban petrol and diesel cars from its city centre from 2020 onwards in the latest round of air quality plans.

It’ll be the first city in the UK to introduce such a ban, going way beyond London’s Congestion Charge and upcoming T-Charge for high-polluting diesel cars.

The ban has been put in place to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels in the city’s worst pollution blackspot, George Street. The band will reduce the nitrogen dioxide by 74%, returning it to natural levels of pollution.

The plan hasn’t yet been given the all clear and will face a six-week public consultation. Traditionally, Oxford is an environmentally aware city, so the proposal is expected to face much less competition than London’s T-Charge.

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The plan is for the zero-emission to evolve every five years. After the initial launch in 2020, the city will extend the area in 2025 and 2030 and by 2035 non-zero-emission HGVs will also be banned from the area.

Oxford city councillor, John Tanner has said: “Everyone who uses Oxford centre has the right to breathe clean air. I would urge everyone who uses Oxford city centre to take part in the consultation. We need to know, in detail, what people’s needs are so that we can plan a zero-emission zone that minimises the impact on business and residents while maximising impact on the city’s health.”

Local bus operators within the city have expressed their support for the scheme, with Stagecoach and the Oxford Bus company both investing heavily in electrified buses recently.

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Uber to Fight London Ban – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news October 4, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

The new CEO of Uber Technologies Dara Khosrowshahi, who is less than a month into his job will meet with the head of London’s transport system this week to try and regain the license for its taxi service.

Transport for London (TfL), which regulates and operates the transport network of the capital, stunned Uber last week when it decided it would not renew its licence after the end of September.

TfL said that Uber was unfit to operate in London and cited its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers, since the ruling, other major countries around the world have put Uber under the microscope, including Australia.

A Huge Petition – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Uber have until October 13th to appeal the ruling, which they have already confirmed they will be doing in an attempt to keep their 40,000 drivers in London on the road. But the appeal process could take a number of months.

Since the decision was announced to strip Uber of its license, over 800,000 people have signed a petition for the decision to be reversed.

“Our new CEO is looking forward to meeting with the commissioner next week,” an Uber spokesman said. “We want to work with London to make things right.”

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has previously criticised the firm, backed the ruling and said it would be wrong to license Uber if its conduct threatened the safety and security of Londoners. While Prime Minister Theresa May said a blanket ban was disproportionate but safety concerns must be resolved.

Premium car service Addison Lee announced their plans to increase competition in the capital by increasing the number of drivers they have in London by a quarter.

This isn’t the first time Uber has face regulatory and legal setback. They have been forced to quit several countries including Denmark and Hungary, amid opposition from traditional taxi services and concern among some regulators.

Uber CEO Khosrowshahi has already apologised to Londoners for Uber’s mistakes, marking a break with the firm’s usual combative tone.

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Electric Lorry Unveiled in October – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news September 21, 2017warehousing cambridgeshire 0 Comment

Tesla is expected to launch its first electric in late October, as it attempts to break into the commercial market.

Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla stated that the “Tesla Semi truck” is “tentatively scheduled” for the unveiling and the first tests, one month behind schedule on 26th October. The test will be conducted in Tesla’s hometown of Hawthorne, California.

As well as being an electric lorry, the truck is expected to be able to drive by itself, something that the commercial trucking industry is obviously interested in. Tesla’s proposed battery-powered heavy-duty vehicle, which can apparently travel up to 1,000 miles on a single tank of fuel, allowing it to compete with conventional diesel vehicles.

Having said that, analysts remain sceptical that battery technology, which takes up significantly more volume and is heavier than conventional fuels, is capable matching diesel as a power source without reducing the truck’s maximum payload.

Autonomous Driving

Tesla first announced their plans for an electric commercial truck last year, and in April, Elon Musk said the release of the semi-truck was set for September. Tesla is hoping that electrification and autonomous driving systems could eventually remove the need for a driver, but in the short term could increase efficiency and safety.

