There’s no doubt that one day autonomous HGVs will have a place in the haulage and freight industry, but according to a report carried out by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), roads all across the UK are nowhere near ready for autonomous HGVs.

The government published a report claiming that “an early example of CAV (connected and autonomous vehicles) close to deployment.”

The report also stated that “HGVs may be one of the first that will take the advantage of CAV technologies because, if you are an operator, you have an interest in pence per mile rates and you can benefit in fuel economy platooning”

But the majority in the industry recognise that there will be a number of challenges if these plans are to go ahead, especially as you would still need to have a driver at the wheel along with the autonomous vehicle, does this mean you pay them less as they are not driving?

The RHA released a statement saying that the idea of CAV is being treated with caution.

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Before we see autonomous vehicles involved in the haulage industry, it is clear that serious change is needed for UK roads. While manual drivers have years of experience and are now used to the road conditions, autonomous vehicles may have only been tested on well layered, even roads.

Before the government looks to invest further into autonomous vehicles in the UK, the majority of the haulage industry recognises that the more serious issue is the state of the roads in the UK, and it is an issue that continues to hold the industry back. Once the roads have been sorted, then the government can look to invest further in autonomous vehicles.

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London’s air is so polluted that motorists should be given up to £3,500 to persuade them to get rid of their old diesel vehicles and replace them with more environmentally friendly vehicles, according to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.

The nitrogen dioxide that is emitted by diesel cars is a key contributor to London’s poor air quality, which is so bad that City Hall now advises the public to avoid leaving the house unnecessarily on the worst-affected days.

The Mayor of London is urging the government to introduce a scrappage scheme, costing around half a billion pounds, that would offer incentives to low-income households and businesses to scrap their older vehicles.

Kahn would also like to see the car tax redesigned so that it no longer gives drivers an incentive to choose a diesel car. “The toxic state of our air leaves us with no choice but to rid our city of the most polluting diesel vehicles. It is shocking that nearly half of new car sales in the UK are still diesel vehicles and the national system of vehicle excise duty still incentivises motorists to buy these polluting cars,” Khan said.

“I’m urging the government to immediately review this policy, and today I’ve delivered a detailed report on how it can deliver an effective national diesel scrappage fund. One that both fairly compensates motorists and rapidly helps clean up our filthy air.

Air pollution is thought to cause around 50,000 early deaths every year while costing £27.5bn to try and maintain. Last April it was called a ‘public health emergency’ by MPs.

Under the mayor’s proposed scheme, van drivers in London would be given up to £3,500 towards the cost of a cleaner model, and low-income households could receive a credit worth £2,000 that they could use on alternative transport, such as joining a car pool, or on a new vehicle.

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The Freight Transport Association (FTA) believe that the first 6 months of 2016 has been good for the transport industry and were quick to praise Highways England for the positive work that they have done. However, the FTA would like to see a better flow of information on forthcoming roadworks so that operators are able to plan ahead.

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FTA’s comments followed publication of the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) first annual assessment of Highways England’s performance and delivery of its investment plan, covering the period from April 2015 to March 2016.

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FTA has supported the long-term certainty of £11.4 billion of funding for roads investment, of which around £2 billion is being related to 2015-16. Having said that, freight operators need the certainty of reliable information on the works that go to improving the road network to allow them to plan ahead better.

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Unreliable journeys are disastrous for operators and can end up costing them around £1 per minute for each vehicle standing still in congestion and that cost has to be reduced by the industry. More certainty of plans going forward will provide the industry with important information and allow companies to make educated decisions on how they operate their fleets as these investments in the network are made.

FTA’s Head of Road Network Management Policy, Malcolm Bingham said: “It is good to see that Highways England has made a positive start within its first year. We can see that satisfaction in the performance of the network will improve if motorists and businesses are better informed as to how the road system will operate.”

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After responding to a court ruling in favour of the French government’s plan to clear part of the migrant camp in Calais the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has called it a ‘step in the right direction’.

The camp, which has been called a ‘Jungle’ is set to be cleared after a court in France stated that eviction of the camp was legal.

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The camp is called home by around 5,000 migrants, the majority of which are reportedly looking to reach Britain by crossing the Channel. Members of the FTA have reported an increase in violence and unrest with migrants attacking lorries and drivers on a daily basis. Many drivers are now being told to avoid stopping in areas on the approach to the port and Eurotunnel.

The problems started back in the summer of 2015, where migrants where arriving in mass numbers at the French port looking to get across the Channel.

FTA’s Head of European Policy – Pauline Bastidon, had this to say about the decision: “FTA welcomes the decision to start clearing the Jungle camp in Calais. We appreciate the need for careful consideration – as the clearance of the camp could be seen as violating the fundamental rights of the migrants. However, considerations should also be given to the rights of our members to go about their work without fear of violence or intimidation.

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She continued to say “Disruption caused in part by migrant activity last year cost the UK freight industry an estimated £750,000 a day, and we do not want to see that situation repeated. £89 billion worth of UK trade passes through the port every year so it’s crucial that a solution is found as a matter of urgency.”

The progress that has been made in the recent months has been encouraging, with an increase to security the main change including fencing around the Calais area. But the FTA are urging French and UK authorities to complete the secure truck parking facilities and the registration of migrants as a matter of urgency.

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