Tesla is under fierce competition as a number of companies race to try and break into the commercial market. Both Uber and Alphabet’s former Google self-driving systems, Waymo are aiming to produce similar vehicles and services.

The Department of Transport announced in August that platoons of self-driving lorries will be tested on England’s motorways. The government said new vehicles driven by diesel and petrol engines will be banned from 2040, in the hope of tackling air pollution, forcing automotive manufacturers to consider electrification as well as alternative fuel sources such as hydrogen.

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Self Driving Lorries to Be Tested in UK – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news September 6, 2017haulage companies in cambridgeshire

The government have announced that small convoys of partially self-driving lorries will be tested on major British roads by the end of 2018.

A contract has been handed out to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to carry out the tests of vehicle ‘platoons’.

As many as three lorries will travel in formation, with the lead vehicle controlling the speed, acceleration and braking. In the platoons, the lead vehicle will be controlled by a human driver, with the rest of the convoy being connected wirelessly. The following vehicles will be instructed to accelerate and brake by the lead vehicle, which will allow the lorries to drive closer together than they could if the platoon was controlled by human drivers.

But there have been some safety concerns from the AA.

How do they work?

Lorries driving closer together should reduce the amount of air resistance for the following vehicles, providing that the front lorry pushes air out of the way. This could then lead to fuel efficiency savings for haulage companies, which Transport Minister Paul Maynard hopes will be passed on to consumers.

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With the following vehicles being connected wirelessly, it would allow the vehicles to react more quickly if the lead lorry was to quickly brake, quicker than human drivers would be able to, not only does this allow the lorries to drive closer together but it will also hopefully reduce the chances of potential accidents.

Whilst the lorries in convoy will react to acceleration and braking on their own, a human driver is needed to steer the lorries in the platoon.

The TRL will begin trials of the technology on test tracks, but these trials are expected to move to major roads by the end of next year.

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Ford Scrappage Scheme – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news August 23, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

Ford is the latest car company to launch an incentive for UK consumers to trade in cars over 7 years old, by offering £2,000 off some new models.

Unlike the schemes launched by Mercedes and BMW, which are only for diesel vehicles, Ford will also accept petrol vehicles.

Ford has stated that any cars handed in as part of the scheme will be scrapped, having an immediate effect on air quality.

Campaigners have said although this is a step in the right direction, the government still have a lot more to do.

A Journey to Improve Air Quality – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Chairman and Managing Director of Ford of Britain, said its scrapple scheme is ‘part of a journey’ to improve air quality.

“We have some pretty large incentives here, up to £7,000 if you have a commercial transit vehicle,” he said.

“We’re the only scheme open to commercials. It is part of a journey.

“Air quality is a much bigger debate and getting older vehicles off the road is part of that.

“New technology, such as plug-in hybrids etc, are all part of that longer journey we need to work together.”

He denied accusations of the scheme being a clever marketing ploy to look good while selling more cars.

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The Scheme

Consumers will be given £2,000 off new Ford models that range in price from £10,000 to more than £20,000. Ford have said that by combining the scheme with other standard offers, customers could receive up to £4,000 off a car or £7,000 off a van.

Under the scheme, any old car from any manufacturer can be exchanged until the end of December.

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Urban Charges & Lorry Bans Across UK – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news August 10, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

A number of cities across the UK will start levying prohibitively high charges on older HGVs and vans, for air quality reasons during 2019. At the same time, London has plans the could see a number of HGVs banned from the capital for having insufficient direct vision. Operators need to plan procurement or other coping strategies now to ensure the business impact is minimised.

The Freight Transport Association’s Transport Manager Conferences will be covering the topic, ensuring that attendees have the latest information about what will happen where, as well as what vehicles will be affected and how they should plan to avoid the least disruption possible.

The Government has named 32 local authorities across England that have to take further action on air quality, but it is a complicated picture as to which of these will result in a charging zone affecting commercial vehicles. The conference will also give the FTA an opportunity to give its insight. The FTA will also brief on the effects of the London Direct Vision Standard, which could potentially see more than half of the +12 tonne HGVs that currently visit London banned completely by 2020.

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Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of Nation & Regional Policy, had this to say: “Over the next three years a series of blanket restrictions will come into force in UK cities for HGVs and vans. With retrofitting of existing vehicles unlikely to be an option for most operators, transport managers need to be prepared for what is ahead, so the procurement of future fleets can be planned.”

A Manufacturers Perspective – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

This year, the conference will be sponsored by Iveco, who is also expected to give a vehicle manufacturer’s perspective on the proposed changes. Iveco’s Alternative Fuel Director, Martin Flach said: We applaud local authorities’ efforts to improve inner city air quality. The impact on truck operators is likely to be great, with many having to replace significant parts of their fleets to avoid incurring heavy penalties. This may be a fact they are not fully aware of. Iveco welcomes the opportunity to inform the audience at these important conferences.”

Last year, there were record numbers at the conference, something that the FTA is hoping to repeat this year.

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No More Severn Toll Charges – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news July 27, 2017

Last week the government announced the toll charges on the Severn crossings will be scrapped at the end of 2018. An announcement that has been greeted with a sigh of relief from the freight industry. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) hailed the announcement as a victory, stating that they have spent the last ten years, lobbying for charges to be removed to boost business in Wales and the south west.

Last Friday (July 21st), the Secretary of State for Wales the Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP, was at the Severn Bridge to make the announcement that all vehicles will be able to cross for free at the end of next year.

FTA’s Head of Policy for Wales and the South West, Ian Gallagher, said: “We have fought long and hard on behalf of FTA members to get these charges removed. They represent a huge financial burden for logistics companies in the area – money that would be better spent on upskilling, recruitment and purchasing greener vehicles.”

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Central Government Control – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

The two bridges spanning the Severn estuary on the M4 and M48 motorways in Wales have seen year-on-year price increases, costing the sector millions of pounds. The administration of the two bridges will revert to central government control by the start of 2018, when the current charging system will automatically end. Currently, it costs £20 for a HGV to cross into Wales and £13.40 for a van.

Mr Gallagher continued: “The announcement today heralds the death knoll of what are the most expensive tolls in the UK, representing a massive disincentive for inward investment and economic growth across the region, and is warmly welcomed by the Freight Transport Association and its members.

Before finally adding “Goods vehicle operators will be applauding this decision, a decision which will allow them to reinvest more than £43 million annually collected at the booths – money which can now be reinvested in job creation and improving fleets.”

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200 Drivers a day caught on phones – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news June 28, 2017haulage comapanies in cambridgeshire

More than 200 drivers a day were caught using their mobile phones whilst driving during a 4-week crackdown carried out by police.

Almost 6,000 motorists were penalised by the police force in the four weeks after the tougher penalties were brought into place, that is the equivalent to one driver every seven minutes.

Campaigners said the findings suggested many drivers were ignoring repeated warnings regarding the dangers of using mobiles whilst behind the wheel, despite a number of publicity campaigns and the risk of harsher punishments.

Since 1 March, drivers who are caught on their phones while drivers can receive six points on their license and a £200 fine, up from the previous penalties of 3 points and £100. The changes mean new drivers risk losing their license if caught on their phones.

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Calls for efforts to kerb illegal mobiles phone use intensified in the wake of a string of high-profile cases and research indicating that it is widespread.

Figures obtained after Freedom of Information requests show forces recorded 5,977 instances of drivers illegally using their phones in the four weeks starting from 1 March. Seven forces did not provide figures and some cases may not have been logged at the time of the FOI responses were issued, meaning the number of incidents could actually be considerably more.

The Metropolitan police registered the highest number of incidents (2,037), meaning more than 70 drivers a day were caught using a handheld phone on London’s roads.

Second in the charts was the Thames Valley police force with a total of 478m followed by Police Scotland (339), Hampshire police (280) and Cheshire police (224).

Some of the incidents included:

A lorry driver texting on the M2 in Kent
A driver on his phone while driving a school minibus with ten children on it in Manchester
Norfolk police stopped a woman who was responding to a message about her lost dog being found
A lorry driver was caught using his mobile phone whilst driving around a roundabout
A man was spotted doing his online banking while driving on the M5 near Birmingham

The RAC Foundation said the increased penalties were a start, but also said the figures for March suggested that the message still isn’t sinking in.

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Surge in Electrical Vehicle Sales – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news June 14, 2017haulage comapanies in cambridgeshire

The number of electric cars in the world accelerated past the two million mark last year, as prices fell and manufacturers launched new models.

Back in 2005, the number of battery-powered vehicles were in the hundreds globally. Ten years later, in 2015, there were one million and in 2016 sales jumped 60%.

Europe, the US and China accounted for more than 90% of electric vehicle sales last year, with China having the most amount of electric cars out of the three, according to research by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

In some European countries, electric cars have become so popular in the last year that they are taking significant market share from petrol and diesel cars. In normal, almost a third of new cars sold are electric, the higher proportion in the world, followed by 6.4% in the Netherlands and 3.4% in Sweden.

Whilst the UK is a way behind in terms of annual figures, new figures show that in May a record 4.4% of new cars sold were hybrids or pure electric models. The UK government launches a scheme back in 2011 to help encourage people to buy electrical cars, since the scheme launched, over 100,000 electric cars have been sold under it.

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The growth globally indicated a ‘“rapid market evolution” in electric cars, however, they still only make up 0.2% of all passenger cars, a figure that the IEA were eager to point out.

Clean vehicles director at the Brussels-based Transport and Environment group, Greg Archer, said: “The rapid rise in electric vehicle sales is a consumer-driven phenomenon rather than being down to the efforts of suppliers.”

Longer battery ranges, more charging ports and lower costs are responsible for the surge in demand of electric cars, he went on to say.

Worldwide, the IEA found there were 2.3 million charging points, although public ones were outnumbered six to one, suggesting that most drivers were recharging their batteries at home.

The IEA estimates there will be around 140 million electric cars on the road by 2030 if countries continue to meet the Paris climate deal’s goal of avoiding dangerous temperature rises.

Electric Haulage? – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

One popular brand of electrical cars is Tesla, they have recently said that they are working on making an electrical lorry that can be used for haulage and transportation with the hope that it will be on the roads by 2019.

Could the future of haulage be electrical?

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Clean Air Policy – Swannells – Warehousing Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news May 11, 2017warehousing companies in cambridgeshire

Trading conditions on British high streets could be more difficult for businesses following the announcement of the government’s plans on air quality, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

The plan fails to give any clarity or certainty over what will happen, but it could result in diesel vehicles being restricted in 38 cities and towns across the UK. The FTA, says these kinds of restrictions could potentially directly penalise operators who are providing vital goods and services to businesses and consumers. The FTA also say that high street prices could increase to cover the costs of transportation.

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Christopher Snelling, Head of National and Regional Policy of the FTA, had this to say: “At a time when British businesses, particularly sole traders and SMEs, are under intense financial pressure, a clean air plan that will penalise vital logistics operators and prevent them from reaching customers in our towns and cities would be a massive blow,”

He continued: “With hardworking families already feeling the strain caused by rising inflation and continued economic uncertainty about Brexit, the announcement will increase the pressure on small businesses and the high street, the backbone of the UK’s trading environment.

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Warehousing Companies in Cambridgeshire – Swannells

He continued: “Truck and van users will be furious when they see how the Government is targeting commercial vehicles in its proposals. The latest generation of HGVs are the cleanest vehicles on the road but also the most expensive. The real problem is 12 million diesel cars yet there is nothing in the Consultation to support commercial vehicle users through these changes. This is another example of politics getting in the way of progress.”

Under the new plan, which was announced on the 5th May, vans older than just 2 and a half years, as well as lorries older than 5 years, will be charged a fee every day for entering a Clean Air Zone. According to the FTA’s Van Excellence Report 2016, there are currently more tan 4 million vans on Britains roads.

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